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Jul. 24th, 2007 12:56 pmReligion beat became a test of faith.
While reading this article, one of my main issues with many fundamentalists (of almost any religion) crystalized once again. I'll speak in terms of Christianity as it has been the one I've encountered the most.
God gave us free will, and yet, everything is attributed to God's will. It's a conundrum that I've never been able to solve well for myself. I'm much better at believing if the God you give me is aloof and letting us figure out our own mistakes with just a list of guidelines. But when you insist that every bad, good, and in between thing is God's will, I can't accept it. Primarily because it absolves us of personal responsibility. Secondarily, I find no comfort in the idea that bad things happening to good people is all part of a greater plan.
It was that conundrum that pretty much led to my rejection of organized religion. I pretty much choose and pick of what I want now and in the end hope that if there is a higher power, it's not narcissistic enough to insist that I acknowledge and pay fealty to it.
But at the same time, growing up struggling with that, it makes it so that I actually get disgusted when I read articles like this. Now, granted, everyone's religious journey is a personal one and there's not a right or a wrong one (unless it leads you to do truly heinous things). But at the same time, I can't help but feel that the author is missing something bigger -- every situation has to be about God calling him, rather than just the foibles of the imperfect. Everything has to be about a plan.
Blah, I'm repeating myself. It boils down to what I always say, half-jokingly - when a religion actually prevents a war, sign me up for it. Until then, I'll stay over here in my own personal space.
While reading this article, one of my main issues with many fundamentalists (of almost any religion) crystalized once again. I'll speak in terms of Christianity as it has been the one I've encountered the most.
God gave us free will, and yet, everything is attributed to God's will. It's a conundrum that I've never been able to solve well for myself. I'm much better at believing if the God you give me is aloof and letting us figure out our own mistakes with just a list of guidelines. But when you insist that every bad, good, and in between thing is God's will, I can't accept it. Primarily because it absolves us of personal responsibility. Secondarily, I find no comfort in the idea that bad things happening to good people is all part of a greater plan.
It was that conundrum that pretty much led to my rejection of organized religion. I pretty much choose and pick of what I want now and in the end hope that if there is a higher power, it's not narcissistic enough to insist that I acknowledge and pay fealty to it.
But at the same time, growing up struggling with that, it makes it so that I actually get disgusted when I read articles like this. Now, granted, everyone's religious journey is a personal one and there's not a right or a wrong one (unless it leads you to do truly heinous things). But at the same time, I can't help but feel that the author is missing something bigger -- every situation has to be about God calling him, rather than just the foibles of the imperfect. Everything has to be about a plan.
Blah, I'm repeating myself. It boils down to what I always say, half-jokingly - when a religion actually prevents a war, sign me up for it. Until then, I'll stay over here in my own personal space.
