posted on Mar, 23 2011 @ 09:11 PM
I think humanity has probably been spiritually starved, and I think that organized religion has a large part to do with it. I just look as all the
hate that is spread, especially in this country, through the guise of organized religion and shake my head. I was raised catholic, but rejected my
religion when I realized that it was more of a detriment to spirituality rather than an aid. Organized religions don't put much faith or power into
their followers; followers must follow a set of hierarchies in order to interact with "god"...and religious leaders dissuade dissent and questioning
among the ranks. One thing we were constantly "taught" in sunday school was to "just have faith", we were not encouraged to ask questions, and the
ability to just unquestioningly accept what we were told was like a measure of our religious dedication. Competing or alternative views and religions
are seen as threats and followers are told that adherents of these other belief systems are destined for hell and eternal damnation. One of the big
clues to me that organized religion was a bunch of crock, was the attitude that many religions had towards women and black people (see the
"
Hamite" theory of racial origins that was used by Abrahamic religions to justify slavery and
black oppression). I also wondered, why, in the eyes of religion that humans were considered superior to animals. I didn't see anything inferior in
animals even though they may not have conscious thought (but then again, they could and we just don't know). Although I don't necessarily believe in
god anymore, or creationism (I'm more of a scientific mind anyway)...I do believe that there has to be some unifying force in the universe, I think
there's a lot of things about the universe that humans don't understand...and I wonder all the time, what existed before the big bang (although,
again, I don't believe in intelligent design or creationist theory)...I think that there's probably going to be a scientific reason for most things,
even things that seem to be "supernatural" or "ethereal"
I think it's a good development that organized religion is becoming less and less popular. Contrary to what most religious fanatics will tell you a
sense of "right and wrong" and "morality" is not dependent on religious belief. I found the following article quite interesting, talking about how
those who aren't religious can be just as much, if not more "moral" than those who are religious. It certainly refutes the common religious extremist
claim that "atheists are godless immoral heathens" (
here)
edit on
23-3-2011 by meeneecat because: added something