My feelings toward Religion at this point in my life

What religion is to me is: love, hope and fellowship. All the other things wrapped in religion, I have no use for. I’ve been to many types of churches when I was younger. Baptist, Mennonite, Methodist. So I’m not a stranger to religion. I feel I’m spiritual, but I don’t go to church. There’s a church out there for everybody they say. But I haven’t found mine yet and I don’t think I ever will.

It’s just I don’t like how people take religion and run with it to fit their needs or fears. Or use it to manipulate or judge. I do believe religion can be a beautiful thing too. It gives hope and teaches love. It also brings people together and helps the less fortunate.

(I’m disabled) On one than one occasion a religious nut has come up to me and told me to my face all loud so everybody can hear, Jesus can cure you! As if! I’m fine the way I am. It’s you that has a problem. God made me the way he wanted me to be. …is what I say back to them. I know these people are extremist and every religious person doesn’t feel like that towards me. Yet I can’t help feel turned off to religion when this happens.

For example, take the book The Shack or watch the movie Religulous. Those two things are at complete opposite ends of the spectrum but they perfectly describe how I feel about religion in this point in my life.

I’m don’t have any problems with people sharing things of a religious nature with me. I’m opened minded. I just want it to be a two-way street. I want All religions are based on belief - not fact.. so matter if it's the most common and respected religion or the least, silliest sounding religion.. they're all one in the same as they are based on things you can not prove. Whether aliens bringing humans to earth or resurrection.. it's all irrational, illogical but believed by many as "faith" and "belief". --- a number of people, including me were talking about religion on a chat board. I didn't make this comment but I totally agree with it. (2011)

I think we have to be flexible. Any belief system that is inflexible, closed off to other belief systems, is profoundly unhealthy. I also think that if you look at life as a long line of evolutionary changes that started billions of years ago, from little things crawling in the mud, and the you realize where we’ve got to now, that is a remarkable set of circumstances. There is more magic in that, for me, than someone creating the planet in six days and taking a day off. When you realize how long humanity has taken to get to this point, it makes you respect another person’s life in a deeper and broader sense. I wouldn’t think of killing anybody because their lineage goes back to the primordial seas, not because there’s some eye in the sky, looking out for how many commandments you’re going to break. --- Eddie Vedder 2009 Uncut Magazine


3/26/18

Aside from all the celebration of 20 years of love, my favorite part of the weekend was hearing the sound of Mama Melea's voice in my house. And watching two people network / compare notes to learn from each others experiences, hopefully to ultimately improve their lives. Watching that filled my heart with joy.

~ That second part there .... THAT IS WHERE IT'S AT FOR ME. That's what inspires me and keeps me fulfilled. ~

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