Journal Entry # 169
August 24th, 2010
My goal is to build bridges between diversity. Unfortunately so many want to build walls. How does this help us? I realize that I cannot or will not change anyone they can only do that themselves. What I am trying to do is talk and question and get humanity to a point where we can focus on the best of what we have to offer not the worst.
My dilemma is this I see many good meaning people who believe in their god who are bound by the rules of their religion. While it is also my goal to have humanity live by reason and science as well as dreaming and faith but not things that are harmful. When you are bound by the rules of your god you must follow the holy book and the holy books don’t always do the nice things you want them to. Ok let me be blunt there are very nasty ideals and laws in most holy books. So how do we reconcile this? If you are about love and caring then why do you need god to show this?
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHpiXmPWPwk&feature=player_embedded
Neighbourhood comes together and kicks out religious haters.
In my opinion religion will cause good people to do things they would otherwise never consider. You can see this in the example of the above video. This is however tame to what can really happen. All you have to do is read the news any time and you will see the results of this concept.
It will justify people saying silly things like this; WHOA!! God IS a true living God and the bible is the truth!! Enough said.
I was having a great conversation on religious ideals when this person jumped in with this comment.
When you deal with verses that promote terrible things like slavery, bigotry and war to say the least how can you reconcile this with the love that you feel your god represents?
2 Kings 2:23-24
23 From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some youths came out of the town and jeered at him. “Go on up, you baldhead!” they said. “Go on up, you baldhead!” 24 He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths.
Exodus 2:11-12
11 One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. 12 Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
Koran
2:190-193 Fight in the cause of God, those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for God loveth not transgressors. And slay them wherever ye catch them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out: For tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter; But fight them not at the sacred Mosque unless they first fight you there; But if they fight you, Slay them. Such is the reward of those who suppress faith. But if they cease, God is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. And fight them on until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice and faith in God; but if they cease, Let there be no hostility except to those who practise oppression.”
Ok I have just put in a couple of versus but there are more than you want to know that deal with terrible things that most people in their right mind would not consider doing.
Here is what I don’t understand. If you are not going to follow the Holy book literally that means you are disobeying your god and rightly so. If you are willing to make your own moral decisions by doing this then why not take that leap and realize that your god is not a god and is not necessary. Which means he is probably not real? I get it then you will have no wonderful place to go when you die but that is probably the truth whether you like it or not.
Seek the truth always
Gary David Currie
