I really need to stop blogging at intervals of a month and a half. But whatever.
Lately, I have noticed a lot of people blogging or posting status updates or tweets or what-have-you about religion. Well, not necessarily religion, but Christianity to be specific. For those of you that know me, you know that I'm not a religious person by any means. Some of you may even put a label on me like "atheist" or "agnostic." But the truth is, I'm still searching for something bigger than myself to believe in.
I know people at both ends of the religious spectrum; those who are completely devout Christians who wear their beliefs on their sleeves and those people who deny the existence of God and think that people who believe in Him are complete idiots. Without passing too much judgment, I believe there's not a single person in this world who knows what the hell is going on with the Universe, our existence, and what lies beyond the timeline of our physical being. Don't get me wrong; I completely respect whatever belief you may have and your values because that's your right as a human being. But to completely shut off your mind to any school of thought other than your own is a little bigoted.
Here's a quick synopsis of what I do believe in; parallel universes, aliens, mind over matter, and the fact that ice cream will always be delicious. By just saying that last sentence, you probably already think I am crazy. But think about it; can you think of anything, anything at all, that disputes the existence of my beliefs? It's fine if you believe something different. In fact if everybody believed the same thing, our society would become really, really dumb from a lack of intellectual challenges. But if the only "reason" you can think of to call my beliefs bogus is "that's just silly," well you need to work on your debating skills, my friend. The fact that people will dispute someone else's beliefs only based on their own ignorance is not acceptable; discriminatory even.
I'm not a hating person, but there are certain types of people on this Earth that I can not stand. 1.) People who wear two polos with the collars popped, 2.) Dudes who drive lifted pick-ups with obnoxiously loud exhausts, and 3.) Individuals who push their beliefs upon other people. Now, I'm not stupid. I realize that if people didn't push their beliefs upon others, America would probably be a whole different country right now, if it even existed at all. You can post your Christian blog update on Facebook, or invite your friends to a Campus Crusade event, or even have some people over for a Hanukkah party, but to tell someone, "You're beliefs are wrong. You should believe in J.C. and His awesomeness," is ignorant, rude, and offensive.
Here's me dropping some knowledge: Religion and You.
Most Americans believe in their current religion because they had been exposed to said religion since their exodus from the vagina. More often than not, the religion you practice is the religion with which your parents brought you up. When you're that little, what is your thought process? "I love my toy firetruck/Barbie doll, and Mommy and Daddy, and ice cream, and cartoons, and my stuffed animals, and..." You love everything! Granted, I do still love my parents, ice cream, and my stuffed Sonic I got when I was 4, but the point I'm trying to make is, you can't discern what makes sense from what doesn't. You believe anything you're told. So if you're raised on a particular religion, chances are that you still believe it, taking into consideration how intense your upbringing was. Most people
don't really challenge themselves or their beliefs; they don't ask questions, and therefore do not get any wiser, and some people are fine with that, i.e. "ignorance is bliss."
When Europeans went to Africa, whether they snatched up people for slavery or just decided to colonize right then and there, we were told that they "taught the uneducated natives" about Jesus. And since only the winners write the history books, few people really know the other side of the "teaching." Just ask yourself, beyond the physical, how do you control a group of people into doing your bidding? You manipulate their beliefs; their mentality. Africans were forced by the Europeans into Christianity by threat of harm or death. When a person receives threats like the ones issued, you'll believe anything they tell you just make life a little easier, although I don't think it helped judging by all the shit that actually happened around that time. The primary reason African Americans believe in Christ is because that's the way they were brought up, and through the generations the fact that their ancestors were originally forced into believing it has lost is effect.
I'm not trying to belittle anyone's beliefs here. I'm merely trying to get you to take a good look at what you believe, and after really thinking about where your spirituality stands, if you still end up Christian, or Jewish, or Muslim, that's great. Do not invest in a faith just because the cool kids are doing it or you're too lazy to think for yourself because that's what leads to so much hatred and ignorance in this World.
And please, people, have a sense of humor about your beliefs. What does it matter if someone pokes fun at what you believe? If you still believe it, no harm is done. It's not like they're shattering your religion by making a little quip. Relax!
Okay that was my one digression. Have a nice day!
