Ok, I had posted this on another board and I felt that I should post it here also.

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Recently I have grown more and more weary of religion. My father, a teacher in the church, has become what many people call a "Bible Thumper". For those of you who don't know what this is, it is basically a Fundementalist Christian. A Christian who believes that the bible is the exact word of God, that is exactly how you should live, and anything else is of Satan. Because of this radical way of thinking and believing, I have been subjected to excessive amounts of preaching for "my own good". I have heard every line in the book from "If you don't straighten your ways you will burn in hell" to "What would Jesus do?".

When normally I would look forward to a day of rest on Sunday, now I dread that day with my father. The day I must attend his church. So, I sit in the back by myself not paying attention to the sermon. Usually I sit back there and see if I can sleep with my eyes open our count the hairs on the back of the person's head in front of me. Then after church my father asks me "What did you learn in church?" and I give my usual response "That your church is full of it". I often question him as to why I must attend every Sunday and he says it is good for me. How? How is not paying attention to a sermon about how I will burn in hell good for me? Does it raise my moral any? I don't think so.

Because of my experiences with this, I have grown to hate the Christian religion as a whole. Now I know that is just being stereotypical and that not all churches act this way but I figure ignore them all and you don't have to worry about the few. But I am not saying I do not believe in a higher power, whether that be a god or another race. I don't care if they are all knowing all powerful beings who can zap you dead if you make one wrong move. I just know that they exist.

Religion has become a topic that I am not always willing to discuss. It has become very annoying to sit and listen to the same dribble over and over from people that don't know how to screw on a bottle top but somehow seem to know the answers to life. I try to reason with them, but I guess to be in a religion you must be stubborn. Must be a commandment.

I have studied other religions, so don't try that one on me just yet. I have learned about Islamic, Judism, Buddhism, Wiccan, Pagan, and a few more. From these I base my own beliefs. Beliefs I hold true to myself. And it is that idea that I wish people would grasp. That you should never force your thoughts on others, but that is the main idea of organized religion. To get others to believe the way you do. And it is rather amusing to think about it. Many religions believe God gave us Free Will, but yet they believe that you can't use it if you want to go to heaven. You HAVE to believe their way, and no one else's. That is where I differ.

To me, there is no heaven and there is no hell. All are one in the same, and and Earth can be our own heaven and our own hell. We need no punishing, we do that ourselves. It maybe rather cliche but I think that if you make bad choices, you will screw up your life. And that is your punishment. We don't need eternal damnation in a boiling pit of despair. And we also don't need infinate happiness in a land of milk and honey. For we can create those worlds for ourselves.

Religion has become another hobbie or chore for many people. Something that we do out of habit, out of fear, or out of boredom. We go and listen to sermons that say the same thing day after day only in new and fasinating ways then live on our lives, mostly ignoring that which we had learned that Sunday prior.

Religion has become one of the major sins in life from my viewpoint. It is a major cause of war, death, and corruption. Many wars are fought over differences of religion. Many people die because of beliefs. And many officials are corrupted by power offered by the church. That is why the seperation of church and state was a blessing to government.

So I guess I am saying that I dislike Religion as a whole. As said in the movie Dogma, don't believe something, but have a good idea.

so you decide to post in the religion board about what you hate about it, insult our intelligence and tell us you don't wan't us to discuss anything with you because you know it all and have nothing left to learn...you do exactly what you say you hate so much, but being a child stuck in a houshold of zealots, I guess it's no suprise...someone has to find peace with themselves befor they can find peace with anything else...so what is the point you were trying to make, and why post it here?

Your perfectly entitled to post "rants" here, and at least yours was well written and not directly insulting. I think you do miss the point of "religion" in general, and especially some particular religions. We would better reply to you if we knew your own "ideas" and philosophies - care to explain them to us?

I think you view "religion" as "The Church" and a system of rules and hierarchies - this is far from the truth; at least in the context used here. Most people here, in fact, think "Organised Religion" as a generally "bad thing," but still may or may not choose to affiliate themselves with a religion as a "set of faiths" or "ideas."

It is not the beliefs that I insult, but the organizations. I have Wiccan, Buddist, and other beliefs. But I do not choose to associate myself with them.

I don't care what you are, but don't force it on others is the main topic of the post. I feel that is the main problem with most religions, the need to spread it by forcing it on others.

Now I know there are religions that don't do that. And I don't have a grudge against them. It is the ones that do this insessently (sp?) that I dispise. There is no need for it. If you truely believe your religion is the right one, then you should also believe that everyone will find their own way to it without others help.

That is why there are so many religions though. Not any one of them is completely right. They all have their truths, but they are also falible.


Don't take the post the wrong way. I don't intend to doubt the people, just the religions.


Edit Note: I never said I don't want to discuss this. I would love to have a good conversation about religion. Least I don't remember saying I didn't want to talk about it in the post. I posted it a while ago and didn't bother to read it over when I posted it here.

So, ummm, enlighten me - what are the organizations behind Wicca and Buddhsim, to use the two examples as reffered, or Asatru, Hinduism...?

You do seem rather to think that all religions are the same as Christianity - perhaps the effect of growing up with it - but tell me, do you see Wiccans, Hindus, Thelemites, or indeed any religion outside Christianity and Islam, preaching their faith openly to those who don't want to hear about it?

So, this is in fact not a rant against "Religion," as you make out in your previous post - but against Christianity and Islam. Well, as if we haven't seen those before.. I don't know if it's still in the archives - but you should read the Jehovah's Wittness thread, which debates the rights and wrongs of preaching...

Nevertheless - both the Bible and the Qur'an state that unbelievers must be "saved" and converted to the "true faith." Those who do this are only following their tenets. Many are nice about it though, and I myself see no reason to attack them.

That is a question of faith, which cannot very well be answered.

You are more than welcome to doubt all the religions you can find, and thank you for your contribution.

Now I know I can't say that all are wrong. I apologize for saying that if I did. Mind you I was in an extremely bad mood at the time. Anyways, any religion with followers and such I consider organized.


I know not all are like Christianity. Like I said I have studied many different religions and am still doing what I can. I am still young though, so I know I don't know them all or understand them all. If I could I more than definately would. And no I don't see them going around preaching, that is why I said not all do it.

I'll have to check that out. And sorry again if it was misleading.

You must also take into account that all "holy" books are written by man. Sure, they may be inspired by the word of God but in the end, it is man who puts the words on the paper.

I have to agree with the idea of just being part of a religion for the religion's sake is stupid.
ie; being christian just so you can go to church, or call yourself a good christian person.
If you need the label; then you don't actually have real faith in what ever it is the religion is teaching you...

Which is why I hate those Wiccan wannabees; they're just wiccan because it's a fad right now and they can call themselves witches