Like many I was raised in a household that was religious. We mostly went to church every Sunday and often would go on Sunday nights and Wednesday nights. As a child I would go to Awana, Sunday School, and Summer camps. Now growing up while going to these things a child is taught that the Bible is fact. So when one is taught this as such an age they tend to accept it at face value. Why would we be taught this if it weren't true. I was "saved by Jesus" and baptized at a very young age. I memorized verses, prayed every night, and truly believed in what I was being taught. I don't remember the exact time when doubt crept into my mind but I remember the effect it had on me. I grew up in a baptist church and we were taught that to not believe in all the bible was to not believe in all of it. That when we start to question our beliefs we are letting the devil start to take a hold of our hearts. So when I did start to question things I would have moments of great fear. I would pray at nights begging for God to forgive me and that I was sorry for what I had done. Guilt is another emotion I felt a lot of the time. The bible tells that humans are sinful and wrong. The Only way for us to be clean is through Jesus, who died on the cross just for us. That's a lot put on the shoulders of a child. This lasted for a little while. I would have moments of complete belief while at times questioning that belief. Than like many teenagers I had a "rebellious phase". What do teenagers do when they are like this? They lash out out the things they had been raised to think. I had a small group of friends at the time and I consider these years as some of the most important that helped make me who I am today. While a part of me still believed in a higher power I started to abhor institutional religion. We didn't treat time at the church that serious. We listened to music our teachers considered bad. I constantly listened to bands such as Nirvana, Green Day, and The Pixies. During this period I would often be angry at God. If he is so good than why is there so much wrong in the world. We have war, cancer, aids, poverty, and many other ills. When I would ask this I would often be told that life was a test and that faith would guide us through the hard times. I have always thought this answer to be a cop out. I would tell God that life is a test I didn't ask for. That his "test" was meant to be impossible and thought he didn't deserve my respect or praise. As I grew older and farther from church the fear and anger faded away with it. Replacing that was curiosity of the world and the want to live this only life we have to it's fullest potential. I believe that I am much better off without religion in my life. It makes living in the moment much more important and meaningful. When we stop obsessing with the afterlife, life becomes that more important. It also helps us want to make the world a better place for the ones we live with and those after us.
I understand the reason why such belief is important to people. I also understand why some even need it. We are all trying to find a reason and purpose in life. Without Religion many people consider that to be a removal of those. In a earlier post I touched on this. The biblical definition of faith is trusting in something that can't be proved. I consider faith to often be a denial of truth. Many times when there is something that goes against one's faith they will deny it no matter what, even with scientific proof. We can see this with the denial of Evolution and Climate Change. There is , as of now, no scientific way to prove the existence of god. Thus, I don't believe in god. That's why the Scientific Method is the best way to look at life. In this way things are always tested before belief and if a better theory comes up it will replace the old. Science is not afraid of change or being proven wrong. If fact that is what it strives for. It is always looking to help us understand our world better rather than just accepting it at face value. I believe that it helps improve our lives more that religion ever could. In fact I believe that religion at times makes the world a worse place. Many people use the Bible or other religious texts to oppress the rights of others. That's why we have issues with Women's rights and Marriage Equality.
This is a complicated issue and there will be those offended and angry with my views. There will also be those who agree with me. Religion will always be a part of the world. I'm not saying that it should be totally eradicated. However I would challenge those who believe and those who don't to try and find some common ground. Those of us who don't believe shouldn't force others to not and those who do shouldn't force their way of thinking either. We shouldn't be afraid of challenging our own way of thinking. We should always question. I think it's one of the best things about being Human. We should always be trying to expand our knowledge and see other points of view. After all we are all human and that is something we will always have in common.
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