As time goes by I find myself falling farther and farther away from the position on religion I used to have. I used to see it as ones own personal search for enlightenment, and for the most part I still do, but at the same time as I continue to question everything, despite having converted out of Christianity, it just keeps crumbling away for me. Recently Dan Savage was chastised for his criticism of people who use the bible to justify their hate. He referenced a long list of things that the bible used to promote or require but that have become generally ignored in the face of modern culture. Things like slavery, stoning women who aren't virgins, menstruation, and masturbation. The bible's content on all of those things is ridiculous and it started me thinking about the bible itself. Christianity bases itself off the teachings of Jesus Christ but the problem is, Jesus didn't record anything he taught. The bible is a collection of writings from a large assortment of people that was assembled 300 to 400 years after Jesus's death by a group who obviously had never even met any of the writers. This is beyond 2nd hand information. It is centuries beyond 2nd hand information. Now, Jesus may have been what he said he was, I can't prove that wrong, and nobody can prove it right, but honestly, it just sounds like he was a crazy cult leader who struck gold and his idea took off and running and is still living strong 2000 years later. I still see the pursuit of spirituality as very strong and worthwhile and honor those who truly do pursue that spirituality but out of every 100 people I meet who say they are religious, maybe 5 or 6 are constantly questioning and searching. The rest were born into their religion, have lived it their entire lives in it and won't dare question anything that was pounded into their heads as children.
It is sad. I love the search for knowledge. I wish everyone did.
Question everything.
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