Ah, religion. What a beautiful subject. Debates over this topic bring back many fine memories. I would have to say it is probably the most fun thing to talk about, mostly because everyone has an opinion on the matter, and they are very set opinions that no one can change. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have their own thoughts and opinions on the subject. I guess that is what makes it so interesting. Lately, it is not the specific religions themselves that I have been questioning, but more like the institution of religion itself.
I think Jonathon Swift said it best when he said “We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.” I believe this has been extremely evident in the Middle East, where people are constantly fighting wars over differences in religion. Even in the United States there has been religious persecution. George Bush runs this country through his “Christian” values, and has said that he believes atheist do not deserve to be citizens. Religion is supposed to be here to give us morals to live by and teach us what is right and wrong. It is supposed to teach us to love and be peaceful, not fight wars and hate others because they are different. To me it seems like all religions are hypocritical. They are supposed to teach us to love and be respectful and do the right thing, yet they shun and persecute people from other religions and backgrounds just because they believe differently.
If Christians and Jews and Muslims realized that their religions were all basically the same, no matter the variations in each one, then I believe there would be a lot less fighting and a lot more peace in this world. It seems that most people are closed-minded when it comes to accepting and respecting other religions because they believe theirs is the only right one. Even people who say they are liberal and open to new ideas seem to have a firm stance in what they believe in and aren’t willing to accept what other people believe when it comes to religion. Religion started out as being a tool to teach us morals and values, but has turned out to be one of the greatest weapons the world has. It sparks so much controversy and hatred that it gives people excuses to go to war with one another. They should think about their religion when it comes to fighting wars and ask if it is the right thing to do. In no way am I condoning or persecuting any religions. I am just saying that it is causing much turmoil in this world that would not be needed if people would just learn to accept differences in others.
1 comment:
yet some how you refuse to talk about them with me?
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