None of these things have anything to do with the actual religions.
I have to admit I was like this once. I use to bash Catholicism because I got so disenchanted with it. I use to say that the Bible degrades women, bringing us to a lower level. That I can't associate with a religion who's clergy abuses children. I would be appalled by the church's use of its money, building yet another bigger house for the priest or buying a high tech moving light up sign instead of feeding the poor. The corrupt clergy of the past and present pulling scheme after scheme to get money for themselves. The priests who boycott funerals, condemning homosexuals saying "Matthew Shepard deserved to die a horrible death" or the ones that say people deserve natural disasters like in Haiti. The Crusades were the worst, they turned me off the most. I just couldn't believe how the church manipulated its people into fighting a war like that. It was disgusting.
It took me up until 2 years ago when studying Islam to realize none of these things are the fault of the religion. I was afraid of Islam like most Westerners. All we hear about is how the war is in Afghanistan and what the Taliban does. I thought these wars were part of the religion. I thought hatred for women was part of the religion. I thought Muhammad condoned these things. Then I came to learn it is one small group that does these things. One group. And most muslims do not even consider these people, these Wahabis, muslims.
When you get disenchanted its hard to see through all the red tape, all the hurt you've been through. You've been jaded and all you see is the scars that have been left from years and years of looking at your own religion without rose colored glasses. Its painful to be sure and understandable when one holds a grudge. But we have to remember that these things are not part of the religion. They are the fault of humanity. It is humanity that is corrupt, dishonest, and manipulative. Not religion. That is the problem and the blessing of organized religions: they involve humanity and all the interpretations that come with it.
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Preach it, sister! :) Seriously, if people were able to separate people from religious teachings, I think everyone would be so much better off.
ReplyDeleteIts true. But since organized religion was developed by humans its kind of hard to do that lol
ReplyDeleteI once asked an apostate from Islam why she liked to bash Islam so much. She had become a friend and was actually quite nice otherwise but mention anything about Islam and she'd explode. She left nasty comments even on my blog if I praised a verse from the Quran or mentioned a nice hadith.
ReplyDeleteHer reply was that she spent her whole life revolving around Islam and it's teachings and now that she doesn't believe Islam is from God, she wants a) others to know and b) she wants to justify it to herself why she left Islam.
I think most do the latter so it is understandable - it is done to make yourself happy and content with your decision.
I'd say "verses that bring women down" have something to do with the actual religions!
ReplyDeleteI don't feel that religions are beyond criticism, and like any other system of thought, I feel we have to have the chance to criticise things we don't think are good. God knows I'd be in a bad place if I hadn't been able to do that.
It's important to distinguish between a religious community and the religious teachings itself, I agree, but I don't think there's anything wrong with someone saying they are put off the religion by the community. Bad stuff in the community can make it not worth it for some people to follow the religion.
"It is humanity that is corrupt, dishonest, and manipulative. Not religion."
If religion is a product of human thought though, then it can potentially be all these things. If it came down from God, then it shouldn't be - but not everyone is going to assume that and give it the respect that religious people might think it deserves.
But we must respect all people and not demonise them because of their religion or lack of it.
"That is the problem and the blessing of organized religions: they involve humanity and all the interpretations that come with it."
ReplyDeleteYep, you hit the nail on the head. We interpret religious texts to suit our own beliefs - this is, as you said, beneficial and problematic.
I think, as Sarah said, that it's important to be able to investigate and be critical of one's own religion though. After all, I think that shows that the person really cares and wants to understand their religion. But I definitely agree with you in that there are huge differences between the "ideal" form of a religion and how adherents practice.
Actually I agree with WWR’s opinion. And I know what you mean as well, LK. Just two years ago I was writing like you - http://achelois.wordpress.com/2007/05/20/underlining-womanhood-in-islam-the-myth-created-by-men/
ReplyDeleteA particular point I’d highlight from that post is “I can turn blue in the face explaining that Islam does not promote suicide bombing to secure 72 houris; that there will be no 72 houris; that killing an innocent soul equals killing all of humanity under Islam, but those who have lost dear ones when some lunatic Muslim blew himself will not believe me.”
I honestly believed that the cause is “humanity”, that all religions came down from God in perfect form and we, humans, destroyed their perfection. I was religion-focused and bent over backwards to clear its name.
I now believe only God is perfect. Religions are not. He may inspire certain individuals, but he does not sit and create religions, pack them into boxes with manuals, and get Gabriel to deliver His parcel to His prophets.
Achelois: No I agree man created what we have as religion. I do think God gave us guidelines but religion is ultimately created by human beings.
ReplyDeleteTo all:
However, I see no benefit in publicly slandering a religion especially if your reasonings have nothing to do with the actual religion but instead have to do with human behavior. I get it if a person got hurt by their birth religion, i sure did. Both for reasons in the religion and in the community. But I don't believe that God gave us any of those reasons in the religion that I have an issue with. They all turned out to be human interpretation. At least to me. Some believe they are from God and are fact. Its a very fine line.
But I don't go on Christian blogs and bash Christianity. I don't bash it here either. Its not benifical to anyone! It just promotes hatred when we should want peace. I get it if someone hurts but then go talk to a psychologist, don't slander a religion all over the place. I spend a lot of time defending Christianity to my muslim friends because they think practices allowed in the West are also allowed in Christianity. I even spend time defending it to friends who have chosen to leave it! Simply because I do not think it is right to bash a religion and make it the enemy. It doesn't do anyone any good.