Ah the wonders of spending your life in the middle of the bible belt of the American South
I have partaken in enough religions to choke a small cat.*

I started life with an Episcopalian mother and a Church of Christ dad. Then came Catholic school. There is nothing like the fear of a big lady dressed head to foot in black whilst sporting a huge fecking cross on a heavy chain to make a little nipper learn to read really fast.

Along came a Catholic step-father, so at least there was a bit of continuity there.

In my teen years, it was the Baptists that held my interest. Ok, so one particular Baptist. But frankly, virgin geeks are great at that age because they are so eager to please.

But through the years I have developed my own set of beliefs. I believe that all the different religions and gods over the centuries have all been ways of explaining the mysteries of life. Why do we fall in love? Ah, that would be because of Aphrodite or Cupid. How do we find inner peace in a chaotic world? Buddha will guide you. What about the simplicity of just being nice to people? Check out Jesus.

Religion was important for many centuries not just to give us explanations for the unexplained, but to also give us hope. Now we have discovered new things to believe in, new things to explain the wonders of the world: science and technology. We study genes and microbes the way our ancestors studied the writings of prophets.

I believe there is a way to balance the wonders of science with the old beliefs of being kind to strangers, friends, families and ourselves. I believe hope for a better future energizes us to act toward becoming better people. I believe you can call a deity whatever the hell you want, it all boils down to hope and faith. I believe the meaning of life lies in the idea that the deity of your choice just wants you to have a good time, be happy, and be nice.

I also believe that there has always been those who carry things to far and there always will be.....that is just human nature. However, the fundies really have made huge strides in ruining religion for the rest of us.


So, go ahead and flame me if you like. I'm not out to change anyone's mind or tell them what they believe is wrong. I think faith is a personal thing and a thing about which everyone must make their own decisions.


*Only a small cat since there really weren't all that many different religions in my life. However, for where I live, it would be considered a boatload since I had more than 1
( flirting with badgers What? It sounded good at the time., Thu 19 Mar 2009, 23:25, Reply)