RELIGIOUSLY STUCK

IS BEING GOOD MORE IMPORTANT THAN BEING HAPPY? IS RELIGION THE DOORWAY TO A LIFE OF HAPPINESS WITH GOD & HIS ANGELS? & IF SO, ARE THERE CERTAIN STANDARDS THAT WE MUST MEET IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THIS? For all of us, life is full of uncertainties AND difficulties, and it ends in death; and EVERY religion claims to be the ONE that can provide certain rewards to us for being good. As a child I used to wonder why we do church RELIGIOUS every Sunday? I mean we go non-stop to achieve what? It seems that OUR GREATEST FEAR is that if we don’t participate in this ritual that somehow we would end in place that is NOT friendly OR good (talk about allowing hope to override the intellect). It is a SAFE bet to say that I am NOT religious NOR do I participate in ORGANIZE RELIGION. GUESS YOU CAN SAY THAT I AM HEATHEN…one of those persons that isn’t a follower. However, being who I am, I realized that criticizing religion isn’t enough. I needed to understand why religion becomes an integral part of a person's life and it doesn't cease to be so when it can cause HATRED, IGNORANCE and MISUNDERSTANDINGS. It is a known FACT that NO religion ACCEPTS us as the person we know ourselves to be. Rather, we are told that we are INADEQUATE, UNSATISFACTORY and HELPLESS. It is MY feeling that those who feel this way also construct a fantasy about how they are SUPERIOR to those who do NOT share this view. I thank God that I am NOT one those persons that is living life without really being present. HOW COULD I DO MYSELF SUCH AN INJUSTICE? The crazy thing is that they KNOW the TRUTH yet they act as if they are somewhat caught up in a trans. The other day I was chatting with this GAY pastor (go figure…right?), and he told me that he feels so betrayed on both end of the spectrum when does the ANTI-GAY sermon because he knows that he does NOT fully believe what he is saying. In return he told me that it almost seem as if the congregation is waiting for him to hit this topic with vigor AND disgust that it seems to me that we have a situation of ignorance feeding ignorance. This CLEARLY a situation where society has become SO use to the words used that they are NOT hearing them anymore. I guess it is TOO much to listen with innocence AND ask questions when it is SO obvious that something is rotten within the confines of the church…SO CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHEN IS THE DAY GONNA COME WHEN WE STOP CONSULTING THE GREAT BOOK OF FAIRY TALES (the bible) & DO AWAY WITH RELIGIOUS BIGOTRY? IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THEY ARE EASILY MISSING THE FUTURE BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO BUSY BEING STUCK…SO HOW CAN WE CHANGE THIS? BETTER YET IS IT POSSIBLE? I THINK SO & I BELIEVE THAT THE FIRST STEP IS TO PRAY WITH (NOT FOR) EACH OTHER. THIS WILL GET THOSE THAT ARE HURTING RELIGIOUSLY TO FACE THE CHALLENGES FAR GREATER THAN THEMSELVES…WE NEED TO LOVE & TRULY TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER. AFTER ALL WE ARE ALL CHILDREN OF GOD: CREATED BY LOVE, IN LOVE, WITH LOVE & FOR LOVE…SO UNTIL WE SEE OURSELVES WITHOUT SELF-PITY, WE WON’T HAVE A FEELING THAT WE ARE @ A PLACE WHERE GOD TRULY EXISTS…& THAT’S A FACT!