Thursday, March 24, 2011

religion and politics

The things we are not supposed to talk about: religion and politics. Today, I pick religion!

After a week of wakes and funerals, I was once again obligated to go to church. I was raised Catholic, but haven’t considered myself a Catholic for a very long time.

I have my own beliefs which include: all organized religion is malarkey, the bible is a work of fiction, and Jesus and Joseph Smith were either schizophrenic or cunning as foxes.

Lately, every time I go to church, it confirms my decision to no longer be Catholic/Christian/religious. At the funeral I went to this week, the priest went on and on about suffering and service. It seems as though, the more suffering you do, and the more you attend to others’ happiness rather than your own; the closer to God you become.

I call BULLSHIT. IF there is a God or Higher Power, she wants everyone to be happy and to live one hell of a life.

I came home and was telling Ignacio how bothered I was about how the priest was saying that by suffering so much, this person was now closer to God. I also mentioned how anytime I have ever heard a scripture in church; it was never a happy story. It was always a story about some bad shit that happened to some good person. Ignacio then went on to tell me the story of Job. Now that is another great example of bad shit happening to a good dude in the bible. My knowledge of the bible is, ummm, non-existent, but I just don’t ever remember going to church and hearing a happy story.
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an example of the miracle the life
I just can’t buy into organized religion. Every religion thinks that theirs is the right one. Really? Everyone can’t be right. And, there is just so much other nonsense that I don’t even have the desire to write about with regards to organized religion. Why can’t everyone just join the “be deliriously happy and be nice to people” religion?

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an example of 'love thy neighbor'
 All I could think of while I listening to the priest talk about ‘suffering and service’ and becoming ‘closer to God’ is: WRONG! And then that got me thinking of the other thing I hear often. When someone is going through a bunch of crap, someone brilliant will say, “You know, God only gives you what you can handle. God knows you are so strong and can handle all of this.” Here I go again, but I call BULLSHIT! The Higher Power/God/The Universe doesn’t want anyone to suffer. You know what she wants? She wants you to be freaking happy and to be a good person. And by the way, if someone said that crap to me, I’d punch ‘em.

When I die, I certainly don’t want a religious service or ceremony. But, whoever is doing the talking about my life, I want that person to be able to say, “That bitch lived!”

5 comments:

  1. I agree with you 100%!

    But I do have to tell you that we go to church. It is kind of shocking because I got kicked out of my Catholic church when I was 16. I thought I would never go to church again and I never ever believed in organized religion.

    Then I met a friend who is a Unitarian Universalist. UUs (which I proudly call myself now) believe that EVERYONE has a right to their own beliefs. That everyone is right. To live and let live. To ask questions. To strive to be a better person. That we have a duty to be nice to other people.

    It kind of rocked my world, that there were other people out there who thought like me.Every week, I go to my church with all open-minded people and I come out inspired to be a better person. That is what church is supposed to be about right?

    And I love that we go to a place that is teaching tolerance to the boys. In religious education classes, they teach them about every world religion and let them choose (or not choose). I seriously wanted to cry the first time I asked Nate what he learned that day and he said, "That being different is what makes you special."

    Sorry to write a novel! But it has been a great experience for us!

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  2. Charlene KurczewskiMarch 24, 2011 at 2:45 PM

    I guess I'm just simple but I believe in God and I'm happy that I do. Yes, I have been through plenty of hardships (I'm old). I don't have a religion that I hang onto I have a friendship that I hang onto. My experience has always been a trust issue. After I surrendered my life to Christ (and no I am not Catholic) I started looking for Him more and talking to Him more. I made him my focus. I believe that we do indeed grow closer to him during hardship because we need Him more. I don't think there is anything more exciting than to experience an answered prayer. Yes, I have questioned many, many things about this crazy world and where God was. He is God. He is sovereign. He knows what he is doing. I have wondered why He let a father rape his 5 year old daughter. Why did that little boy have to be decapitated by an abductor? Why are people starving in the U.S. and other countries. I just don't know. I just know my Spirit is real. I'm no one special. I don't understand it but I know my God has really been an awesome God to me. He has said "When you seek me with your whole heart you will find me." Maybe it's because I'm simple. I don't care. I love and appreciate Him.

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  3. How do you know The Higher Power/God/The Universe/Elvis wants us to be happy? Did he/she/it tell you that personally? Job isn't the only place in the Bible where The Higher Power/God/The Universe/Justin Bieber is a bastard. Remember the story of the prodical son? I don't know what lesson I was supposed to learn out of that; all I get is that it's coolest to be an abject ass. Then, after being gone so long with a word and keeping everyone wondering, you show up and people, including your parents, will bend over backwards for you pleasure. In the meantime, the not-so-prodical son, the one who suffered and served and all that, gets summarily shat upon. Nice.

    I'm not taking ownership of this as my belief; I'm just spitballing here. I classify myself more as an agnostic. But it does make you wonder, you know? Still, if you are willing to believe in The Higher Power/God/The Universe/The Big Lebowski, just remember that all of the words/thoughts/beliefs that he/she/it sent down to us are all filtered through human beings. And we all know how screwed up THEY are.

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  4. Having not been raised with a religion, I've always been an outsider to the whole concept myself. And yeah, I get why you consider your opinion to be 'controversial'. I've pretty much clammed up about my lack-of-religion my whole life, since it puts me in the minority no matter where I go. However, please know that you aren't alone. I wish there was a group for people like us (maybe the UU is sort of close).

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  5. I believe the story of the prodical son is about how God lets us go our way but will always be there for you when you come back with welcomed arms. Regardless of what we did he is there. The brother on the other hand was jealous. I would be too. I guess it shows how we could get when not recognized for the work we did. We all could identify with that I'm sure.

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