I know, I know. You aren't supposed to talk Politics and Religion with friends or family. (Or college football if you're from the southern part of the US. That one's probably more important to be fair.) A reminder these are my thoughts and opinions and not those of my family, friends or the organization I work for.
I'm going to be honest with you: I consider myself a Christian. I try very hard to live by the tenets of Jesus and what he taught. The Beatitudes are amazing, as are the other teachings of Jesus which can be used as a guide to those who really want to lead a good life and live in His example. And I'm trying to pass that on to my children as well. Be kind to others. Look out for those less fortunate than you and help them when you can. Don't judge others, unless you want them to judge you by the standards you are judging them by.
But I don't go to church anymore. That's a personal decision and one that I'm fine with. I have many issues with organized religion, starting with the systemic sexism against women which irks me. Dorcas was a leader in the early church, as were many other Women. Why then the prohibition in many sects of Christianity from women serving as clergy? From my understanding of the Bible, that came mostly from Paul's writings, but Jesus never said any of that. The shaming of women into being considered lesser also bothers me. Western Society is influenced by the belief that Eve tempted Adam into eating the apple. (Probably actually a pear, but I digress.) Blaming the woman for the way they dress and how they look for sexual assault, or even down to dress codes at school telling girls that they can't wear something because it will distract boys at school. Where do you think this idea came from? It came from the dominant Christian culture of Western Society. The idea that virginity is a basis to determine if a woman is worthy or not is absolute crap. Virginity is a made up construct meant to shame women. Men can be Casanovas. but women are called Jezebels. Denying women birth control because of some interpretation of the bible stating that since Onan pulled out and God was displeased with him really bothers me too. I mean come on! You'll support Viagra, but not birth control because, "It's not what God intends"? Hey, impotence is also something God intends too. If you've got a problem with one, then you really should have a problem with the other. And why should someone's boss get to decide what they will cover in health insurance because of their religion? Those same people would have a fit if, say, a Muslim refused to touch pork while working at a supermarket.
I also object to the treatment of homosexuality, and the shunning from people's families of loved ones simply because they are gay. Hate to tell you, but homosexual behavior has been exhibited in nature as well, so there is truth to "born this way." If you truly are a Christian, why would you shun your loved ones, or make jokes, or even assault someone for something that you say is against biblical law? Hey, slavery and separation of races until recently was justified by the bible (and still is in some modern day instances, I might add.) Plus if you quote Leviticus to me, I'm going to ask you about shellfish, and poly-cotton blends, as those are spoken about in the part of the bible as well.
To be honest, I feel that organized religion is used way too often as a crutch for our own insecurities and biases. Heck, the Southern Baptist Convention was started because of slavery. (True story, look it up.)
But the issue I have the most is with the politicization of religion. Making laws because my religion says it is wrong is no way to do things. Demanding that I honor your religious beliefs, but you won't honor mine is totally horrid. Voting for someone because you think they'll do what you want them to, even if they are less than honorable and don't follow the tenets of what you espouse as your belief structure is totally hypocritical. Condemning people for doing something, but then excusing someone else because they support your causes is also hypocritical.
And it just keeps going. I was tired of going to church and leaving angry after hearing people (either from the pulpit or in the congregation) talking about how they can't be friends or even share a table with others if they're from another political party. (Some Liberals are just as bad and I hate people like that as well, so please don't start on the, "But whatabout" crap!) Ministers complaining that they can't speak from the pulpit about politics without losing their tax exempt status really irks me too. Why should you be tax exempt if you're going to influence your flock into voting for who you think should win? How are you helping your community on a grass-roots level? Are you feeding and clothing the poor? Are you helping the aged? How about showing compassion to those with less than you? If you're not using your tithe for those things, then why should you be tax-exempt?
Personally I don't see a reason for Churches to be tax-exempt. If you need your tithe to be tax-exempt for you to give to your church, then it's not really a tithe is it? Heck, you want to see how many people really believe in tithing, try getting rid of the tax break and see how many people still give. I know many will, but it'd be an interesting test, wouldn't it?
Also, let's talk about what appears to be the only issue many Christians I know vote on: Abortion. Great, so you want to outlaw abortion. Are you going to arrest the woman who gets an abortion? Put her to death? Or are you going to only focus on the Doctor performing the abortion? What about abortions in the cases of health of mother, rape, incest? What will we do with these children that are now going to be born? How will we take care of them when they are out of the womb? How can we insure that they receive the heath care they need to be successful in life? Will you vote to increase SNAP, food stamps and subsidize child-care so that the primary caregiver can work? Will you improve the foster-care system to better protect those who need it? What about the adoption process, will you allow more people who are extremely qualified to adopt even if they're single or a gay couple? Or does that not matter once they leave the mother's protective womb?
Or will you help provide access to contraception for women (and men) without a prescription so that we can have less unwanted pregnancies? Or are you also going to demand that people not have sex outside of marriage due to what your religion believes? That's a bit invasive, right? What about married couples that aren't ready to have kids, or even financially stable enough yet and want to wait until they have everything in order, shouldn't they be able to have sex within the so-called holy bonds of matrimony without the fear that they'll get pregnant? Hey, rhythm method isn't 100%, as has been taught in every abstinence class I've ever had. Also, shouldn't we be doing a better job of teaching sex-ed? Knowledge is understanding in this case, and better understanding will help young people to completely understand what happens, and what should happen. Giving them the information will allow them to make better choices.
One of the other things I have an issue with is the focus on The Rapture. Yes, the bible is quite clear about what is supposed to happen in the end times (as clear as prophecy can be I mean), but people trying to aid that and hurry it up are a bit naive, and annoying. Just because you want to get to heaven quickly doesn't mean you have to turn this place into hell to do so. God gave man control over the entirety of earth and all that dwell on it, but that doesn't mean he didn't want us to take care of it. For goodness sake, if you're arguing that abortion is killing one of God's creations, then you should be out there trying to protect the wilderness and everything living on earth as well! This was his creation too, you know. This focus on The Rapture was also one of the things that helped contribute to my acute anxiety when I was growing up, which adds a whole other dimension to everything. I resented it. The fear, the demands to act a certain way or you'd burn in the lake of fire. Telling young children that they must try to convert their friends or it will weigh on them the entirety of eternity is wrong, and can cause some pretty serious mental trauma.
And don't even get me started on prosperity gospel quacks. "If you give me money, you will be planting the seed, and will reap ten-fold what you've sent." Yes, it's the exact same pitch as the lottery or a pyramid scheme in my mind. Spend to receive. “I need a new plane and I need you to help buy it!” This preys on those who are least able to afford it. They should be ashamed of themselves. (And if you think I'm being over-dramatic about the plane thing, that actually happened!)
As I said, I have opinions. Maybe one day I'll go back to church. But I'll always remember something that I read in a book once: Standing in a church and saying you're a Christian is like standing in an auto dealership and saying you're a Porsche. If I say I'm a Porsche but I can't run 0-60 mph in less than 5 seconds, then I'm not a Porsche. If I'm in a Church saying I'm a Christian but not living like it, then... well you know.
