Religions and Politics Don't Mix
Mood:  incredulous
Topic: Sacrelicious
IMHO, all religions are just attempts by man to explain the unexplainable and control the masses of humankind. Some people need guides, need focus, need to be told what to do since they can't think for themselves. But not everyone.

Religions were and are used to govern. They lay down laws and get people to follow them by saying something bad will happen to you in the afterlife - or you'll be reincarnated to live again and again until you 'get it right'. It's all about fear and control.

Being a FORMER Jehovah's Witness, I know about the twisting of religious text to suit the needs of the religion's (or cult's) leaders. It doesn't matter if it is the Bible, Koran, the Book of Mormon, whatever "insert religious text here", it's about explaining things that are un-seen, and truly un-provable.

I look at the world and I see an amazing place; same with the universe. It's amazing, but I do not need an explanation for it. If it was created by an all knowing Creator - that's awesome. If it was a big bang that exploded for no reason and we evolved - wow, how amazing is that? Either way, the natural world is special and awesome - either it was created just for us or it beat tremendous odds and evolved into this marvel. It can be appreciated and revered without the invisible man in the sky.

I don't need a religion to give me laws to live by, because they will be used to judge my morality. Government shouldn't judge morality, that's why I don't feel a political candidate should be judged by their religious beliefs. Tell me what is the plan for taking care of the Health Care issue in this country, or the education of our children, or the reduction of the debt. How about making sure the gap between poor and rich gets smaller, how about that? I could care less if the candidate is into Voodoo or not - what does that have to do with their ability to coordinate government agencies and lead people?

Organized religion is the great divider. It creates small groups of 'us' and pits them against the rest of the world - 'them'. Please someone out there, give me an example of a 'mainstream' religion - and I mean MAINSTREAM, that is fully accepting of EVERYTHING. Absolutely EVERYTHING - all races, all inter-personal relationships, all sexual preferences, the rights of women to choose to have an abortion, the right for clergy to be women, allowing that other religions are the correct path? Can you name one?

It's all very sad. All this 'believe as I believe' or you're an infidel or sinner, or heretic, or whatever.

We are all different and unique, but we are all HUMAN. We are all entitled to our own beliefs. If we could all agree to play nice with one another - stop killing each other, stop abusing each other - just treat other people with respect, couldn't we make this world work? I will not force my belief that organized religions are the cause of the worlds woes - I'm just stating it here. Agree with me or not - that's your opinion and you're entitled to it.