Disparaged
'It were to be wished that the enemies of religion would at least learn what it is before they oppose it. Did religion make its boast of having a clear and perfect view of God, and of beholding Him without covering or veil?'
Blaise Pascal
I write this jornal to get this off my chest. I'm tired of seeing everywhere i turn so much anger towards God, religion, Christianity, ANY form of faith being attacked. It seems like everything i watch either demeans or mocks the very idea of God. SO many shows that portray those who beleive as corrupt, insane, perverted, or hate driven Zealots. Why?
If i say 'I beleive a man should be with a woman' i am ostracized and attacked for my personal belief when I made no accusation of how you wish to live yours. But I have to be bombarded by others mockings at work, direct slurs against my Faith, and the ever present demands of 'If God loves us why does he let this or that happen'.
Personally, I am 52 years old, i have a son with autism, i have no friends, i have no future. i'm not saying this for pity. I'm saying this because the only thing that keeps me alive is the hope of a better 'life' after this miserable one ends. To (as my favorite Biblical verse says) 'Depart from evil, do good, seek peace, and pursue it.' So i show kindness and charity, i only wish for my own serenity and not judgements upon others.
Beleive it or not, I actually am pretty Ok. Mainly because of my Faith i don't feel alone. But to see so much venom towards something many don't understand or precive because of the opinions of others truly breaks my heart. It just sickens me when i see those in my church that are alone but happy in thier faith, poor but rich in spirit to give me a hug and a hello, elderly and treated with dignity. And the only thing i see from the world is that we are nuts, simpletons, decivers, and worstly all hate-filled judgemental troglodytes carring Bibles in one hand and torches in the other.
Replies
I've also been exposed to that criticism against religion. I think part of it is that my generation is moving away from religion and many are turning against it as overly traditional or unfitting of the modern world and exacerbating modern problems. Nowadays we see science as the solution to everything, and religion, especially because it contradicts science, becomes that old trend that al lot of people think should have died. Well, the other part being a lot of publicization of crazy people of faith, meaning many people just assume that all people of faith are that way. I did too for a while. It's a very popular narrative with the young, progressive demographic and has a massive online presence.
Another reason is simply that my generation is extra sensitive, there is an imagined air of hostility around everything, even stating your own opinion is often taken as an attack against theirs.
I'm very sorry to hear all of this. That you see life as miserable, that you feel you have no future, all of it. As a person without faith, I know I would be crushed in your position, and I am glad that your faith "catches" you from falling. I decline from believing for my own reasons, and I respect that you choose to believe for your reasons. I hope you know that all of that nonsense is not universal.
I would never attack a persons belief system. I don't like having other peoples belief systems forced on me. I am reminded of the Jehovah Witnesses that sometimes come door to door in my neighborhood. I really don't like that. They just seem very pushy. Sometimes they request to come in my house to talk.
Personally I still feel more comfortable to chalk things up to a generic "higher power". I was raised Lutheran. I still remember the bible passage they gave me to recite in front of people at my communion. "The Lord is my Shepard, I shall not want". Its etched in my brain. I think that's Psalms or some book in the bible.
I think I know the rest of that phrase, Ill have to Google it to know it word for word. I do believe in a "higher power" what you would call it or them? I don't know. I took holy communion with my dad a few weeks ago. I joked with him "that will do me for a few years now".
Do I have to take the holy communion every time when they offer it? Every two weeks? Do I have to read the bible word for word? Hmm.
I have a friend, he knows me since college. He was an agnostic. Then he met a women from Malaysia. Got married. Now he is a Christian (since she is a Christian). He sent me a bible, and said "If you don't read this, you are not going to heaven". So if I don't read a man printed book, I won't goto heaven?
Dunno. I go by my rules " Don't be an asshole to anyone on purpose, and you should be fine". Just don't go out of your way to cause people issues......quite honestly. I am teetering between my Lutheran upbringing and a generic "higher power".
If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything. ~Author unknown
As late as the 80's, I thought I was a freak for my religious foundation that I called, "The Schism of the Isms." Everything from Catholicism to Atheism to Whateverism got joyful bashing in the kiddie whorehouses I was raised in. My social anxiety still has a hard time getting my mistrust of humans into a crowded room, even a prayer room, but. . .
At least I no longer feel like a freak for the psychoses(pl) from my religious formation in the Schism of the Isms. I think our social collective has opened its mind so far that brains have fallen out. For sure there seems allot of falling for anything going on in the heads bowed before the altar of smart phones. Twit on, good buddies?
Yay you for standing for something, King. Go placidly amid the noise and the haste. Stay true to where God put your feet.
Then again, maybe there should be some mysteries left for humans not to know. I just hate when religion is used to start wars, or territorial disputes. Then I stand for a generic "higher power". With a touch of Lutheran. I think that ancient people thought comets were a big deal and they needed to do something when they saw them.
Now we know what comets are.....
I like Buddisim a bit. I have to look more into that.