I do believe that there is some sort of benevolent presence that's on a completely different level of existence than we are. I think all forms of organized religion were created by ancient cultures as a way to explain to themselves why we are. I think everyone is praying to the same God, Gods, what have you.
"Blasphemy!" some people might be thinking...

Eh.. Not really. I grew up in a very religious household, very old school Roman Catholic. I was raised to believe in JC and the boys, but as I grew older and went to college and learned about religion and personal spirituality, I realized that I really didn't believe in everything I was taught. Hellfire and brimstone don't really do it for me anymore.

I'm probably going to piss a lot of people off with this little rant, but bear with me. My cousin is a devout Southern Baptist who believes that all those who aren't like her are going to burn in hell. A very very close relative of mine is gay. The thought that their genuine love for a person of the same sex will send them to hell is really just too ridiculous to take seriously. Why would God make them gay if it meant they would go to hell? Anyway.. I'm going off on another tangent entirely now..
I understand that she's probably a poor example to use, but there you have it. She insists that the human race is not descended from primate-like beings. Homo-habilus and all do not exist for her. Creationism scares me as a former archaeology major. God (whomever it/she/he may be) started it all somehow, but we didn't wake up one day looking like humans do now. I can't buy that.


So instead of answering your questions, Larry Doll, I'm going to answer my own way and tell you what I don't believe instead of what I do believe in...


I don't believe that Gays and Jews are going to hell if they don't repent and acknowlege Christ as their savior.

I don't believe that women should remain silent in church.

I don't think that sex is dirty and/or shameful. That doesn't mean I think that promiscuity is cool, either. STD's are a serious problem, and probably were way back when the Bible was written. Was casting sex as "fornication" to make it a dirty and sinful thing to prevent the spread of disease? Probably. Probably simliar to why the Jews had/have such strict dietary laws.

I don't believe in the concept of Original Sin. Babies born through a sinful act need to be baptised because of the nature of that act?! OK, the Bible was written thousands of years ago. Different world entirely, right? They were probably trying to find ways to make women feel better about infant mortality rates or something... But Original Sin? Is it the price Man had to pay because Christ was born through an Immaculate Conception? That's quite a concept. I'm impressed if you really take this to heart. Maybe I'm too cynical or something but..wow. Here's one for you... Does a baby who's parents got preggers via invitro fertilization instead of the old fashioned way still need to be baptised in order to be cleansed of Original Sin? Or is it just in the nature of Man to have Sin?

I don't believe in promoting abstinence and "family planning" as a way to lower the # of unplanned pregnancies in the world. Do you know what they call people who use the "Rhythm Method"? PARENTS. Birth Control is a necessity for young women these days. AND it doesn't mean they're going to go out and start screwing everything that walks/isn't nailed down just because they're on the Pill.

I don't trust the priests of the Catholic Church, nor do I trust the Church as an entity. More like la Cosa Nostra (or whatever) with their cover ups and the destruction of lives all over the country. One of the priests being investigated right now lived in my home town! There are allegations that he may have even killed a little boy years ago. Scary. Give me one good reason to trust them again. One. Other than Jesus Christ.

And finally...
I believe in evolution!

Ok, now that I've vented, I have something else to say. (almost done- keep your pants on)
I think that organized religion is important for kids and can be healthy. However, some folks take it to an extreme and try to force their views and way of life on others. People usually try to be civil here, don't they? I try to respect other peoples' opinions and beliefs. I get really pissed off when the government tries to work Christianity into public policy. Whatever happened to the separation of church and state? Ashcroft and Bush and those guys are looking like fascists to me lately. The Mayflower? First Amendment? Coelacanth? Found off the coast of Madagascar?
sorry...

I have to be honest, this whole FCC censorship thing and the gay marriage things have really been upsetting lately, which is why I sort of vented all of that stuff above.
Sorry for bugging you guys with my venting and bitching.

I guess what I really wanted to say is live and let live.


Thanks, though. I needed that.



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