On Being Religious, Or Not

    A friend once told me she wasn't religious, even though she is prolific in her sharing of the Word of God and pretty quick to judge others who don't live by "The Good Book".  Well, a general description of the word "religious" is as follows: relating to or manifesting faithful devotion to an acknowledged ultimate reality or deity.    I'm thinking she qualifies... not that there's anything wrong with that,  but it was a perplexing answer.  When I asked another how she came to be of such strong faith, she simply replied - I have to believe there is something better than this.  Well that's just sad, never mind perplexing. 

      The whole subject of religion is perplexing, I've always been curious as to it's origins, why so many people can have  blind faith in something or someone they've never technically seen or heard.  But even that sentence is tricky.   I am not a religious person, so who am I to say what your interpretation of communication with  God might be?   Indeed, it's a very personal experience or belief.  We can't ever know for sure whether there was a divine intervention in any particular situation, and so we are left to interpret in the many ways it's possible with an event, a story,  a feeling, an intuition, a healing or a damning, even.

      It's absolutely true that  religion brings peace of mind and comfort to those who find respite and joy in their faith, in their shared beliefs with fellow worshippers.  It gives many a sense of community, a belonging.  There is comfort and safety in a belief that there is something greater than us that created and loves us, that is watching over us and will guide us now and when we leave this world one day, as we all do, and hopefully - join another, free of pain and suffering if we earned it.  Religion  has often given order and moral code where there wasn't any and for some it  gives meaning or attempts to make sense of what is sometimes a senseless world.

    If I'm being completely honest, when my daughter was in a coma years ago,  despite my non-religious status, I visited the hospital chapel daily - knelt before the altar and prayed.. and prayed.. and prayed, that my child up in that ICU hospital bed be saved, be healed, recover. I also complained - why do this to such a good, young, caring soul?  Why?  I was mad, I was scared, I was begging just in case there is indeed someone listening.  What eventually happened was - my daughter recovered.  Was it an answering of my prayers? Or good medical care and her own young body's healing ability?  Maybe both?  We just can't know.

     Religion has it's dark side too, of course.  There are those who abuse their power because they are a representative of the deity and are adored and obeyed by trusting followers. There are those who justify hideous actions in the name of their  God. There are those who use their followers adoration and devotion for profit.  Look at the mega churches and the mega mansions they live in.  What comes to mind when I see those particulars is... think of all the good that money could have done, instead of these massive shrines and mega mansion lifestyles.  Not. very. charitable. A bit hypocritical! Sleezy even.  We all know how terr*rists use their religion as an excuse or justification to do some horrible things.

     There are approximately 4,200 religions in our World,  and that number astounds me.  Some share the same basic theories for the most part, others are a different concept all together.  If you believe absolutely in just one - then all 4, 199 of the others are just plain wrong?.. doesn't seem right.    For me, I've had no trouble believing in evolution.  It's proven, how we evolved, beyond a shadow of a scientific doubt.  But even with that belief, the concept of the human spirit, the conscience, the soul - has not been explained - and it is truly a miraculous thing, I can't deny it.  Sometimes I wish I truly whole heartedly believed that when we die,  those who are worthy ( Well, now there's another issue - what determines worthiness?  Church attendance?  Good deeds?  Confessional attendance? Donations? Kindness and charity?  )  are united with those we loved  who have passed before us, and go on to a heaven to be at peace with those we love and our creator in a pain-free other existence.  The hard parts of life would be easier if I had that belief, for sure.  But the reality of science and just this feeling that we need to make the most of this life is a bold thread that runs through the fabric of my belief system.   I try to do just that, knowing that we simply don't know for sure what comes at the end of mortal life, regardless of our chosen beliefs.

    Here's where the concept of  religion bothers me. I was raised a Catholic, but I don't practice that religion.  I found it to be a bit hypocritical on several fronts and so I choose something different that I'll describe below.  I read a very popular blog, and what initially attracted me to it is the incredible journey of a  young woman who was severely burned in a plane crash, a small plane her husband had been piloting. An instructor friend died in that crash.  Her story of survival and how she has moved on to raise her (now 5) children is powerful. I mention this now because she is a very devout M*rmon and it's a strong theme throughout her blog. In her writing, one can't help but get the sense that the M*rmon faith is more of a cult than anything else.  Much is demanded of it's followers.  Some very big changes have occurred in the family's life in recent years and she repeatedly refers to decisions they've made as having been sent by God.  I went for a walk and God told me selling this house and moving to the ranch was the right thing to do.    They did... and eight months later they are moving again, because even their readers could see it was a big mistake from the beginning for so many reasons.  When things like this occur,   it's described  as a test God must have planned and they had to endure, they learned so much, it was part of the plan.    I don't know... how about... you made some poor choices,  you learned from it, you're moving on.  Did God really speak to her and tell her to sell the beloved family home and move to an isolated ranch in literally  the middle of nowhere where her kids wouldn't see other humans for days on end, leaving all they knew and loved behind?  Did he send a note or was his voice in the air or coming from behind a burning bush on that walk?

    I know that sounds harsh - I'm not making fun of her, here  - I believe what she wrote is what she believes happened, however she interpreted the "message".  But for a person like me, that's not living in reality.   Through her writing it's also clear that M*rmons believe only through their way of worship can you live a good and proper life.  Her husband once implied (in different words) in an article written for a local paper that a single mom and child was not a real family.   The M*rmon church seems to  have a lot of demands of their members, and are not warm to the outside.   That attitude is  probably true of many religions, to be fair.. and I have never practiced it, I don't know all there is to know about being a M*rmon.  But I don't find it to be very charitable - and isn't that what religion is supposed to be made of  most of the time?   One more example...  M*rmon worshippers are segregated into wards. Districts, if I understand correctly.  If you are a M*rmon you are assigned to a ward, and you are expected to go to that temple, even if there is one a heck of a lot closer to your home that you would prefer.  If you weren't assigned to that closer temple - you're not supposed to go there.  The members will let you know that you are not welcome if you start to make it a habit. Stay in your Ward.   Again - not .. very.. charitable.  So much of organized religion is about control.

  There are those who say our current President brought God back into the White House.  Well.. if the reason behind that  thinking is because he now claims to be pro-life, anti-abortion - Let it be known that  until he decided to run on the Republican ticket, he was pro-choice for 69 years.  The flip was just another tool, another lie he used to get to where he is. He knew what his base wanted to hear.   If all his lies since election day, if his three marriages and many affairs and pussy grabbing lingo and mega-ego aren't enough of an indication that God did not send D.Tr*mp to the White House,  well I'm stumped as to how that conclusion was drawn. Enough said on that subject.

    Then there is my friend, Vicky - who endures living with Stage 4 Breast Cancer.  Her faith is unwavering, and she finds much courage and strength in her beliefs. I find her references to her beliefs uplifting, encouraging.   It gets her through some very hard things, some very difficult days and nights - there's no denying the power of prayer and a strong faith that brings much to her life, and many others.  She's still here, longer than was expected.. and I do believe her faith has something to do with that.  I hope with all my heart she eventually resides in the Heaven she so deserves and we all hope for.

    So where does that leave me?  I call myself a spiritual person, and even that description has different interpretations.   For me it means I live and feel connected to and am responsible for the care and keeping of  myself, my people and  the natural world.  I feel connected to all people of this world  and I try to leave things better than I found them.  I exercise kindness to others and charity where I can afford to give it.  I don't always get it right, but I right the wrongs and move forward.  If there is a God, hopefully he is not as impressed with  weekly pew sitters, some of whom live hypocritically once they leave the church on Sunday, as he is with those out there doing what they can where they can for the betterment of this world.   Hopefully there is a heaven where I may some day be reunited with all those I've loved, family, friends and animals.  And if there is not, I'm doing the best I can where I am now, here among the living.

   I know this is a difficult  and sometimes offensive subject because there are so many beliefs and they are often strongly held.  I welcome your views, similar or differing,   if you would like to join in the conversation.  Respectful conversation and an open mind, especially when opinions differ, are how we learn and grow, so I will always encourage the practice.  The above is just my opinion and how I choose to live and share my life.  By no means do I think I have all the answers.

Thank you for stopping by -