Systems
It bothers me when someone misuses the word "religion." For instance, "I don't care for/see the need in religion." or "Religion is responsible for all kinds of evil." I thought money was responsible for that?
What they are really saying is "I don't care for/see the need in God." or that "God is responsible for all kinds of evil." Which is an oxymoron.
Religion isn't a person, it's a system. A system one develops based around a person, or in this case, God. You can't be hurt by a system, offended by a system, or even be angry at a system. All of these emotions have to be directed at the cause of the system. Or, a relationship, I would call it.
If you do not see the need for God, then there is something in the relationship that went terribly wrong or never existed. If you believe God is responsible for evil, what you really mean is that someone in God's name is responsible for evil.
Isn't life just a summation of all these systems trying to coexist?
Go see the new Harry Potter. Wow. What a great movie.
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I don't known, man, I think to have the view of religion that you're voicing here you have to ignore most of, if not all, of the old testament. For instance:
ReplyDelete"I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things." (Isaiah 45:7)
So if you think Isaiah was really communicating God's words then God claims to have created evil.
Of course, I agree that when we say "religion causes evil" what we're really saying is "religion gives crazy an excuse." Would there still be suicide bombers without religion? I don't know, maybe...probably. Either way, its people making choices to interpret and act on religion based on their own prejudices. I agree that religion is a system that people devise but I don't see how you can possibly claim that people can't be hurt or offended by a system. I think I understand what you're saying about how you can't be mad at a system because the system doesn't act of its own accord, it needs people to be proponents of it, so therefore, any ill emotion should be directed at those proponents. However, when that system teaches bigotry and justifies that bigotry with the will of an assumed god, I'm inclined to think that if we did away with the system we'd free ourselves from a lot of the problems that are inherent in it. Can you imagine a world where Palestinians and Jews alike aren't taught from birth that god is on their side and no one else's?
I don't believe that all religions teach bigotry, but I know that some do. I do not believe, as you do, that Christianity teaches this, but that Christians mis-interpret some of the teachings and are over zealous about these convictions.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the bigotry is not caused by the system, but by the people and proponents of the system. If we remove religion from this earth, I think you will find 2 things: 1) evil and bigotry will remain on this earth, and 2) we will have created a new system to promote it.
I think that's probably true but I also think its possible that it would make for a possitive change. Who knows? I will say that it would be less annoying to live in a world where people are constantly saying how their loving god told them to make that car bomb / not take their sick kid to a doctor / drown their children in a bathtub / commit mass suicide and or genocide, etc. But like I said, and I'm sure you agree, "religion gives crazy an excuse" and we will always have crazy.
ReplyDeleteYes, but let's not forget the massive majority of people who subscribe to any number of religious faiths that do nothing crazy. They simply believe their way is right and want others to agree. Without the bombs. That's most of us.
ReplyDeleteCrazy is always a minority that somehow gets on the news. Ever noticed the types of people they get to interview when a tornado blows through? It's the most ill-spoken, buck-toothed, half-drunk redneck they can find that says things like, "Well, the wind started blowin and I said, 'honey, this wind is gonna hurt us somethin fierce! Let's go to ya mama's in town.'"
Now THAT's crazy!
If crazy is believing in a God that loves me and wants the best for my family, and who sent His only son from the glory place to the gory place so that I could someday live with Him eternally, then I am glad to be called crazy. The system of religion is not what is important, but a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is important. That can only happen by believing and having faith that He is the true son of God. His Holy Spirit will guide me in knowing what is good & pure in this world and what is truly evil. The choice that Lucifer (Satan) made to choose evil was his choice. God allows that same choice to us today. And your are exactly right, those choices make the news much more than the majority of Christians who are just trying to live as Jesus would.
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