MY VIEWS ON RELIGION (CHALLENGE: DAY 4)

I've found myself talking about topics I normally wouldn't address on my blog in this 30 Day Challenge. I'm not one to feel the need to express my views on such personal things as religion, politics or people's lifestyle choices in real life. As such, I hope you will take my beliefs here in the manner that they are intended, that is, I am merely sharing where I stand now because the challenge asks me to. I am not telling anyone who thinks differently to me that they are wrong, as I don't believe anyone on this earth is qualified to judge whose beliefs are right and wrong.

Today's challenge is to discuss my views on religion. Religion is a word that carries a lot of meanings and connotations, isn't it? I differentiate religion and organised religion because I believe you can have a set of beliefs that guide your life (your "religion") without being a member of an organised religious group. 

I find it very difficult to feel part of a group that holds certain beliefs that they won't change unless a majority of that group agrees they should. I generally feel it is far better to try to understand than to judge and often I feel that these organisations tend to come across as being judgemental. Some of these judgements I don't feel comfortable with and hence I can't say that I subscribe to their "religion", their interpretation of the bible (or other religious texts). This might explain why there are many different churches around that you can join or not join depending on what you believe.

I truly believe the bible to be one of the best guides to life ever written. Personally, I don't think it was meant to be taken literally. For instance, I take "God" to be a metaphor for a state of being. That is, God is wisdom, compassion, love, etc.

I haven't had a lot of exposure to other religions but I am sure their texts are similarly enlightening. I believe Jesus is no more divine or perfect than you or I have the potential to be. And I think Jesus Christ might have believed that too.

My approach to life is to do my best to make the world a better place. I love people even when it's hard to; I try to be compassionate and not judge people. I don't think I need to be a member of an organised religion to do be the person that the great teachers Buddha, Muhammed, Jesus etc told me I could be. This pretty much sums it up for me: