Religion, Faith, Charity, and Love

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
-The US Constitution

Religion is a touchy subject.  It encompasses the innerworkings of someone's heart, their emotions and answers to many unanswerable questions.  Religion motivates, for good, for bad...it is one of the most driving forces in humanity and we cannot dismiss its power and its necessity.  
Religion is personal, but at the same time communal and people who feel strongly want to share that feeling in a positive manner (most of the time) so others can feel as full or as useful as they do....

I do not dislike religion.  I respect it...but I respect all religions not just my own personal beliefs.  When we sardonically dismiss another faith we do a disservice to ourselves and the other person.  I understand the difficulty to respect another faith, especially one that seems counter to one's own... but when we dismiss someone else's emotional and spiritual well being, we begin to corner ourselves in a superiority that is unfounded.  

In every single faith I've studied on an academic level (which kind of removes you from the faith and has you look at it without bias...0r it should), there are good things and bad things in all of them.  Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Eastern Philosophy, Paganism, Deism, and even Atheism to an extent all say amazingly beautiful things and all at the same time can be violent and harsh.  We cannot point out one religion's flaws without acknowledging another's.  

After the disruptions of the 16th and 17th centuries...after the violence and the killing in the name of God... men began to at least acknowledge that pressing faith on populations did not always work (not all men sadly, but some).  With the creation of a new nation in the United States these men (who all had different views on faith) came together to create a nation where a citizen could believe what they wanted...even if that meant believing nothing.  They wrote laws, wrote in their journals, gave speeches... that emphasized that kind of freedom that was new and innovative and true.  I admire that tenacity and courage... today more than I ever have before.  

I think we forget sometimes that freedom of speech and religion means for everyone in the United States...even if that speech is in disagreement with your own.  I believe one thing, you may believe another... but I have no right under our laws to press my belief on you.  If am against working on Sundays...then I dont work on Sundays...I don't tell you that you cannot.  If I believe in contrast...the Sabbath is on Saturday...then I celebrate the Sabbath on Saturday... I don't force that you.  And if I believe that a woman has a right to choose... thats not me telling you that you have to believe that, but you cant tell me that I don't have that right based off of what you believe.  THAT IS HARD.  IT is hard because we think we are right, and we have our faith backing us... and to have another person not believe that... means they are wrong.  So to fix that, in this country... we each have our own conscious to be our guide.  

I believe that God doesnt care if a man and another man love each other.  I think in the end LOVE is the goal.  Love is one of the most mystical and amazing things in all of creation... and love can be hard too...  How do you love someone who stands for everything you disagree with?  But thats the goal.  NO one ever said following a faith is easy... no one ever said it should just feel seemless...its a struggle. 

I get really angry when people hate...its a major struggle for me.  One, I get mad when I see intolerance of any kind... women being oppressed for their gender, people denied rights because of their sexual orientation, color, creed... even faith.  There are different faiths suppressed all over the world...people still being killed for who they believe in...Jews, Muslims, Christians...and others.  I don't want to go backwards.  I would rather see more respect and tolerance, acceptance that there are other ways out there and to understand that just because I think my way is right...doesn't mean there isn't room for another.  

Thanks.

And today in history