At one point in my life, I was a very strong believer. Then, I became a non-believer who was pretty tolerant of religion. Lately, more and more, I begin to see religion as a blight. It becomes apparent to me, that the world would be a calmer and saner place without clinging to ancient superstitions.
There was a time when humans were forced to invent religion to explain the universe. God was up there, just beyond the clouds, and the devil was down there, just below our feet. Eventually, we were forced to admit that both God and his adversary must reside somewhere else and that the earth was not the centre of the universe. Unfortunately however, we have never been able to throw the baby out with the tepid bathwater. We just kept modifying our beliefs in ever more desperate attempts to make them fit with science.
Mind you, many beliefs are innocuous. I mean to say, if someone wants to believe that God provides them a parking spot in their town while he lets children starve somewhere else, I guess it doesn't exactly hurt anyone. It may be inane to the nth degree, but it's most likely harmless.
However, when religionists get on their high horses and tell sexual abuse victims that they should not report their abuser, I do not find it harmless. This was apparently the case in Australia when a rabbi allegedly told the victim: "... he had invited the abuse because he wasn't religious enough." (see article in The Australian)
By now, you have all read of Savita Halappanavar who just a few weeks ago was allowed to die in an Irish hospital. Her pregnancy developed complications, but she was denied an abortion in this Catholic country even though it was apparent that the fetus would not survive. The situation was allowed to deteriorate for three days until the fetus actually died before the doctors would remove it. By then it was too late to save the mother, and Savita died. How unnecessary. How sad. (Fox News link)
I know that it's possible that if you're one of the few who stop to read this post, you will be offended by how I turn two seemingly isolated incidents into a generally anti-religionist post, but I think that they are indicative the danger of the religious mindset. In both cases, religion intervened in an inappropriate manner. In one
case, it protected a criminal pedophile while casting guilt upon the victim. The other case resulted in needless death. These are micro cases, but on the macro level, religiously motivated terrorism goes on and on, and political tensions, partly induced by religion, escalate into threats of war.
I think we'd be better off without religion.
I don't disagree with you. Yes, they are isolated incidents but so many similar situations are born from rigid, extreme beliefs.
ReplyDeleteI know that the vast majority of folks with faith are good, decent people who would of course share your outrage over these two stories.. and many more. It's the over-zealous that scare me to death.. and the fervor with which they hold strong to their beliefs.. beliefs which exclude others' basic human rights.
Stories like this make headlines and are very sad. I understand when people perceive religion as divisive, superstitious and abusive. Unfortunately there are "believers" who check their brains and common sense at the door and use religion as an excuse for hatred and judgement of others. But there are unbelievers who act cruelly and believers who do much good. Human nature is good and bad and if religion did not exist there would still be evil and injustice in the world. I think the internet makes hateful religious rhetoric spread faster than it did in the past.
ReplyDelete...I read the entire post and respect your opinion :)
Remember Religion is man made John, and the fanaticals turn so many people off and away. I agree with you, when I think of all the people killed in the name of religion it makes me sick to my stomach. How people use God's names to justify what they say and do is beyond me. I do have a strong faith but I don't believe what others tell me, my relationship with God is between him and me...:-)Hugs
ReplyDeleteA provocative and thoughtful post, and reflective of many things I have thought in my lifetime, but I still haven't come to a conclusion that deals with my spiritual needs and my intellectual and moral response to the reality of the world. I continue to struggle, while congratulating you on having had such a clear view. I have being wishy-washy, but it's where I'll have to be until I get a handle on it.
ReplyDelete37 years of thinking hasn't got me there yet though. I almost wish I could go back to the strong and reliable faith I had before those 37 years.
Unfortunately, I don't believe the stories you cite are isolated incidents. They just happen to be the only ones who have made it into the news. Often religious beliefs are all mixed with morally contradictory practices. A discouraging religious feature is that often churches/denominations establish so many man-made rules they mix in with basic beliefs i.e. the Ten Commandants which alone would make the world a better place if we could all practice them.
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ReplyDeleteAs a Christian I do so wish I could respectfully disagree. But from things I have written I am sure you know I do not; in fact cannot. I have had this conversation with other Christians. While I am against abortion as a means of birth control, I try to be also mindful of the unique and very individual issues people face. I have maintained that if a man is told he must choose between his wife’s life and that of a child he does not yet know, has not yet held, he will, I think, in most cases choose his wife. I think that is true especially if he already has children. He will want those children to have their mother.
ReplyDeleteI know two things. One is that, having been through a tragedy, I am certain people can say anything they want. But if faced with something horrible, they have no idea what they would do in that situation unless they go through it. It is just so easy to dictate to others about a potential problem and smugly pontificate what should be done. That is especially for some of us Christians.
The second thing I know is that Jesus Himself, unlike the self-righteous “religious” leaders, ate with sinners; He listened to them; and He saw people as individuals with individual needs. I have to ask myself how can I do any differently?
I couldn't agree with you more, AC, misplaced religion has a lot to answer for...
ReplyDeleteYou are right in saying that religion can be invoked in so many inappropriate ways that sadly harm those innocent of any wrongdoing. We are not active church goers, although we had been in past years. One day we realized there was no real message and that living our lives the best way possible without harming others, being charitable and kind, and praying in our own way was just as good. And, it also seemed that some folks were only Christian-like for the time they spent in Sunday services...just saying.
ReplyDeletein a way yes. I've been strongly religious and anti-religious by swings. in a way it's a crutch. but even a crutch you can use like a bat or use to prevent healing. at the same time it has genuine use. would other magically thinking strategies be better?
ReplyDeletecompassion is the highest order but what constitutes even that gets sticky.
I don't know much about the Ireland case, but do know it isn't the policy of the church to sacrifice the life of the mother, so something's missing from the story we get in the media. (Huge surprise!) Thousands die every year from medical mistakes, and they don't seem to raise the alarms like an abortion case does. Hundreds of women die every year in legal botched abortions; the suicide rate for women who've had abortions (Denmark study) is much higher than those choosing life, even if it is a difficult choice. That you've lost your faith shouldn't cause you to also lose your perspective. You could add all the religious wars (which are usually wars about ethnicity and power grabs by rulers) of history and not come close to the deaths of the 20th century caused by statism (aka Communism/Socialism). If you don't have faith that God created and loves you, that's one thing. But don't blame it on religion.
ReplyDeleteOh, and btw, your photographs of the kids are fabulous--it had been awhile since I visited, and my oh my how they have grown.
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