Normally I wouldn't complain, cuz people take those God and Jesus fellas pretty seriously, but I've found that I must get something off my chest. You see, at my job, there are several vociferous co-workers there who seem to think that I could solve a lot of my problems with a jump on to the Christian band wagon. Baptist even. The Bible, it is implied, is the one book missing from my library. When I make the polite shoulder shrug, these people laugh and say I'll come around- then they'll point out that..Gosh, I'm so smart and I've got so much I could contribute. Well, here's the deal. I am not religious. I have some key problems with religion. For example - faith. Now I understand the concept of faith. The problem is, it can't really be applied to your daily life in anything but small doses, because as Webster's points out, faith is belief that is not based on proof. Faith is also defined as "in truth" or the trust in God and in His promises as made through Christ and the Scriptures by which humans are justified or saved. Kind of strange huh? If we go with the definition I picked out, and then take a head nod at "in truth" then trust is asking a lot isn't it? Don't get me wrong, my personal issues with commitment aren't the only thing holding me back. I'm also dubious of any text that people tell me preaches love and understanding, but then encourages the people who tell me these things to form groups to support anti gay, abortion, or racial harmony movements. Sure, some will be quick to point out that a group can't speak for a whole movement, but then we start drawing political parallels don't we?
At my work though, there are people who wish for me to have a blessed day. This vexes me. It's also an indication of the problem here. You could get me to concede that the universe may have been created by something god-like. I don't have much of a problem with this, it's got a good beat and I can dance to it. But then there are people who want me to believe that, not only did this God create the universe, he then rushed along and created Earth and took this big vested interest in events here. A little egotistical of man, but then man is the instrument of God. Ok. Then when The Bible was created. I'm ok with this. I like books. The Bible even has some ideas in there that seem like good sense to me. I probably shouldn't covet my neighbor's wife. Right on, sounds like good advice. Except that there are people who say it is not advice. I need to listen or I will go to Hell. But what if I already have a sound moral compass? My Mother and Father, despite any other mistakes were pretty quick to hand me one, and they never dangled Eternal Damnation over my head if I didn't snap to. They were progressive like that. But you know what really gets me? The people at work telling me I need to get religious fast, are the same people who take everything the bible says at literal value.
Wow.
It's not ok for me to draw a correlation between the creation of Adam and Eve and actual Evolution ( Eh, we capitalize Bible a lot). It offends these people when I imply maybe the whole "made from mud and clay" bit might somehow be metaphorical. I mean when someone says "A mighty fortress is our God", he doesn't just start making clacking noises and transform into Ft. Knox does he? I hope not. That's off putting. Some of my co-workers also tell me that they would embrace science if it could explain things....Like reproduction. They don't wanna hear any noise about Fallopian tubes either. Go figure. But the thing that really sticks in my craw, is where they imply my life will improve if I just start praying. So here's the deal. You know why something improved for you when you prayed on that job interview the night before? You used your own skills, your own intelligence, and your *own* initiative to get it done. That's not God people. That's you. But my co-workers are comforted by this idea. Which I guess will make it easier if they ever need to grieve because it wasn't really the drunk driver's fault, it was "God's plan." Which sometimes gives me this mental picture of God and the Devil playing "Go Fish".
"Got any 7's ? "
I'm not saying my life is great, but shouldn't I work on it for me, before I resort to asking deities for help? God's supposed to help those who help themselves?
Please not that most of your "fringe" religions don't bother me at all. I guess cuz they are on the fringe. Also, Mormon's are surprisingly unassuming, and like super polite. No, really. Hare Krishnas are ok too. THAT's mainly just lip service though. But seriously. I don't want to piss off any group that voluntarily sings and visits airports all day.
Have a decent day people.
