What is your religion?
Such a simple, complex question, full of oxymorons, double standards, and confusion.
Let’s reword the question:
“What commonly accepted term would you use to describe your beliefs about EVERYTHING in the entire universe, what is moral or immoral, and what your responsibilities to society are?” Holy crap. Suddenly the simple, prefabricated answer that I had in my mind is wiped out, and I just freeze. One word? I could write a novel on this topic.
Religion is such a broad idea- ones religion commonly justifies an individual’s belief about everything, but for others, religion justifies nothing. Some people classify both cases as being “religious”, others classify only the first as “religious”. I don’t believe in God in the traditional sense, but I do believe in a higher power that created us. I don’t use the presumed existence or lack thereof of the higher power to influence my life decisions. Am I religious? Non-religious? Spiritual?
There’s no real answer. I can’t use one word to describe my religious belief, but all too often others try to do the same. If you inform me that you happen to be Baptist, this doesn’t tell me too much. In my mind, I form a picture of a person who does not dance, use vulgar words, have premarital sex, and gives 10% of all earnings to a church. However, I have yet to meet a Baptist who falls into this pre-determined set of rules imposed upon Baptists. The same goes for Catholics, Muslims, Buddhists, etc, yet we continue to put so much judgment on others just because of the word that they claim describes their religion.
SO…what is MY religion? Well, it’s complicated.
Cheers,
LQ
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