Faith or Peer Pressure?

One of my former bosses was the 'sex drugs and rock & roll' type, until he found religion in his thirties.  He now goes to church every Sunday and is a leader at his chapel.

My sister in law became an atheist in her twenties, and decided growing up in the church was a waste of youth.

And you know what?  Whether I agree with their views or not, I have more respect for them (and those like them) than those that are born-and-raised Baptists/Hippies/Buddhists/etc.

Why?  Because they made a decision as an adult.  One that was informed and thought-out.  They matured on one path and decided it wasn't for them.

Now I know a lot of you have had your own religious Rumspringa and feel like you've weighed all options.  If you have, I'm not really talking to you.

I'm talking to the people who say "I'm a Mormon because my parents are Mormon" and that's good enough for them, like my example below.

This post started from a new video from Big Think, involving Bill Nye the Science Guy:

I'm a 90's kid and grew up watching Bill in High School Biology.  (BILL!  BILL!)  In this video he talks about parents not raising their kids to be creationists.

While I see the validity of his argument, I'd like to disagree with you, Mr. Nye.

The Flying Spaghetti Monster

Parents, take a part of Bill's advice.  Don't raise your kids to be Creationists.  But don't raise your kids to be Atheists either.

Don't raise your kids to be Pastafarians.

Don't raise your kids to be Mormon.

Don't raise your kids to be Democrats.

Don't raise your kids to BE anything, but an open-minded thinker who sees ALL SIDES of an argument and makes a rational decision on their own.  Faith isn't something to be rushed into, just like a three-year-old's decision on a career path isn't set in stone.

As we mature, our views on the world, on religion, and on BIG IDEAS should mature as well.  We shouldn't be programmed at a young age to think "...and that's the way it is..." about anything.

ANYTHING.

Parents, don't raise your kids with limits.  With boundaries.  With disadvantages.

This sign says it perfectly.  When we begin to think for ourselves and question everything we see, we begin to get answers that make sense to us.

If I was content on the views that were spoon-fed to me by my parents, I'd be a Jehovah's Witness that only votes Democrat (regardless of issue or candidate), smokes cigarettes, smokes pot and hates Mexicans.

That doesn't sound very fun, does it?

So.  Adults.  Sit down.  Look at who you are.  Is this who you are, or who your parents raised you to be?

The answer can be both, but if 'B' is your only choice, it's time to do some self-evaluation.

When I was working at an Idaho car lot, I had a Mormon friend I would hang with.  We'd go to the bar once a week after work (Jack Mormon, so he drank) and the topic eventually turned to faith.

Him:  So, what religion are you?

Me:  I'm not.

Him:  So you're an Atheist?

Me:  No, they're a religion too.  I have a belief in a higher power, something beyond our comprehension, I just see the major religions out there as corrupt and misleading.  I don't believe, in one way or another, that we have all the answers.  Most religions think they do, and know how everything is and was and will be.  I think that's really cocky on their part...

Him:  ....

Me:  So, why are you Mormon?  You drink, you swear... do you believe in the Mormon teachings?

Him: (without hesitation)  Absolutely.

Me:  So why do you drink beer?

Him:  Because I think that's ok, even though the church says otherwise.

Me:  Are your parents Mormon?

Him:  Yeah...

Me:  Is that why YOU are Mormon?

Him:  *Silence*

Six months later we met again, and he told me I was right.  He was going to church because he felt he had to.  He left the LDS church and was going to think and study about what faith means to him (if anything).

He was 'believing' for all the wrong reasons.

And there are a lot of people out there, just like him.

No matter what you believe: religious, political, etc.  If you came to those decisions on your own, I salute you.  You are the few, the proud, the lemmings that survive instead of run off the cliff because the person in front of you did.

Your move, Bill.  While I agree with what you are saying, I think you're leaving things just like the creationists:  In a little box of "...and that's the way it is..."

And on the 7th Day, Idaho Rested

I have lived in some interesting places before, but I haven't lived anywhere so deeply rooted in their faith as Idaho.

Granted, there are different faiths up here, but one thing is common for most of them.  Sunday is holy, therefore it's time to close up shop.

Happy Ash Wednesday, btw, to my Catholic friends.  What did you give up for Lent?  Not blogging I hope...

To all the non-biscuit eaters, happy Wednesday.  More specifically, happy hangover day to the Fat Tuesday crowd.

The majority of this area is deeply religious.  Whether LDS, Christian, or any branchoff from there, almost everything gets closed down on Sunday while people go to church.

Genesis 2:2 says "On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work." Therefore we must as well, apparently.

Now, I have a faith, in a way, but I'm not a church goer.  I have been to churches in the past, and bounced from catholicism to christianity, to Jehovah's witnesses, and dabbled a bit.  They're all basically the same, just each branchoff focuses on certain tenets of the bible while ignoring other parts.

I look at it all from a logical standpoint, see the contradictions and the absurdities, read the bible as a reference and not the black-and-white end all be all, and therefore I am "an evil free thinker" in the eyes of many.

I use Sunday to get things done.  Yardwork, chores, shopping, etc.  I catch up on Sundays.  In this town, it's severely frowned-upon.  If I'm mowing the lawn, I get glared at.  If I'm about town and not dressed in my Sunday finest, people keep their distance.  It's actually a little funny.

The closest thing to compare is when I lived in Loma Linda, California.  It was primarily a '7th Day Adventist' town, so it was like this, only Saturday.  Yes, the mail was even delivered on Sunday, not Saturday.  WTF??

A lot of people in this town have the mentality of "This is what I believe, therefore most everyone should believe the same."  Unless you're on one side or the other on the mormon-fence, than it's slightly different.  But still, if people ask me "Are you LDS?" and I say no, they sometimes follow it up with "Ok, what church do you go to in town?"  Um... I have yet to come up with a snappy response for this, so help me out people.

I try not to live a closed minded life.  I want to look at everything from all angles; religion, politics, culture, and make my own decision from there.  Is that so bad?  When I see something that amuses me, I'll crack a joke about it, but at the same time I'll respect your right to practice your own belief system.

In other words, my Mormon friends, just because I don't believe the things you do, and just because some of the things mentioned in your book make me really confused, it doesn't mean that I don't respect your family-centric values, and the good upright life you're trying to lead.

I just have one rule.  Don't press your beliefs on me, and don't belittle me because my practices don't align with yours.  I won't pressure you, and you don't pressure me.  Mutual respect... 

"Oh he doesn't believe what I do, therefore I MUST EDUCATE HIM!" doesn't work for me.  Especially when you're a naive girl in your low 20's who "felt soooo sorry for me" once she learned I was divorced.  Um, it was by choice sister... and it's a good thing.   I promise....

Or else I'll post something like this, just for the pleasure of getting under your skin.

By the way, none of this 'mutual respect' I am talking about applies to the members of the Westboro Baptist Church.  You people are just plain crazy....   Have a great Wednesday everyone!  

Edit:  Ok, within the course of an hour I have received a LOT of angry emails from people.  Apparently I'm allowed to poke fun of mormons all I want, but if I pick on some of the larger 'mainstream' religions I'm evil?

Yeah, that makes perfect sense.  About as much sense as someone who has read ANY of the New Testament using any sentence that starts with "God hates...."

I do not abhor religion.  I abhor the people that use religion as a shield, as a crutch, as an answer to all questions they don't know or refuse to learn about.

If you are praying that you get the job, I have news for you.  About half of the other applicants are probably doing the same thing.  This isn't 'Prayer Idol' with Ryan Seacrest tallying up the prayer-votes to see who wins.  If a higher power does indeed exist, he isn't making sure you brush your teeth every morning.  He didn't make you stub your toe on the chair.  He didn't make your car stall this morning.  

Your goldfish didn't die because God willed it, Timmy.  He died because you didn't feed him...

I admire a few things about religion.  It helped control society by giving people a set of rules to guide their life.  It teaches us to be good people.  It helped progress human culture in a lot of positive ways.  But there are a lot of bad things about religion too.  Wars, for example.  God is always on your side, yet, the other side believes the same thing.  Does God really want you to slaughter your fellow man?  And for what?  Oil?  Land?  Political power?  Really?

Substitute the word "God" for any higher deity.  No matter what you call Him, the principles stay the same.

Followers, I like you all.  But I don't like you because you are XYZ religion.  I like you for who you are as a person.  Does your belief system influence who you are?  Absolutely.  But your belief system isn't the definition of who you are.  In my eyes, you are not a Christian.  You are not a Muslim.  You are not an Atheist.  You are not a pastafarian.  You are a man.  You are a woman.  You are a friend.  If that is too much for you to fathom, I am sorry.