One thing that I don't think I will ever be able to truly understand is the abundant lack of religious tolerance and acceptance that exists in the world today. Someone commented to me, "As a species we enjoy conflict and we love to feel righteous. If we do not get a proper dose of both, then we generate them."
While I agree with the notion that conflict is a predominant part of human nature, for some reason I cannot wrap my head around the fact that we allow so much conflict, so much bloodshed, and so many injustices to exist because they've been generated from religious differences. It is appalling to see so much hate being ideas that can't even be scientifically proven to exist! No one can yet prove the definite existence of God (Allah, Buddha, etc.); no one can yet prove the existence of the afterlife, and certainly no one can prove outright that their religion is right above all others.
So many people rely on blind faith to guide and influence their actions; so many live and follow a religion without even questioning, and so many judge other people's religions without even understanding the differences to begin with. After 9/11, thousands of people attacked Islam without even understanding its basic principles. Yet it is clear that Islam is not a terrorist religion, any more than Christianity or Judaism is. It is the people who take those religious beliefs and pervert them to their own cause. Islam cannot be characterized by the terrorists who attacked us any more than Christianity can be characterized by Fred Phelps.
Though this is my own personal reasoning, it seems a simple notion to me to just let people live as they choose, whether it involves their religion, their political beliefs, their sexuality, etc. What bothers me more than anything else is when people try to enforce their own beliefs on others, aside from your typical persuasive arguments, such as what occurs in modern day politics. No, it is the scare tactics, the "You're going to burn in hell," the "We'll pray for your soul," the "You will be eternally damned for not believing and accepting this" that angers me. (I apologize if this rhetoric seems to target only Christianity; that was not my intention, it's just that these were the first examples that came to mind.)
I am also of the opinion that religion should be solely a personal experience. Believe what you want to believe because it appeals to you, because it feels right, whether that means you're Christian, Jewish, Muslim, pagan, or atheist. Don't believe in something because you've been bullied or scared into it, or because you believe you'll be eternally damned if you don't follow a certain path. And most of all, don't try to force your beliefs on other people, especially when they're quite content with what they believe in. Correct me if I'm wrong, but last I knew, God doesn't give out brownie points or extra-shiny robes for the number of people you manage to convert.
Blessed Be.
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