| Religion for me has been a bewildering and reluctant | | | | really be that fragile. |
| adversary. For the longest time religion meant belief in | | | | Your Way Is The Right Way |
| some strangers prescription for salvation. As one | | | | For a period, atheism or agnosticism seemed to be the |
| matures and questions their life and the role of religion | | | | way to go. All the other competing dogmas wanted |
| in it, certain sticking points become clear. Why so many | | | | my entire mind, heart, and soul. Well, if that's the case, |
| different perceptions of religion? Why so many | | | | then no one gets anything. Seemed like the safe way |
| different versions of religion? Why so much mutual | | | | to go. Not very satisfying, and certainly not very |
| exclusivity of the various religion doctrines? Belief in | | | | enlightening, but definitely safe. Just another brick in the |
| one religion shouldn't automatically exclude an individual | | | | wall, close them all out. Maturity and time have a way |
| from believing or practicing in another. That's ridiculous. | | | | of changing religious views and beliefs. Sometimes old |
| The different and varying threads in the spirituality of | | | | age does as well, but that can be just a convenient |
| religion have far more in common then their | | | | hope to the inevitable fear of what comes after the |
| proponents would care to admit to. It's almost as if | | | | whole mortal coil shrug. Not a real belief I think. Some |
| their saying that you must believe in everything that I | | | | where along the line it occurred to me that it just rang |
| say. No picking and choosing, just believe in all, or else | | | | hollow to believe in nothing. Even the religion of little |
| your out. And it's not just the zealots, it seems to be a | | | | green men seemed to have a lot more going for it, |
| persuasive thread among most religions. | | | | then believing in nothing. So it occurred to me that |
| Unbelievably Fragile Beliefs | | | | there simply has to be more to life then just what we |
| Tolerance and acceptance should not just be facades | | | | can see and understand on the third planet from the |
| painted on by the practitioners of every dogmatic | | | | sun. There certainly is a lot more to be understood yet, |
| religious power. They are principals and values that | | | | then there currently is understood today. Current |
| need to be shared and instilled as the cornerstone of | | | | notions of religion try to help there, but it's painfully old |
| any religion. We all have our little quirks, just as each | | | | technology. I mean hey, 200 years ago they didn't |
| religion has bizarre little rules, taboos, and rituals. How | | | | even have black and white TV. What made those |
| can one religion insist that their leaders practice | | | | guys smart enough to start a religion that answers |
| celibacy, while another promotes marriage for it's | | | | today's questions. |
| leaders, and yet another is perfectly fine with | | | | My Way |
| polygamy? They can't all be wrong, surely one of | | | | I do believe that there is something bigger, grander, |
| these wise old sages is right. Or, maybe their all right. | | | | smarter, more tolerant, more enlightened and |
| They're definitely all wrong in suggesting their way is | | | | compassionate then any religion we on Terra firma |
| the only proper way. No wonder their is so much | | | | have come up so far. Someone, something, is waiting |
| confusion amongst people in this day and age of | | | | and watching and guiding. We just need a little more |
| enlightenment. Sometimes, it feels like if one tiny tenant | | | | time to figure it out. In the mean time, can't we all just |
| of their dogmatic domicile fails then the whole thing | | | | get along? |
| fails. I don't believe that a religion or it's people can | | | | |