The problem with religion is people.
The problem with religion takes place when people try to make religious laws into secular laws.
There wouldn't be a problem with religion if people did not try to enforce their religious beliefs by converting their beliefs into secular laws that apply to everyone and not just themself.
If people were to just demand only of themselves that they follow the religious teachings they claim to believe in and never were to try to force their religious beliefs and laws onto anyone else, there would not be a problem.
This is what is meant by and is the foundation of the separation of church and state.
Secular laws should not have anything to do with eternal salvation. Secular laws should exist only so people do not do unto others as they wouldn't want others to do unto them.
No one wants to be murdered, raped or robbed. That is why secular laws against murder, rape and robbery exist and are endorsed even by people who do not have any religious beliefs.
But even within the United States which proclaims to keep separate religious laws from secular laws, we see where this separation is often lacking.
Simple examples include laws against abortion and most laws that have anything to do with consensual sex.
One can come up with many arguments as to why no one should become a prostitute but one can also come up with many arguments as to why becoming an undercover cop is not a great job choice. Both undercover cops and prostitutes face many on the job dangers.
If you want to see examples of how horrible it can be to live in a country where religious laws are enforced with secular laws, you only need to look at countries where Islam is the dominant religion.
Take Saudi Arabia as a prime example. Would the average American woman feel free to live her life as she wants if she were living in or even visiting Saudi Arabia? No! American men would also feel limited in Saudi Arabia.
Not picking on Islam because Christian laws gone secular can also be oppressive to people who don't subscribe to Christian teachings. Abortion, gay marriage, gay sex and prostitution are clear examples of things some Christians believe should be secular crimes.
What is it about sex that causes so many people to have problems with it? Why is human sexuality so feared?
My take on it is that sex forcefully reminds us we are human animals. Our feelings are more powerful than our intellects. Sex is the gateway to physical life and life is the gateway to a physical death. Clothing has practical purposes but clothing also hides our animal bodies. Sex reminds us of our animal bodies.
Religions have little interest in our bodies and create the idea of an immortal soul that can be corrupted by our animal bodies that will end up dead anyway. Better to die than to sin.
Religions create a war between our bodies and our intellects or what religions call our souls. This results in many mental problems and illnesses.
You want to know why there are people who can be called Islamic terrorists? Because every religion - Christian, Islam, Hindu, etc. - has religious terrorists and every religion has the power to drive its adherents crazy. Their brains are at war with their bodies. And here is the truly crazy part. Their brains are part of their bodies. Trying to divorce the two creates mental illnesses. The result can be horrible.
The problem with religion takes place when people try to make religious laws into secular laws.
There wouldn't be a problem with religion if people did not try to enforce their religious beliefs by converting their beliefs into secular laws that apply to everyone and not just themself.
If people were to just demand only of themselves that they follow the religious teachings they claim to believe in and never were to try to force their religious beliefs and laws onto anyone else, there would not be a problem.
This is what is meant by and is the foundation of the separation of church and state.
Secular laws should not have anything to do with eternal salvation. Secular laws should exist only so people do not do unto others as they wouldn't want others to do unto them.
No one wants to be murdered, raped or robbed. That is why secular laws against murder, rape and robbery exist and are endorsed even by people who do not have any religious beliefs.
But even within the United States which proclaims to keep separate religious laws from secular laws, we see where this separation is often lacking.
Simple examples include laws against abortion and most laws that have anything to do with consensual sex.
One can come up with many arguments as to why no one should become a prostitute but one can also come up with many arguments as to why becoming an undercover cop is not a great job choice. Both undercover cops and prostitutes face many on the job dangers.
If you want to see examples of how horrible it can be to live in a country where religious laws are enforced with secular laws, you only need to look at countries where Islam is the dominant religion.
Take Saudi Arabia as a prime example. Would the average American woman feel free to live her life as she wants if she were living in or even visiting Saudi Arabia? No! American men would also feel limited in Saudi Arabia.
Not picking on Islam because Christian laws gone secular can also be oppressive to people who don't subscribe to Christian teachings. Abortion, gay marriage, gay sex and prostitution are clear examples of things some Christians believe should be secular crimes.
What is it about sex that causes so many people to have problems with it? Why is human sexuality so feared?
My take on it is that sex forcefully reminds us we are human animals. Our feelings are more powerful than our intellects. Sex is the gateway to physical life and life is the gateway to a physical death. Clothing has practical purposes but clothing also hides our animal bodies. Sex reminds us of our animal bodies.
Religions have little interest in our bodies and create the idea of an immortal soul that can be corrupted by our animal bodies that will end up dead anyway. Better to die than to sin.
Religions create a war between our bodies and our intellects or what religions call our souls. This results in many mental problems and illnesses.
You want to know why there are people who can be called Islamic terrorists? Because every religion - Christian, Islam, Hindu, etc. - has religious terrorists and every religion has the power to drive its adherents crazy. Their brains are at war with their bodies. And here is the truly crazy part. Their brains are part of their bodies. Trying to divorce the two creates mental illnesses. The result can be horrible.
No comments:
Post a Comment