Ramblings from the outside of nowhere

I have a little more ranting to do today, which will piss off a lot of people, but as I don't really care who reads this, (well not too much..) I still have my modified right to free speech as well. So there!

There are a lot of bloggers out there who denounce religion as the world's greatest evil. Perhaps, taken to the extreme of fanaticism, it is. Do I really need to give an example? But, like the evangelical preachers who stand at the pulpit throwing accusations left and right, those who denounce religion with every ounce of disgust in their bodies, are amazing like the religious leaders who they abhor. All they need to complete their picture is a pulpit.

Now, I believe in a higher power, and you may find that I don't take many opportunities to cram my beliefs down any one's throat. But the absence of belief, is also a belief system. When you try to convince everyone and his ugly-ass brother that religion, or faith, is a fool's device to explain whatever, then you are stating your beliefs. Hence the religion of the non-believer, bent on converting all who believe into non-believers. There are atheists, agnostics, and The-I-used-to-believe-but-now-I-don'ts. Now, not to sound like a hypocrite as all people of faith seem to be now, I have written a few times about why someone who espouses a particular religious belief feels a need to share it with me. But, I don't think they are particularly wrong in their choice of religion. I don't think atheists are going to "hell", nor do I consider them confused, or unenlightened, I just accept them. But, why they are hell-bent in an almost self-righteous way to convert me, I have no idea.

When you tell someone of a particular faith that what they believe is wrong, or ignorant, well what's the difference between that an a preacher telling you if you don't believe you are lost? Beats the hell out of me.

People say religion plays too much of a role in politics today. Well, illustrate a time for me when it didn't? Bush is in the office because we put him there. I didn't vote for the man, because I thought he was full of shit from the get-go. But, someone voted for him, and maybe even some of these card-carrying anti-believers. Remember the Dixie Chicks, and how they were shunned for saying the same things we are all saying today? Have we apologized to them? Hell, no. Why take the time?

I don't care what you believe, but don't shove it down my throat. I have stopped reading many a blog because that is all they talk about. The evils of organized religion, and how it is taking this country in a downward spiral. Religion is not the problem. The ignorant assholes in the white house are those who are taking the country down. And they will adopt any platform to excuse the mistakes they have made. If people worshiped the moon, they would say they did too. Though we are predominately a Christian nation, we are having to make room for different faiths, like the Muslim faith. Most cities have a mosque. It's not there for decoration. We talk of impeachment, but look who our next president would be then. Cheney? Please.....We're talking Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum here.

But if all these people who preach about how religion is so horrible or unnecessary, I say go to Jamaica (or probably Haiti, as Dawn pointed out) and tell all those who practice Voodoo how stupid they are. I swear, I would pay good money to see that. But, please if you are going to use every post you make to take a pot-shot at "religious leaders" remember you sound amazingly like those you criticize.

I'm not trying to convince anyone to change what they believe. If it works for you, fine. I'm just pointing out the similarities between the two extremes. If you want to worship trees like the Druids, go for it. If you want to believe that Christ will come again, and gather all those who believe in him to his bosom, sometimes referred to as the rapture, go ahead. You have that right. Which is basically why this country was started in the first place. (I don't recall there being any Druids on the Mayflower, but I could be wrong. I wasn't there, contrary to popular belief.)

I can almost guarantee you that this post will have no comments, or, if any, a passionate restatement of 'anti-religious' sentiments. No comments because it is not the popular thing to write now, as all free thinking and educated people feel religion is crap, (which is not a new concept, as there has always been a faction in society who felt the same, there's just more people in the world now to express it), or it will have a lot of comments telling me how corrupt the religious community is, being the war-mongers and power-hungry hypocrites they must be, because they worship God, who everyone knows loves to fuck with us. (Remember the Quakers? They don't like war. They are the original conscientious objectors.)

So...go ahead, tell me I'm wrong. Go ahead, make your day.