Disorganized religion

Although I am a Christian and believe in God, I don't believe God and church are one and the same. Religion can be confusing because there are so many different ones. And everyone claims their religion is the correct one. 

For instance, you have Christianity, Buddhism, Jehovah’s Witness, Muslim, and Mormons. Between their books, neckties, and speeches, it’s a wonder anyone can sort them all out. If you attend a Christian church, they will say Catholics and Muslims are all on their way to eternal damnation. After listening to all of these sales pitches, I just want to tell them all to go to Hell.  

Different churches in my area send their minions out into the world to pass out their literature. Whenever I see them knocking on doors, I think about the flying monkeys from The Wizard of Oz. 

OH-EO! OH-EO!

It’s interesting what door-to-door sales hacks will try to unload on us. I have had people try to sell me magazines, cookies, frozen meat, vacuum cleaners, electricity, and salvation. I wonder how half these people would feel if I knocked on their doors while they were trying to eat dinner. 

Organized religion has proven to be the largest threat to mankind. Millions have either been killed or tortured in the name of someone’s religion. Does anyone remember Jim Jones and Jonestown? How about the American Revolution? Religion has spawned more disagreements, wars, and killings than anything else. People are still being killed and chastised over their religious beliefs.  

Let’s go back to September 11, 2001. No one who watched this tragedy unfold will ever forget what they saw. Many innocent Americans lost their lives in the attack. It comes down to them all dying because they weren’t Muslims. I am not a gambler, but I would bet none of these terrorists met with any virgins after they died. For centuries, people have used religion to command wealth, judge people to eternal damnation and spread their hate in the name of their God. 

In many Christian churches, the pastor will most likely tell you all gays and people who commit suicide are damned. Why? Because they preach God hates gays and the cowards who take their own lives. Of course, these self-serving men are God’s personal messengers. They even claim God speaks to them directly. 

Read the two quotes I have provided from two different former Christian superstars. Do either of these comments pass the smell test?  I am not an expert in biblical studies but I can detect hatred and greed.

"AIDS is the wrath of a just God against homosexuals. To oppose it would be like an Israelite jumping in the Red Sea to save one of Pharaoh's charioteers ... AIDS is not just God's punishment for homosexuals; it is God's punishment for the society that tolerates homosexuals."…Jerry Falwell

"I want you to use the ORU medical school to put my medical presence in the earth. I want you to get this going in one year or I will call you home. It will cost $8 million and I want you to believe you can raise it.”…Oral Roberts

Thankfully, Roberts received enough money to avoid having going to Heaven. What I don’t understand is why Roberts even wanted the money. If God said, “Look man, collect $8 million big ones or you have to leave this rotten Earth and come hang out with me in Heaven.” I wouldn’t have collected a damn penny. 

To strengthen our own Christian faith, my family and I visited a local church. After attending services for several months, we remembered why we disliked church. The pastor said women should stay home and not hold any leadership positions. I think the final straw came when he said Mother Teresa is burning in Hell if she died without choosing the correct savior. If Mother Teresa is burning in Hell, there's no way I am making it to Heaven.

I understand why people don’t go to church. Most people don’t want another imperfect human judging them. The Bible says not to judge others, but many preachers cannot avoid that scripture. I refuse to believe a “loving” God damns anyone based on their sexual orientation or appearance. I would like to believe people are judged individually and salvation isn’t so gray. 

I have nothing against Christianity or anyone who attends church. But if you prefer to worship Allah, Science, Jesus, or your dog, that’s okay by me. Since God didn’t appoint me as an official judge, I don’t judge anyone. I will leave the judging to the self-appointed righteous “men of God” who preach every Sunday. I prefer to exercise the religious freedoms given to me after the Revolutionary War and just stay home.