Musing





  I saw a post that someone shared on Facebook a week or so ago. The post read "You don't need religion to have morals. If you can't determine right from wrong, you lack empathy and common sense, not religion."
  I wasn't quite sure what to make of that. On one hand I was a little offended because this sounded like mild religion bashing. It seems to have become fashionable to bash those of us who practice a religion. We're deluded at best and homophobic bigots at worst. It's tempting at time to keep that part of my life in the closet because there are just too many people out there who make automatic assumptions about someone who openly practices a religion. It feels wrong for me to do that though because then it implies that I am ashamed of my faith and I'm not. The post seems to imply that religion is unnecessary.
    On the other hand I can't really disagree with that statement. I know several people who seem to be two different people, the Sunday person and the Monday through Saturday person. I also know several people who are agnostic, atheist and Wiccan/neopagan who have morals code similar to mine.
   Why does it seem to me that the word religious has got the same negative connotation that the word liberal has? One reason is that number of awful acts that people claiming membership in a religion do in the name of the god that they worship. These acts range from picketing funerals to intimidation to rape to murder. The people that commit these acts get lots of publicity on all forms of media. People discuss these acts, blog about them and comment on them after online articles.
  You don't hear anything about good things that people do also in the name of the god that they worship. Things like donating money, food and clothing to those in need. Sending a card to someone who is lonely. Smiling. Saying hello. Taking meals to someone convalescing from an injury or illness. These acts go on every day.
  I believe that religion is necessary. To me it's easier to develop empathy when you think that all human beings are your brothers and sisters.  I take care of where I live as best I can became I believe I am a steward of the place where I live. I have temporary guardianship over my cats. I believe I will someday have to make an accounting of what I have done with my time and possessions. It motivates me to be a better person.
  My faith teaches that I must be forgiving and not judge people because we all have our agency to do what we will.
  I don't think we need less religion. I think we need more people who do espouse a faith to practice it on all days of the week, not just Sunday. We need to make it clear that those who do hurtful things in the name of God are not really practicing their faith. We need to show empathy and common sense so we can lose the negative stereotype that the word religious has.

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