Control Freaks And Religion

The world is teaming with control freaks, and some of these characters use religion in their quest to tell others how to think. Some hardcore atheists might think people are lacking formal education center their life around a creator, and some hardcore Christians might think people are not devout enough if you are not a Sunday go to church Christian. Tonight reading the religion forum I realized that one can be very educated and secure without necessarily discussing faith by the prescribed terms others find necessary. Comments about faith do not have to be highly philosophical, religious, or any of the above. There is no selfishness or lack or erudition in those who follow a faith, according to their own terms. However, some that are not very keen to the introvert's point of view may accuse someone of selfishness just because they choose to worship God in their own way. When someone makes a simple comment about how they find organized religion filled with hypocrisy, why do some take offense to that? There is a need by some control freaks to exert hegemony over the thoughts and feelings of others. Some feel you are not completely liberated if you have faith, and others proclaim that you are an eternal sinner if you do not have a prescribed faith.

There are many forms of control freaks. Some people think their way of organizing might be better than yours, even though when you look at your organization and cannot help but feel it is beautiful. Some people think their views on religion are better than yours because they go to church every Sunday, and you are a heathen because you simply read the Bible once in a while. Well even if my views on religion are simplistic to some, this is what feels true to me. I do not aspire to be a religious scholar, and if I did perhaps I would make a more philosophical investigation into why I believe what I believe, but at the moment I do not feel compelled to do so.

If religion is not your profession and just a personal faith, then no one should be worried about how you think or discuss it. I feel secure in what I do believe, and even when I am highly criticized, it does not mean I will wither and swing that way. However, I often do not see the point of arguing on a forum, so I might as well write a hub about what I am thinking. After being teased in school I realized I will never live up to any one's ideals, so this lifetime is short and sweet, and it is imperative that I live life according to my own terms.

One reason I have not attended church in years was the hypocrisy found in religion. First there was my experience with the Jehovah's Witnesses that disenchanted me towards organized religion. Some believe saying they do not believe in organized religion is in essence saying God is disorganized, but how is that so? There are thousands of denominations within Christianity alone, so which one is correct? I am of the mind believe what you want to believe, and worship the way you want. Going to a church with defined doctrines will definitely not make you a better person.

In fifth grade I came farther into my way of thinking that organized religion can be bastion of hypocrisy. I was teased mercilessly by students who claimed to be good Christians that went to Mexico to build housing for the poor. One such girl called me every horrid name in the book, and did not exhibit any Christian behavior that I know of. If you are going to be a Christian practice what you preach, and treating others poorly is very little inducement for people to attend your church.

In high school I went to youth group at a non-denominational church and I actually liked this group. If I lived near that community I might actually go to church services because it is a welcoming place, but I would not feel the need to go every Sunday. At one point in high school I felt that I should be attending church to be a good person, but how does going to a service make someone so? There are so many inherently good people in this world, and they have never attended a religious service a day in their lives. On the other hand there are many devout Christians are hypocrites and tell others they should not do certain things, but often are guilty of committing the same "sins". Sorry, but I tend to be turned off by churches filled with such members, and if anyone is concerned that I feel this way then they are being too much of a control freak.

Just taking hikes up in the mountains makes me feel close to God. He created the beautiful trees and earth, and that is all the evidence I need of an existence of God. Really I do not care what other faiths people are, but I do not need a prescribed church service or a philosophical text to tell me what I believe. Faith comes from within and it is something that is distilled to me by listening to my own inter dialogue. To me this is the most erudite and religious experience possible is when you are free from what others feel you must express, and just think about God on your own terms.