I was speaking to a Women’s Development group the other day, and a newcomer asked the question “how are we supposed to manage our faith in times like these?
Everyone that knows me, knows that I do not use my job as a way to advocate for atheism, however I make very certain that those attending any of the therapy groups sponsored by my center, know that I am in no way affiliated with any religious faith.
I recognize that her question was motivated by her desire to strengthen or maintain her faith during perilous times, it also made a lot of sense.
How does one manage their faith in times like these?
I often wonder that myself.
It has been my experience that religion and life do not mesh well.
There comes a point in everyone’s life where the words in a book, are no longer comparable to the situation at hand. It is during these times that some turn to drugs, alcohol, sex, shopping, gambling etc, anything to fill that empty space that religion cannot fill.
That space inside you reserved for rational and critical thinking; a place where real life begins and faith ends.
It is no secret that more than a few people take their bibles into boardrooms, yet they have conveniently left them out of their bedrooms.
No condoms
No pre-marital sex
No birth control
No abortions
Religion is not working in the favor of many women, who need access to all of the things I have listed above. So how do they manage their faith when It is apparent that women are clearly being targeted by the church?
For years men have been angry behind the power of the vagina, and have tried their darndest to place regulations on our bodies and lives, things to which NO PENIS HAVING HUMAN should decide.
But year after year men of all faiths, nationalities and ages, gather at a round table to make decisions on behalf of women everywhere, men who use terms like “legitimate rape”.
When I was growing up, just about everyone I knew had the same belief system that I did. There was little diversity in my hometown (same as Governor Romney’s).
The chances I had of happening upon information on or about other religions or atheism was highly unlikely.
Today things are much different. The 3 major influences in a teenager’s life are radio, television and internet, religion falls in at a distant #38 on this same list, where things like: playing video games, shopping and texting are among the top 10.
This, my fellow heathens is precisely why religion is dissipating, like a bad fart that once lingered.
Turns out; the ones who once stood to inherit the kingdom of god, would rather be listening to their IPods or playing video games. The youths in this country have looked their parents square in the face and said very plainly: No religion for me, thanks.
They don’t even try to manage their faith anymore.
Less than 12% of American youths said that they actually take an interest in religion, whatever ‘ taking an interest’ means.
That tells me that very soon here, the country will shift from 85% religious to those 12%. And continue to decline, as time passes and we become a more informed nation.
The reason that I believe religion and life do not mix are simple.
Religion is the belief that we are the crimson of an intelligent designer, who wants us to fight our fleshly desires.
However, everything around me, says that I am an animal, brother or cousin to every other living thing on this planet.
For example:
If we study the animal kingdom, we see that sex is not only natural, it is essential to the survival of any species. If you see yourself as a part of this group, then you can began to break down the stigma that goes alongside pre-marital sex, or teenage sex.
But if you are among those who fancy themselves the product of a god-king, you do not govern yourself by these facts, instead you encourage your young to do un-natural things, like abstain from sex until they are married.
Perhaps this is why there is a teenage pregnancy epidemic on the religious side of the isle?
Educating teens on the dangers of unprotected sex and thoroughly teaching them how to have safe-sex is the only way to reverse the damage that has been done. Then and only then can we heal an entire group of people who for years have looked upon things like sex, as un-natural and going against god.
Plain and simply put: If what Christians claim is right, then why is there so much failure amongst their own community of people?
Failure in protecting their children (most often times from fellow Christians), failure in proper education, failure in rehabilitation, failure in marriage, failure in science and discovery, failure in prayer and failure in schools.
Everywhere you look, the church is creating more failure. This is why Christians make-up almost 80% of the United States prison population.
Maybe this is due to the fact that “thou shall not steal” is a more manageable rule in a billionaire free society, where hunger and poverty are nonexistent?
I am currently writing a book called “Sitting with Religion” that is about the magical thing that happens when you turn everything in your life off and you just sit with your religion. Bring out all of your religious materials i.e. holy books, watch-tower, religious leaflets etc.
Challenge yourself to think outside the box that your parents/grandparents/ guardians were careful to close you inside and something wonderful begins to happen. Suddenly the things in front of you start to not make sense. The virgin births, the talking animals, the walking on water, the dead raising all become what they were meant to be: completely preposterous and highly illogical.
But you must sit with it first.
Then probability comes into play.
However, that is not likely to happen.
Most religious people steer clear of putting too much thought behind their beliefs; it is the enemy of their faith.
A faith they try a lifetime to manage alongside their real life; to no avail.
My Darkest Hour 