Religion- Chapter 1.

 I have been thinking about trying to do some posts about religion, about my views, and religion in the news, etc.  I will get to them sometime, and will always comment on dumb things like the court clerk who doesn't want to issue marriage licenses to gay couples (after getting divorced several times herself.)  There's just too much to talk about, but I have to start somewhere.  So here goes.

Some people say "you can't have morals without religion."  There's a Penn Jillette quote:

 "The question I get asked by religious people all the time is, without God, what’s to stop me from raping all I want? And my answer is: I do rape all I want. And the amount I want is zero. And I do murder all I want, and the amount I want is zero. The fact that these people think that if they didn’t have this person watching over them that they would go on killing, raping rampages is the most self-damning thing I can imagine. "

Look- if it takes religion to make you be a decent person, then by definition you aren't a decent person to begin with.  If you need someone to tell you what to do, well, as an adult, at least, you are not a decent person.  I'm not saying religious people aren't moral, or that there aren't good lessons to be taken from religions.  But if you need the threat of hell, or some higher authority, to keep you from doing bad things, that's an admission about yourself.  You're saying you believe yourself to be a bad person.  (You're implying that you think everyone is.) You don't think you can control your emotions or actions without some exterior force restraining you.  That's sad, and scary. It's saying how weak you are.  You're saying you would kill or steal or rape without your religious guidelines and beliefs.  Which makes you a shitty person.  I hope that's not true about you.  I know it's not true about me.   Most of us don't need fear, or rules from authority, to be decent people.  And if you need them, cool, use them!  Please!  But don't insist that I need them too, or that I must follow your particular sect's rules or else I'm immoral.  I'm not.  Well, not any more than most people.  I mean, I break the speed limit often.  I have stolen, and lied, and failed to do things I should have done (which is often as bad as actively doing things I shouldn't.)  But I'm a pretty decent person.  And hey, most people are, and most religious people are.  But there are a lot of loudly religious, self-righteous people who turn out to have done some pretty shitty things.  Which says to me that religion does not give you morals, either. 

The beliefs I have, the morals I have, are a result of how I was raised and of my life experiences.  I have been to lots of churches, read the Bible and other religious texts, done a lot of thinking and talking and living.  I know how to live properly, for me.  You have come to your morals and beliefs in pretty much the same way, believe it or not.  And you should live properly for you.  Just don't expect me to rigidly follow your rules.  In fact, don't expect any of the rest of us to follow your rules.  We live in the United States of America, which is not a theocracy (thank God!) and not a "Christian nation."  Go back and study your history a bit until you understand that.

Your religion applies to you.  That's it.  Don't try to apply it to the rest of us.  You'll be lucky to get your family to follow along (let me know how that goes.)  And if you think your religion applies to society, to the country as a whole, think again.  I'll be as clear as I can: Your religion does not apply to me.  No matter what yours is- Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, whatever.  No matter what mine is.  Your religion applies to you.  Not to me.  Live your religion, practice it.  Go for it- revel in your traditions and culture and beliefs, and what you will and won't do.  I think that's great (and wish more people would actually actively follow their religion's rules rather than just pay lip service.)  I respect your right to your beliefs.  But I don't think anybody should (or should want to) use their religion to deny someone else a marriage license, or birth control, or to refuse to make a cake, or to withhold medical treatment, just because they disagree with them, or dislike them, or think they're sinners, or however else you phrase your beliefs.  I think Christians in particular have a very good example of how to love one another, how to treat one another, to not judge, and to help others.  The way some "Christians" act today, refusing to do some of the things I listed above, is disgusting.  They tend to be fundamentalists, and apparently feel that they are allowed to judge, and that they are above blame, and that others should follow the rules as they interpret them.  Religion should be used to increase love, rather than hate.  I am very disappointed in people of any faith who refuse to treat others as human beings.