This study, released today is very interesting. I can remember growing up - to hear the word ATHEIST was tantamount to declaring you were worse than a communist. I was dragged to two different churches as a youth (baptised Presbyterian and confirmed an Episcopalian), because my parents each had their own doctrines to cram down out throats.
No wonder, we ended up wondering "what the hell we were doing." Then when I got married, in order NOT to put my children through the same tug-of-war, I joined my husband's church - Lutheran. Oh, and we had an extra "cross to bear" as my children now became the sixth generation in this church - the oldest member family. Woohoo!!!
Admittedly, I believe you can have "faith" in a light bulb if you so choose. What is wrong with learning kindness and morality issues just as a way of life? Why do we have to be threatened with our souls going to a fictitious burning pit (purgatory) until our souls are deemed cleaned enough to go to another place called "heaven?" Has anyone ever truly died and documented these places? Of course we know the controversy between science and religion - and my money is on the science winning out. Does it have all the answers? Not at the present time but we are learning new things every day - new things that are constantly being mocked by the "born-agains" and other fanatical religious groups.
Having Madelyn Murray-O'Hair's name crammed down my throat in my formative years didn't help either. When prayer was banned in public schools in 1963 - the adult population acted like that was the end of the world. I can remember my witch of a mother - even crying over the issue. I was like "meh!" Considering there were and are so many different religious sects - to start our day of with the Lord's Prayer which is shortened in some faiths, seemed unfair and discriminatory to me.
I respect that some have and are entitled to their beliefs - as I should hope that they would be equally respectful of my lack of religious beliefs. This does not make me an evil person by any means. My soul does not need any words spoken over it - to ensure my being taken to an eternal place of flowers, sunshine and love. I live an honest life, a loving life and I am quite content.
This study also states that more people are opting for NO religious funerals. I'm good with that...I would prefer to be sitting up in a chair - all Steeler stuff surrounding me and friends enjoying some good music...preferably Country...then off to the crematory for a good burn.
Woohoo - how do ya like me now??? I'm still me, I haven't grown a third eye or a horn coming out of my forehead. I just have different beliefs.
Have a good one all...I will be back...Later.........
6 comments:
You just KNOW I would love this post and then some. Good for you and having the courage to step up and proclaim your lack of belief in fairy tales.
Not a popular opinion to hold still these days, but as the story says....the tide is turning. Slowly.
Like you know, I'm agnostic. And I'm sick to death of hypocritical Christians throwing their weight around. In fact, all the world's problems boil down to someone's religion.
I was amused by the way the MSM was tripping all over itself yesterday trying to say, okay, the fact that people aren't going to church doesn't mean they don't believe -- and had various ordinary folks doing soundbites where they described themselves as "spiritual." Total b.s. I figure very few Americans, especially the various brands of Christianity, actually believe in "God" because if they really believed they wouldn't all be so terrified of dying.
Of course, the S.O. says they're all scared shitless of dying because they recognize that under their preferred belief system they're probably heading straight to Hell.
I love being hated by Christians, Jews, and Muslims. It's lie I am uniting them all in their hatred of my atheism.
IMHO the First Amendment grants us Freedom From Religion, or it should. I have no problem with people having religous beliefs, just leave me out of it. I can't stand the narrow-minded Bible-Bangers trying force their ideology on the rest of us.
There are times that I really wish there was a hell. There are a huge number of candidates for hell, and most of them are running churchs or have run a church.
Yes! Let's just be good because it is the right thing to do!
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