Religion, Day 300

On this subject I feel my view point is skewed very much so by opinion and position. It's difficult if not impossible for me to see things from certain other points of view. I wish I could but in all honestly I am unable. I adamantly look forward to others offering their view points. I've been thinking upon this subject quite alot lately and this is my first attempt to sort of spew those thoughts into print.

I believe that religion is or religious acts are man's way of getting to God, or more simply put man's method of salvation. Since I also believe that Jesus Christ officially and eternally gained salvation for all of mankind then I believe that religion, as I see it, is foolish.

People since the beginning of time have been coming up with ways to be saved, ways to survive death and live eternally. There've been billions of different idols which might save man, sacrifices of every sort, ferocious gods, powerful gods, selfish gods, merciful gods, gods, gods, gods. People've worshiped the sun, the water, light, animals, you name it... we want to live forever.

Recap: I believe in Jesus. People all over the planet even now believe in all sorts of various ways to salvation. Here's the subject of this blog. People have religion like they have a name. I've seen Muslims who're raised in the Islamic religion who have entirely denounced Allah and all the practices related to Islam but they still consider themselves Muslims. It's who they are. I've seen Catholics who abhor the Catholic religion but they still call themselves Catholics. It's who they are. Religion tends to transcend it's god. Religion tends to become the god, in a sense. Many MANY tribes throughout time have been visited by missionaries (take all of Ireland for example) and the tribes are rather easily swayed to worship the new god BUT most often they're completely unable to abandon their religious traditions. Thus many many a "Christian" festival or symbol that we're quite familiar with now was originally a pagan one associated with an entirely different god. I've seen first hand the "Catholic" Mayans in parts of Guatemala practicing Catholicism and Mayan voodoo (or whatever it should be called) side by side. Religion goes beyond god and many many times becomes a HUGE foundational part of a culture. This is what I'm pondering.

I'm thoroughly convinced that any other god apart from the Father of Jesus Christ is an impostor. I will not move on this subject. These religions scattering the globe are then in fact void of purpose if they're sole purpose is worshiping their ascribed false god. But I'm not convinced that's all they are. Many people find their identities in their religion. I think I should probably think this is wrong but I don't. Catholics have so many practices that I don't agree with but I wouldn't EVER tell them that they need to abandon those practices. Those practices are apart of their culture. Muslims have so many laws that I think are a waste of time and virtually all of them are ridiculously enslaving but it's apart of their culture. Tribes all over the globe, have religious apparel, religious daily routines, religious food, religious oh you name it. I wouldn't ever think of destroying their culture just because I don't believe they're worshiping the real God.

AT PRESENT, and this could and most likely will change, the only religious traditions that really bother me are ones that REALLY hurt people (and obviously ones that are entirely contrary to Biblical teachings... that almost goes without saying). Unfortunately at present the most aggressive and painful religion I'm familiar with is Islam. Literally as I'm typing this a mother of 5 in (I believe it's) Pakistan is awaiting the death penalty for insulting Muhammad. Woman scattered throughout Islamic countries are by being abused by the thousands at this very moment simply because they're women. They are considered lower than a dog according to Muhammad and thus men can and generally do whatever they wish with them, however horrid that may be. This isn't occurring in every Muslim household spanning the globe but in the severely Shari-ah compliant countries it is running rampant and is entirely justifiable. I think it's safe to say that most people no longer agree with human sacrifice despite our strong stance for religious freedom BUT a good amount of people seem to be okay with severe human abuses in the name of religious freedom. I don't get it.

Here's the point of this rather long, odd sch-peal: why is it that the same people who shout "religious freedom" at the top of their lungs for any Muslim tradition and third world country idolater are the people who attack Catholicism, Christianity, and Judaism? Seriously I want to know. Am I just seeing it wrong? Because I think it's pretty much a rule of thumb that anyone defending another religion is against a Christian religion. Why is it okay to worship Allah or a statue, and ok to do whatever is ascribed by the religion attached to that god, why is that religion to be defended at any cost? And why are the religion's ascribed to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to be attacked so ferociously by the same people defending the faith of others? I don't get it. If religion is sacred then shouldn't the Catholics in Ireland who continually try to stand by their religious views be defended alongside of the Muslims in Pakistan who're trying to stand by theirs? Shouldn't the Jews in Israel who're trying to uphold their religious views be shown religious respect?

Not everybody is attacking everybody but it just seems like a lot of folks take a stand for religious freedom by attacking another religion and I don't get it. I think we're all wrong. I think religion is enslaving and generally pulls people away from God. I also believe that a lot of religious traditions no longer have anything to do with any god whatsoever and they're merely cultural traditions. I respect that. I respect culture (even if it's in the so called name of religion). But stop picking sides is all I'm saying. Go all in or all out. What ground are you standing on? From where I'm standing your ground looks pretty unstable. At least people who're on the side of Christian religion have picked a god. People who just fight in favor of any religion other than a Christian one are apparently fighting against the Christian religion but in that case be honest about it. Don't stand up for all those other religions just voice the truth, you can't stand Christianity.

This blog is in no way shape or form directed at one single person. It's a general feel in the air today, in politics, and liberal agendas. Why are all Christians being portrayed as selfish religious fools when it's okay for EVERYONE else to have their religious freedoms? I'm sorry but the strongly Muslim countries out there today are really dangerous, bad, inhumane places. Why are so many people (especially our president) fighting for their religious voices to be heard? And why do those same people get so upset when a Christian voice speaks up for what they believe? Sorry, I don't get it.