I'm not sure what I think about organized religion anymore

[iamverybeautiful]

I didn't grow up with any specific religion as a child. My parents are not church-goers. We are not bad people. We are trying to live our life in the most respectable way possible. However, if I had to label myself with a religion, it would be Catholic. I've been baptized and being inside a church makes me feel secure, you know?

However, now that I'm getting older I'm starting to develop my own beliefs. I personally, without a doubt, believe in God. I believe there's a higher force. However, I don't really believe in organized religion anymore. Going to church and "worshiping God" makes me uncomfortable now. I believe that organized religion is not a good thing and it pressures people on how to live their lives, instead of having people make their own choices and decisions. I don't believe anyone has the power to tell people what to do (unless you're hurting other people, ex. killing, which in case you should be held accountable). I feel that organized religion causes more trouble than it tries to solve. Too many people abuse the words in the bible for their own benefit and it really sickens me. I hate that some people take it so seriously. I personally don't believe that the bible was written so people could follow every single rule. The bible should be used as guideline on how to live a good life, not to take it so seriously. If we all did, we would have to chase out of town all the women who are menstruating. What I see sometimes is that people "pick and choose" what they want to follow from the bible. Some use it to discriminate homosexuals because apparently, "in this part of the bible, in this section, God said this. Yet, I wonder how many of them are eating their precious meat on friday.

Also, I'm a strong advocate for safe sex and sex education. I strongly disbelieve in abstinence-only education. I believe that if you want to stay abstinence until marriage, then great. But do it for YOURSELF, because YOU truly believe that, not because what the bible (or you family) tells you to do. Too many people justify abstinence-only education with religion. Come on, if your only facts and reasons are "Because God says so", what does that say about you as a person? Would you do something just because someone told you to do it? Do you really want to follow blindly and never question anything?
Give yourself some credit. We as humans have created spaceships, discovered electricity, yet we are not able to make OUR own decisions when it comes to OUR lives?

What do you think?

[...Curt]

I think some people just have a strong desire to share their beliefs and feelings with other people who believe the same thing. Church seems to be the place to do that.

The thing I dislike is how younger people are "pushed" into a religion without knowing really anything about it. Parents Catholic? Chances are you'll be raised a Catholic without any say on your part.

[Hyper Sonic]

Do whatever works for you. I find religion laughable to be honest but that doesn't mean I think less of anyone who is religious.

To quote from a facebook group: Click

A growing percentage of the worlds population identify themselves as 'athiest' (do not believe in god or any sort of supernatural diety) or 'agnostic' (believe that god can niether be proven nor disproven and is a theorhetical possibility

These athiests and agnostics lead normal happy lives. demographicaly they are made up of a disproportionate number of highly educated intellectual people, including some of the worlds leading scientists and nobel prize winners.

They do not attend church/temple/mosque. They do not pray or pay any attention to god or 'spiritual' matters in their daily life, and yet they lead happy fulfilled lives. No fire descends from the heaven to consume them. They do not feel lacking or deprived.

These people are living testament to the fact that god is unescesary, if everyone on the planet was athiest or agnostic life would carry on regardless.

So why do some people feel the need to believe in god? why do some have 'callings' and yearn for spiritualty while others press on happily without it?

Could it be that spirituality is a psycological condition perhaps induced by a genetic defect or mayb early child hood conditioning?

After all if you sudenly started telling people at work or home that you feel 'someone is watching you at all times' that they are 'guiding you' and that they are invisible but you just know they exist and you talk to them every night, those that care for you might call the men in white coats.

But if a few million people world wide do this and get organised into groups well thats ok then, isnt it..........?

Please dont be offended by this blog if you are of a religious pursausion, remeber the religious right still maintain that homosexuality is a 'psycological disease' To this day gay men and women recieve 'treatment' in clinics using barbaric outdated techniques such as electro shock therapy.

[Kryptonite]

No one says you have to follow EXACTLY what a religion says, just follow what YOU belief. You don't have to associate yourself with a group.

[8evey8]

I COULD NOT AGREE WITH YOU MORE!!!!

i feel the exact same way, as far as organized religion goes..it can go right out the window for me. i gave up religion b/c i didnt want to live by a book. especially since i didnt agree w/ everything it preached.

giving up what i was changed nothing for me b/c all along i was living as i wished. it just feels better not to b a hypocrite and claim to be something im not for the sake of having to save myself from explaining things. now i just say i dont follow religion.

i think that in our country everyone is so hung up on religion the same way race is always an issue. its silly i think there are more important things to think about.

[KCisforMe]

I completely agree. While I consider myself highly spiritual I really do have a disdain for organized religions like the Catholic church or other churches as well.

I just never understood the idea that there needs to be an intermediary between the person and God. It just doesn't make sense to me. In my opinion every moment we are connected to God because essentially we ARE God in a very roundabout way. He created us out of himself (in his own image). We are all part of God, why on earth do we need someone to tell us that we are separate from the divine?

[Turquoise]

I agree, organized religion can be extremely constraining and uncomfortable for those who want to be free, independent thinkers. It is comforting to believe in a higher power, but some people just aren't fit for organized religion. It is something that has developed over thousands of years and for some, spirituality becomes lost in all the "rules."

Personally, I'm Jewish by birth and Atheist by choice :P I like the cultural gatherings, but religion itself doesn't interest me a bit.

[SillyEvee]

Well, I'm not much of one for an intermediate between me and G-d (as Matt put it), but not all organized religions are like that.
I agree that often, people use parts of their religious texts out of context to hurt others, but that's the fault of the people, not the scripture, right? And a lot of the people who use scripture to discriminate or incite hate aren't mainstream. They're a small but very vocal (and/or militant) offshoot of their religion. Yeah, it sucks that they're so loud, but I don't think they're very representative of organized religion as a whole. What about Quakers? The Society of Friends...what's more peaceful than that? And Quakers are pretty organized, eh?
I think the theory behind "telling people how to live their lives," at least in Judeo-Christian religions is that G-d gave people the Bible, which tells them how to live. Since they belive that G-d is perfect, He must know better how to live life, right? So if you really want to live a good life, you should follow the instructions in the Bible. That's my understanding of that belief anyway. So, according to the Judeo-Chrisitan view, you should abstain from sex before marriage NOT for your sake or because you're not ready for sex but precisely BECAUSE that's what G-d says is best for you.
I'm not saying to have to believe that, but it is remarkably consistent with the rest of Judeo-Christian beliefs about G-d: that He's perfect, that He's the ONLY being that is, that He really does want what's best for you. I don't think it's to be controlling in a manipulative way. I think it's just because the people preaching believe that's what's really in your best interest.

[ArchangelMaria]

You know, I belong to at least four different religions, I don't know what I think of organized religion, so I am all relaxed about the topic.