Here are
some words of wisdom that I felt lead to share with those of a faith, and those
without one, because information is never a bad thing regardless of where you
stand on the matter.
“A few bad apples
spoil the bunch”
Unfortunately
there are people who claim to be a follower of one religion or another, who due
to their actions and self-absorbed motives, end up ultimately tarnishing its
name and leave outsiders looking in with total disdain and disgust.
We must do
our best to be able to separate ourselves from these ”bad apples” and see the
faith for what it truly is.
We should
decide which works best for us and our personal needs and not concern ourselves
with what others are doing.
“Freedom of choice”
The thing
about religion is that for the most part it is not a choice; it is something
that we are forced into at a young age, it is ingrained into our brains and becomes a part of who we are all thanks to our parents/guardians.
Whether or
not that changes, all depends on the individual and their mindset when they
reach the age of reason.
Now this is
not a knock at the parents because obviously most of them do it out of love for
their children, not some kind of pride and/or selfish motives.
We as
individuals must understand this and when we are ready we must decide which
direction to proceed, even if that means leaving all faiths behind.
“Do we have to pray just to make it today?”
Whether prayer
should or shouldn't be allowed in school is a hot button topic that is
constantly being brought to the forefront of our society due to parent’s
personal beliefs, or lack thereof, and unfortunate events that take place
around in the world around us.
Honestly
there is no simple way to answer this, because regardless of the answer one side
or the other is going to feel as if they were wronged.
We should
just allow the children ten minutes or so of quiet time to do with as they feel
lead to, if that means praying then have at it, and if not then they can
utilize that time as they feel fit.
If as a
parent this is something you feel strongly about, then enroll your child in a
school that caters to the particular religion you follow.
“Creationism vs. Evolution”
This is
another hot button topic that can go either way, and as I said above in regard
to prayer being allowed in school or not, there is no clear cut answer to this
question that would leave everyone involved happy.
There is absolutely
nothing wrong with believing that a divine entity created the world, especially
if that helps your journey through it more tolerable, but you must also allow
for scientific reasoning that shows that evolution is possible, and if fact has
happened.
Believe it
or not, it is entirely possible to believe both philosophies, and in some cases
it even makes things a little easier to understand.
“Take me to church”
Is it completely
necessary to attend church every chance one gets to be consider a true believer,
a dedicated servant?
Some would
have you believe it is, that if you decide not to attend that you are less of a
follower, that you are not doing your Godly duty.
However,
the reality of it all is that it is not a requirement to be considered a
faithful follower, but rather a place to go to be around other like-minded individuals, kind of like belonging to a club.
Church is
all around us, God is everywhere and not just confined to the walls of a church
and/or any other religious structure.
“Holy War”
There is no
such thing, war can’t be holy.
People use
this term to justify their cause for going to war, for causing destruction and
chaos throughout the world all in the name of their God.
God is
love, forgiveness and acceptance, not violence, vengeance and hate.
Unfortunately
it’s the corrupt individuals who are falsely waiving a religion’s banner that
incorporate war into it to meet their own personal needs and agendas.
I know that
there are times where people have no other choice but to defend their stance,
to rise up against the adversaries all with hopes of maintaining and/or
achieving spiritual freedom, but for the most part this is not the case most of
the time.
“Where do you go when
you die?”
Whether or
not someone goes to heaven (or spiritual equivalent depending of their faith) when
they die is not a matter for the masses to decide, but rather a matter between
them and their maker alone.
We have no
right or authority to tell others where they will go when they crossover to the
other side, regardless of how much we feel we do.
God knows
our heart, He is aware of the steps we had to take and the adversities we faced
on our journey, and according to some even orchestrates our every move along the
way.
Since He
started us on our way, and has been with us the whole time guiding us, I would
say it’s only fitting that where the story ends is up to Him.
“Signs, signs,
everywhere there's signs”
Too many of
these so-called religious people holding up signs to get their points across.
Now I know
some of you may wonder why this is a bad thing, and honestly if it’s done
correctly it’s not, but when it’s done foolishly it ends up only hurting the
faith/message more so than do it any good.
People need
to remember to keep their own personal beliefs out of it, and when hate supersedes
love the message is not worth broadcasting and better just kept to one’s self.
(The End)
So there
you have it my friends. I hope you enjoyed what I had to share, and please feel
free to let me know your thoughts.
