It seems to me that our nation is split into two when it comes to religion: those who are all about it, and those who could care less.
Immediately, I’m sure you know which category you fall into. Now, I’m not talking about faith or beliefs or how you were brought up. I’m talking about how religious you are, meaning how often you attend services at your church or synagogue, how often and when you pray. Actual participation in religious activity means not just being raised Catholic, but actually being a practicing Catholic.
In nearly every religion there are fundamentalists, or those we would consider to be “religious.” It appears that here in the U.S., and globally, those who we consider to be religious, or fundamentalist, pretty much just hate all the other religions that conflict with their own. That doesn’t seem right to me.
Isn’t that what religion was created for, to explain that which couldn’t be explained? So of course religions are going to conflict, because people’s opinions conflict. But with the advances of modern technology, we now can explain that which could not be explained thousands of years ago.
In the Middle East, there are holy wars everywhere, including the one in the holiest place of them all, Israel. There are people murdering and being murdered by the thousands, in the name of religion. Is that what they think God wants us to do? Do they think killing other people is part of God’s grand design? I doubt it.
The movie Passion of the Christ grossed $370.3 million in the box office, according to Entertainment Weekly. $370.3 million! That’s insane; if you divide that by, let’s say, seven bucks (the average ticket price), that’s well over 50 million people who saw that movie in the theatres. I’m just assuming, but I’d be willing to bet that people didn’t line up to see that movie for the special effects. That’s a whole lot of people going to theatres to see their savior on the big screen, which just shows the drawing power of religion. Some people devote their entire lives to the Bible, or in some cases, sacrifice their lives for their religious beliefs. They spend their entire lives living by the Bible and dedicating their lives to God. They think God put them on this earth to serve Him.
I think that’s just wrong. God put us here to enjoy life and to dedicate our lives to helping humanity, in whatever way you see fit, whether it’s becoming a councilman, a garbage man, an entertainer, or simply a mommy. God didn’t put us on earth to serve Him; He wants us to enjoy our lives and live them to the fullest. Why else do you think He invented marijuana?
Religion is a touchy subject, and that’s why I think it has never been questioned. People will flip out if you say what they believe is wrong, if you tell them that their entire life has been wasted.
Religion and faith are very powerful; we’ve learned this lesson the hard way with the recent outbreak of suicide bombings and terrorist attacks all over the world. If religion is what gets you through the day, then fine. But in my opinion, I think God just wants us to be happy, and do the right thing whenever possible.
