Growing up, I never really had a strong belief in a religion. Both my parents are Buddhist, but only my dad is extremely religious. No, I'm not an atheist; I do believe that there is a God. Don't get me wrong, I respect people who have a strong faith or who are atheist; I think that having a religion is a very personal choice.
From the outside looking in, it often frustrates me that people try to impose their religion on other people. This is seen in Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God which we read this week. Edwards not only tries to impose the Christian faith on the people, he threatens them with the idea of hell and how all of them are doomed. I think that religion shouldn't be imposed on a person, and you can't make people believe in something that they don't understand. I think it's people like this who overanalyze the values in a religion when it was supposed to be a simple, working towards a "good factor". The extremists take the religion to far and corrupt it.
One event that will always stick with me is something that took place in 2nd grade. One of my best friends came up to me one day and said "If you aren't a Christian then we can't be friends anymore. I'm bringing a bible for you tomorrow, ok?" Yes, a 7 year old was forcing a religion upon me. Being naive at the time, I just kind of stared at her not being able to comprehend what just happened. I got frustrated that I didn't really have a religion and I questioned my parents why that was the case. Now looking back at it, I wish I could've told my 2nd grade self that it's completely fine not to strongly believe in a faith. As long as you pertain the good morals that a faith has, then you will be fine.
All the wars and controversies over religion also frustrate me. Every religion should be respected. If you think about it, they are all connected in the matter that they all believe in a God/Gods. Most of them ultimately just want people to have good morals and be cleansed of "sins". Why should one religion be superior than another? Like Ms. Valentino said with Democrats and Republicans actually wanting the same goal in the end, I think religions are like that as well. They are all intertwined in one way or another but some beliefs or values may be different. Often, I think of the movie Life Of Pi, and I think about how the main character says he is a combination of many different religions. I find this very interesting and compelling because I think if we could all just see the good values in each religion and connect them, our world would be a much more peaceful place.
*Please note that this was in no way intended to offend anyone, I'm just putting my opinions out there.
I completely agree with you, all religions have some redeeming value and we should just accept all of them. But I think the problem is that for some people religion is life. Their beliefs are intertwined with their concept of self. Think about it: if you grew up with the same message pounded into your head you might truly believe it, and if you did you wouldn't give it up that easily.
ReplyDeleteYour example from 2nd grade was really effective, and I like your point that in the end, most religions are concerned with the same things. People get too proud of their own beliefs to realize that they're similar to others, and this is where disagreement over religion stems from. Great post! :)
ReplyDeleteHoly cow this is another amazing blog. Religion isn't a huge factor for me either and I also feel like religion shouldn't be forced upon someone. Like you said, "as long as you pertain the good morals that a faith has, then you will be fine." Personally, I feel that the most important part of religion is the ethics and morals. Whether you move onto some kind of afterlife or not, life is all about for the living-- being a good, virtuous person and contributing positively to society.
ReplyDeleteI really connected with the Life of Pi reference. I also thought it was so interesting how the kid thought all the religions were interesting and he would just walk in and join. He was naive and his mind was not set on one single religion. I feel like more people should be that way. People should be accepting of others' choices in their beliefs, and should not try to force a belief on others. I also agree that in the end everyone has a common goal, despite their different views on it initially! good job tiffff
ReplyDeleteI can't believe someone said that to you in 2nd grade! I think it's disturbing when people try to impose religion on you. I agree I think everyone has a choice in what they choose to believe. Also, I liked how you said that all religions are connected somehow
ReplyDeleteI completely relate to your upbringing! My mom went through Catholic schools her entire life, I believe that some of her experiences there (with how strict the religion could be) lead to our family not being particularly religious. I really enjoy how you always seem to add personal stories in your blog, they make for interesting reads!
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