The One Where I Lose Half My Followers & Piss Off My Neighbor Who Reads This Blog
*Clarification......this is based on MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES that I PERSONALLY have had with several churches of two different denominations. This is NOT AIMED at ANY AND ALL religions and churches. I don't presume to assume that all religions are the same when it comes to their views and ideals. Having said that, this post is not about YOU. It's about ME and my realization that I was WRONG. Let's not forget that this is what this post is about.
You know, I’ve posted on here before that I’m not a deep person.
And I still stand by that.
I’ll tell you why.
Every time I have these deep meaningful thoughts, they fall to shit by the time I’m done.
Case in point.
I’m not a religious person. At all. I have major doubts about God, the Bible, the whole shebang.
But what really chaps my ass is organized religion.
Yes, as mentioned on here before, I attend church.
I go pretty much every Sunday.
But…I mostly go because of my daughter.
She’s expressed an interest in church. I suspect it’s mostly because of Sunday school and not the sermon at 11.
However, I’m willing to take her every Sunday until she gets to the age where she can make an INFORMED decision about religion and beliefs and church attendance.
It’s my job as a mom to make sure she’s well rounded. Other than a Methodist church in town, our religious choices are slim to none.
It’s a nice church. I know several people in the congregation. They’re good people. You won’t find me complaining about them on here.
I even like Bro. D. He’s a nice guy.
Now, church is a voluntary activity. It’s not mandatory in order to, well, be an active member of the community. It’s helpful, but not mandatory. You don’t get in trouble for not attending (I’m talking legally here, folks, not religiously).
And, if you live in a tiny southern REPUBLICAN town, a majority of the folks that you interact with on a daily basis are of the same mind when it comes to their politics.
With the inauguration happening today, a topic that was broached at church on Sunday was to pray for the new President (and my mind interpreted the tone of this being said, not the words, as to mean they want to pray for his heathen pagan soul, not a general “make everything work out OK” prayer).
Now, I’m real prickly when it comes to separation of church and state. Religion doesn’t belong in the White House and the White House doesn’t belong in church.
Back when the election was going on, there was some talk up at the pulpit about the Democratic nominee. Nothing outright was said, but you could tell what he WASN’T saying and you could see heads nodding in agreement in the pews.
I was thisclose to getting up and walking out the door. But, I chose not to make a scene.
This past Sunday, I had a feeling something might be said in regards to Tuesday’s festivities and history making occasion.
And, I wasn’t wrong…but I wasn’t right either. Nothing big was said and my hackles laid down and rested from being raised for so long.
But, it got me to thinking.
This is one of the reasons I don’t like organized religion.
The incredible feeling of moral superiorority.
It’s their way or the highway.
No tolerance for other religions.
The incessant need to gather more and more followers (sounds kind of like blogging, eh?) and to convert non-believers.
I’m a huge proponent of letting people believe what they want to believe. I’m a big believer that no one religion is right OR wrong.
It drives me insane and I can’t stand it that they are not tolerant of others. I dislike people like that.
And then…..I actually listened to my thoughts and realized…I’m just like them.
I’m sitting there in the pew feeling all morally superior because I have tolerance for others.
When in reality, the joke was on me the whole time. Cause I was sitting there judging them for THEIR beliefs.
How fucked up is that?
So, from now on….no more deep thoughts.
Or if I have any, I’ll make sure to spin them so I rival Jack Handey.
Hanging Head In Shame,
Mama Dawg
