i grew up like any other conservative christian. i have heard all the scriptures and sang all the songs and felt all the "good vibes" that you are supposed to feel. yet, as i get older, i wonder if that all wasn't a lie. a convincing, well-constructed lie, but still a lie. a lie to make "bad" people feel better about themselves and "good" people feel like they are entitled to judging others for their mistakes.
i do believe that there is... something... out there. but just take a look around.
good, god-fearing people die, though they asked for protection.
the church discriminates against individuals who are simply trying to be true to themselves.
condemnation and judgement are thrown around like leaves during Fall.
hearts are broken
souls are hewn
all in the name of God? where is Christ in that?
who was Jesus? the whole "son of God" thing aside, he was an amazing teacher and friend. he accepted everyone, showing them love they had never known before. he avoided the religious leaders, thinking them entirely too high minded and proud. he guided and corrected with love and patience, never making anyone feel alone or unimportant.
how often do we actually see that today? i often find that mentality more in my un-churched friends.
so where does this leave us? well, shit happens. but i am past the point of blindly accepting the inevitable, leaving it up to fate or the will of a far off god. this only leaves room for more ignorance and bad behavior.
i do think we should all strive to be better. but not so we can put ourselves under some religious label. Jesus, Ghandi, Buddha, MLK Jr.... we can learn so much from their lives. why strive for heaven and perfection, when, instead, we could simply strive to make each other's lives better? not through religion or a set of rules meant to make the world better, but through love. because in the end, aren't we all longing for someone to love us? someone who can look at us and our mistakes, and still be there to pick us up and encourage us.
i don't think anyone can say that some part of them doesn't look for that every minute of every day.
walk in someone else's shoes. you might be surprised at how much you learn.
1 comment:
I think God is listening, I just don't think anyone really knows who God is. You've got 8,000 different religions and sects and cults, all with devout beliefs, most of which will never change in their lifetimes.
Once again I refer to the incomparable wisdom of Kevin Smith: "...It's better to have ideas than beliefs. You can change an idea. Changing a belief is trickier. Life should malleable and progressive; working from idea to idea permits that. Beliefs anchor you to certain points and limit growth; new ideas can't generate. Life becomes stagnant".
The point of life is to grow and learn, to develop like a child in it's mothers womb, preparing itself for the world beyond. The afterlife too, I believe, is just another stage of growth and change. A never ending cycle of birth and rebirth until we finally get it right and come to know God.
Don't let any of this shit weigh you down, babe. I wouldn't call it karma, but I believe there's some force out there making sure people get what they deserve. In this life or the next, you will be repaid in full for the tolerance and compassion you show now.
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