Tuesday, May 10, 2016

The problem with religion


The problem with religion is that it doesn’t allow for critical analysis. I was taught, and believed, that the Bible was infallible, science was anti God, the earth was around 6000 years old and questioning these assumptions could lead to eternal damnation. There was no room for complacency. You were either on fire for God, or a lukewarm Christian. Which, just like questioning your faith, could also lead to what? You guessed it; eternal damnation. So, armed with my new found faith, I began reading my bible regularly. I really didn’t understand it. In fact, some of it seemed downright contradictory. But when I asked the “tough” questions, I was always given the standard biblical answer; you just need to have faith. God’s ways are far above ours. Translation: I have no earthly idea, I just want to avoid hell. So I’ll just blindly accept and follow, and that’s all well and good until you cross one of the their pre approved doctrines. Then, for some reason, they know exactly what God is thinking . Nope, no mystery there.
One of the first things I learned in Sunday school was the golden rule, do unto others as you would have done unto yourself, and the next is just like it, love God with all your soul and your neighbor as yourself. If they would have stopped there, everything else would have fallen into place. But they didn’t, and I was left to figure it out on my own. Now I’m not complaining, because we all have to make our own way in this world, but the fear of eternal damnation if you get it wrong is a huge obstacle to say the least, and one most people aren’t willing to pursue.
 
 

2 comments:

  1. Hey Chris I know what you mean man! I had to "Unlearn" all that faith stuff and start to think for myself. I'm not saying religion has it all wrong for anyone but myself. I'm just grateful that for whatever reason I was inspired at an early age to think for myself. Like yourself, as far as I'm concerned that Golden Rule should suffice and make up for any lapses in judgment down the road. Just keep on thinking for yourself and don't let those "elders" prevent you from living the life you want!

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  2. It's taken years for me to unlearn all those toxic teachings. And to be honest, I still struggle with it.

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