As I said before, I somehow got into this sense that if I prayed for something, it would come true, almost like a wish. It wasn't bad parenting, or that the church corrupted me, but it was the fact that I was a young child who was almost like a sponge and I quickly absorbed information in a inaccurate way. This fault that was caused changed my view of how everything would exist. When I lost my friend, I went quickly into depression, not because of his death exactly, but on the fact that I prayed to this being called "God" and I got nothing out of it. How could a being of that caliber fail me? Wasn't it his duty to help mankind to the fullest? Yes I understand I was wrong in how I thought religion worked, but now sense I've separated from the church, I've picked up on some ideas.
Church is a community of people who wish to help you, who will always be by your side. That single idea is a reason why many even go to church. They may attend the service and say that they are Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or any other religion, however they just go to see their friends to catch up on past events. No wrong is done there. These people who just attend this place just for friends are completely fine and can do whatever they want.
What gets me are the people who I've notice to be the extremists. It may seem that there are not a lot of them, however they are everywhere. I go to the south for a funeral, and I am eating breakfast with my grandmother. A family friend is with us, and I get into a religious debate with him. I eventually back him into a corner with two options. A. He will tell me straight to my face that I am going to hell and burn for all eternity or B. Don't answer the question. He chose A, shows how much church has over the common courtesy of a person. I am walking in the hallway at my school where two girls I know come up to me and ask me if I'm a Christian. I reply no and they suddenly go into a frenzy saying that if I don't become Christian I will go to hell. Church has warped minds in this way, when has church become the most important thing for people, above the fact of how the other person would react? I wonder if Americans realize this when we go to another country and push them to convert to Christianity. Not saying that we force everybody, but I don't think Jesus ever said "And I will convert all of those who aren't Christian, to become one because they are wrong." The man wanted peace, not domination. Tell me why it is good for you to try to convert others to Christianity. What makes your religion right over all of the other religions of the world? Not saying Christianity is bad, to me this religion has gone south. Jesus Christ didn't force people into his way, he wanted peace. So how is forcing others into your religion according to his word? Tell me.
Another thing that bugs me is how the church controls children. They know on how they have informational-absorbing minds, or that they take and retain any information quite easily. My reason for saying this is because I go to my church every once in a while, and I went during their vacation bible school. I go inside the sanctum and watch this video with some kids. I have no idea what the video is about, maybe because I'm too old, or that the person who made the video was high and drunk out of their mind. But at the end, the person in charge asks "So kids, who controls your life?" and the kids yell "God!". You can doubt if I saw this or not...but that idea of what just happened is beyond mental. What is going on with these churches? The ideas of a man have been slandered across time into a sick idea of how one should run their life. Answer me religion, what is going on?
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An idea is born into this world that is wrong. Is this idea true or not? This one needs to let his demons out.
Lewis Black
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- Reid Nelson
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1 comment:
Just because you pray for something and it fails to come true is not exactly a solid reason to dismiss the precesses of a greater conceivable being. Prayer is more of a meditation than a Christmas list of what you want from Santa Claus. However, as a Child it is easy to become confused and most churches present prayer this way.
Then again most religions say, that if you Pray you will be rewarded, even if it isn't what you ask for. However, at this point you could get just as much help praying to a milk jug (and if things go well you blame it on the milk jug, and if things go poorly, you say the milk jug didn't want me to have that, he has a higher plan for me, this is the right path, the milk jug knows). The point is that who you pray to is sort of irrelevant and God being a legitimate source of morality along with divine command theory has been fading over the years... way before Nietzsche proclaimed that "God is dead". America is just a bit behind Europe in this regard (although if you look at stats America's younger generation increasingly does not define themselves as religious).
Anyways, yes many people do go to Church for what Kierkegaard thought was the "country club" approach to religion. This is even more apparent with the advent of mega-churches. However, once again God is irrelevant in these matters as many things can drive people together for support besides God.
People want a purpose in their lives. There is a human urge to find or create meaning in things (a sort of "will to power"). This is why almost every culture has a God or Gods. We understand why the Aztechs worshiped the Sun god, or the Greeks worshiped their gods, or the Egyptians with their gods, but we sort of think these are silly beliefs now... well silly unless it concerns OUR god. Then it isn't silly at all despite being the exact same situation. In 2,000 years will America's love for Jesus be seen on the same level as the Egyptians love for Isis?
People continue to believe these things, because they give them purpose and comfort in life. This really isn't a bad thing, although if people have faith without questioning it, it can lead to some scary situations (See the crusades, 9/11, Spanish inquisition, present day Iran, among others). However, it scares people to think that there is no God. That there is no purpose. That existence proceeds essence. Upon discovering this, you can try to ignore it and cover it up by becoming ultra religious and not thinking about it (a sort of psychological defense mechanism where you push your beliefs on others and attack others because you are afraid of yourself), or you can become rather pessimistic about life in general and try to separate yourself from this chaotic world similar to many eastern religions or the pessimistic nihilists.
Or, you can realize that since the world has no set purpose, or meaning, it is up to you to make it meaningful. You construct meaning. Humanity creates what is important. You create what is important to you and live your life based on it. You determine what is beautiful, what is love... you create your own ideal.
This is not a cursing but a blessing as it gives you ultimate freedom. The problem is people are not willing to take the ultimate responsibility that comes with it. It is not your parents, or your circumstances, or your *emotions* fault for who you are, as you can change who you are (your emotions by the way are a part of you, your emotions don't control you, they are you; or course you are controlled by you, you have freedom). You define yourself. You have to discover what is right and wrong; and there is no true test for knowing what is right. That's sort of scary. But, that's life. Make your life a work of art. This does not mean act on every whimsical emotion that you come across; to truly create a masterpiece requires some sacrifice, it requires a sort of personal constraint of style.
As far as religions attacking undeveloped minds very early on when children aren't given a choice as to what believe, I agree with you. It's sort of brainwashing, as you don't expose your children to alternative choices... but then again if the parents really believe in it and they want there children to go to heaven and be happy, convincing them that this is true and that God exists is more important than anything else (mostly because whenever you say something else is also important the Church throws infinite pleasure for infinity at you... and it's hard to beat infinity squared). It's not that most of these people are evil, or corrupt, it's that they actually believe this. Remember that when someone yells at you; they actually believe they are doing the right thing. I believe that if they are open-minded and have enough exposure to different things that could be right, they will probably change their mind; but a lot of times that doesn't happen, and it's sad.
But enough existential rumblings for now.
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