What is it all about?

I have been thinking a lot about how to culminate my postings on religion.

As comfortable as I am with religion, my beliefs and place in the world, it is obvious that my basic belief sets me apart from those modern thinkers and agnostic friends I identify with. My belief in God doesn't make me any less logical, intelligent or modern. That I believe religion is an individual choice separates me from most religious people who can't stop talking or evangelizing.

I believe in god. I am religious. When I do something that I believe God says I shouldn't, I know I am doing something wrong. I believe there are things that can't be understood or communicated with the human mind and human language. I believe reason and logic have their limits and God exists in that grey area where logic ceases to be applicable because of said limits of human capacity for understanding and communication. So I believe in the validity of beliefs, feelings, intuitions, etc. that can't be logically proved or even communicated - hence the conclusion about the intrinsic individualized nature of religion.

Religious beliefs can't be proved and hence any discussion of the matter is instantly shifted to a discussion on logic, understanding and the limits of the human mind (if any). At that point it becomes a judgment call, a personal belief (whether or not those who don't believe in belief want to call it that). Then everything just becomes a discussion of apples and oranges because of the fundamental disagreement between agnostics and "believers."

Therefore, my conclusions about religion can not extend beyond myself. I would never say "you're going to hell" or "you're not following God's path." Religion is not necessary for morality or just life, it is merely another avenue. Atheism is not anarchy and our differing beliefs on things do not make it impossible to get along. So rest easy, you're not going to hell, I may go to hell, but at least we can still be friends. And that's what I am thankful for on this Thanksgiving holiday.

Arrogance and the Truth

Continuing the topic of religious debate... click to read where it started... and click to read where it continued...

How comfortable are you trusting something you can't prove? How comfortable are you living with things you can't explain? Would you want to live in a world of undebatable, detailed explanations for everything, including love, instinct, human nature, attraction and Anna Nicole Smith? Some people don't want to put their life in even minor risk while others can't stand living unless pushed to limits.

"All knowledge is good, only the use to which you put it can be good or bad." There isn't anything bad with the concept of religion - except when a person interprets it so as to draw conclusions about others. Any belief regarding evangelizing, proselytizing, humanizing "heathens" or worse, killing "infidels" is blatantly wrong. No peaceful belief structure can possibly claim to say much of anything beyond the individual. And all the rules need to end there, with the individual.

It is difficult enough to live as a peaceful, whole person. The true Satan, arrogance, wields no greater power than imposed beliefs. Ten times out of ten that person is not doing what he is preaching. Those that can't do, teach, right? And those who can't teach, annoy.

And that's who gives religion a bad name. Religion doesn't need a name. Religion doesn't need to be something that is ever in the "public consciousness." Religion has value insofar as it helps people be better people. Whether you become a better person through self help books, buffalo wings, Star Trek conventions or religion, no one cares, no one needs to know and you should just keep it to yourself.

Why I believe in God and even that I believe in God is my own business. I don't care if you believe in God or not. And I wouldn't dare be so arrogant as to say that my life is more true or whole than yours. Who the hell am I to say that you are going to hell? After all, I'm the one who knows God exists yet I don't follow even a small percentage of the guidelines I truly believe were laid down for me. Talk about glass houses... religion is the biggest god-damned glass house there!