I was raised as a Christian as was everyone in my family. For years as a child I'd go to church with my grandmother and cousins every Sunday. there would be the main sermon followed by Sunday school. We'd get taught about the different facets of the bible, told the various stories and their morals and when I was younger I took a major interest in it. I remember having conversations with a guy called Pastor Bill Hopley who was an awesome guy. I'd have so many questions and he'd always be on hand to answer them for me, which to this day, more than 20 years on, I've always appreciated.
I was baptised at 11 years old and had taken religion into my life completely. Everything I was taught I took on board without question and believed it whole heartedly. However, years later, my life had progressed as had my thought processes and I realised that I had many questions. Does God actually exist? What if when you die - that's it. No pearly gates, no fire and brimstone and no (as George Carlin would say) "baking cookies, without an oven". Just everlasting nothing and a total cessation of consciousness.
For me, important questions with absolutely no one to answer them.
So, about 6 years ago I'm walking around Huddersfield and I see that one of the local churches is having an open "do" in the town centre. I stand and watch for a while and within no time at all I'm approached by a smartly dressed man who asks me "do you believe in God?". I reply by asking a question of my own. "If I don't believe in God, would that mean I'd be going to Hell?". "Yes". "Really?!?! So even if I live my life as a good person, I give to charity, help my fellow man and basically follow all of the tenants of the ten commandments but don't believe in God - I'm bound for hell?". "Yes. There is no way to get into heaven without first accepting the lord into your life..." The conversation soon ended and I couldn't help but think that what he was saying made no sense what so ever.
Firstly, who gave this person authority to make such a claim. Faith can be such a wonderful thing but it's nature dictates that it is in no way absolute. Saying you have a strong belief is fair enough - saying you know for sure is something totally different!
Secondly, how on earth does his statement make sense? What if I were Muslim or Sikh, or practiced Judaism? Would that mean that even though I lived my life according to good I would go to Hell because I was unlucky enough to be raised in the wrong religion? I asked a friend who I would class as very religious that same question quite recently and was told that God is a jealous God. What?!?! Jealousy requires ego and there are many on this earth who strive to rid themselves of ego. Therefore, are we meant to maintain and even cultivate the many aspects of ego? I just think that if I were an all powerful being - I'd be a great deal more like the Dalai Lama as opposed to say...George Bush.
So, moving on - I think that maybe we (or they - the writers of the bible) could have got it wrong. Not completely - but enough to mess things up a fair bit. I'm not going for the agnostic route by saying that god does not exist as I feel he does. Just not in the way that we see him. Maybe - he is not a "he" at all, or a "she". Maybe this being is so complex in it's make up that we are not yet evolved enough to comprehend it's existence. Therefore the only way to comprehend God, would be to imagine a better version of us (with a head of white hair no less).
The other possibility is that God exists, but not as described in the bible. Maybe the authors of this doctrine have written it in a way as to control people.
"Do what we say or burn in hell."
"Don't wanna give us 10% of everything you earn? hell it is for you fucker."
"Don't fancy coming to church? don't forget the oven mitts bitch!"
"Wanna worship someone else? wrong choice shit for brains! We'll tell you where you're going with a self righteous attitude and a smile on our faces."
History has shown us that fear is an effective method of controlling people. We've seen it as far back as recorded history all the way through to present day. Get rid of marijuana because it's used by "Blacks and Mexicans" who will rob your houses and by the way, if your daughter does happen to have any, she'll have Sambo hangin' out the back of her before the day is through.
N.B. I gotta say it - that last paragraph made me giggle as I was writing it.
OK another one, ID cards. "we need them to help prevent terrorism" ...What?!?! So will this ID card not only have biometric information but a few "extra's" too?
Name: Joe
Age: 26
Occupation: Terrorist since 1998
Does it mean that anyone of middle eastern decent will get stopped in the street and asked to present said card? That being the case does that mean there is no possibility of their being terrorists in any other ethnic group? How does that explain the 7/7 London bombings where one of the terrorists was a black man? And does that mean that anyone of African/Caribbean decent would be singled out too? Starting to sound a touch familiar? Rhymes with Mitler.
My point is that people were more open to these proposals because of fear. They were perfectly willing (in one of the aforementioned cases) to allow someone else to take the reigns and tell them what they should do.
OK, another question. If you do believe in God and Religion, how would you live your life if I could absolutely prove to you, that god did not exist? Would you still be a good person? (presuming that is how you live your life) and if not - couldn't your current life be classed as a form of lie? In essence, it would mean that the person being good is doing so out of fear or punishment rather than it due to the simple fact of...it's the righ thing to do. Does that even count?
Again - a great many questions so, where does that leave me? Well, my decision is this. I take from it what I feel makes sense and the rest, I leave alone. Sounds a bit flakey maybe, a "have your cake and eat it" type scenario. But I can not put any faith in something that makes no sense to me. I also think that having such a deep routed belief leaves your mind closed to new possibilities, experiences and level of understanding. Not to mention ensuring that your view will never change, while possibly closing an avenue into a world of opportunity and growth. Malcolm X once wrote something along the lines of - He remained open to new possibilities and based his actions on the facts of what was laid before him while being open to being subjective enough, as to alter his given action on the basis of new evidence. I like that idea.
I don't think that when we die it just turns into nothingness. I feel that we may move to a different plane of existence. Do I know this for sure? Of course not - but I'm glad I'm in a place where my decision to remain open gives me comfort. I feel there is something more than this and that gives me comfort. I just don't feel that whatever it is, is how most of us see it. I'll never know for sure, and I still have questions, but that, for me, is OK.
Peace and Love
No comments:
Post a Comment