Religion and me
Feb. 26th, 2004 02:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
woodfaceAh, you know there seems to be a religious debate coming up. I should just stay far away from it but perhaps it's best to explain for once and for all why I don't believe and what my views on religion are.
I grew up in a catholic society. I spend 12 years of my life being taught about god and catholic religion. I did my communion, went to church and I believed. I was a very religious kid, more so than my sisters. I used to pray every evening before I went to bed. I loved reading my children's bible. I might not be an expert on religion, but I do know it to some degree.
I stopped believing one day. I don't know how, it just happened. Probably gradually. I just don't believe I will ever go back to it.
Why not? Because I hate to think that I would take on a religion to get redemption. To be free of my sins and end up in heaven. I refuse to better myself for a god and his promise to eternal life. I want to be the best person I can be for myself. I want to live for myself. And when I believe again, I want it to be for the faith itself and not for an ulterior motive.
I don't believe in the bible, not the way some people do. It's a text, written by humans with human flaws. It reflects the convictions of a society from over 2000 years ago. Sure, some basics still stand now and the world would be a better place if we followed it. But some things are really not applicable to this age anymore.
So, I don't believe. I don't deny or acknowledge the existance of god. I just stand beside religion because I need to believe in myself first. I admire people who draw strength from their faith. It's just not something that I will ever experience. Sometimes, I wish I could believe but I'd find myself a hypocrite to pray just in order to get something back. I'll probably go to hell for it, but then I would still go to hell for a lot of my behaviour. Then again, I don't believe in hell, so I'm not that bothered. I'd like to believe that I'm a good person despite not going to church.
The debate on homosexuality? I think I pretty much covered it when I talked about the bible here. I'd just want to get one thing of my chest. It hurts me to believe that people I care about (and in part myself too) are judged for it. And yes, perhaps you don't judge the person but if you believe their actions condemn them to hell (even if they don't believe in hell to begin with), that's judgement to me. I respect everyone's believes, you are free to think whatever you want. But I reserve the right to disagree as you are allowed to disagree with me. I'm sorry if this offended you, it's just how I see it.
I grew up in a catholic society. I spend 12 years of my life being taught about god and catholic religion. I did my communion, went to church and I believed. I was a very religious kid, more so than my sisters. I used to pray every evening before I went to bed. I loved reading my children's bible. I might not be an expert on religion, but I do know it to some degree.
I stopped believing one day. I don't know how, it just happened. Probably gradually. I just don't believe I will ever go back to it.
Why not? Because I hate to think that I would take on a religion to get redemption. To be free of my sins and end up in heaven. I refuse to better myself for a god and his promise to eternal life. I want to be the best person I can be for myself. I want to live for myself. And when I believe again, I want it to be for the faith itself and not for an ulterior motive.
I don't believe in the bible, not the way some people do. It's a text, written by humans with human flaws. It reflects the convictions of a society from over 2000 years ago. Sure, some basics still stand now and the world would be a better place if we followed it. But some things are really not applicable to this age anymore.
So, I don't believe. I don't deny or acknowledge the existance of god. I just stand beside religion because I need to believe in myself first. I admire people who draw strength from their faith. It's just not something that I will ever experience. Sometimes, I wish I could believe but I'd find myself a hypocrite to pray just in order to get something back. I'll probably go to hell for it, but then I would still go to hell for a lot of my behaviour. Then again, I don't believe in hell, so I'm not that bothered. I'd like to believe that I'm a good person despite not going to church.
The debate on homosexuality? I think I pretty much covered it when I talked about the bible here. I'd just want to get one thing of my chest. It hurts me to believe that people I care about (and in part myself too) are judged for it. And yes, perhaps you don't judge the person but if you believe their actions condemn them to hell (even if they don't believe in hell to begin with), that's judgement to me. I respect everyone's believes, you are free to think whatever you want. But I reserve the right to disagree as you are allowed to disagree with me. I'm sorry if this offended you, it's just how I see it.
