This isn't a food related post, but it is something that eats at me and I need to vent. Thank you blog for being that venue. I also can't discuss this with my husband because it involves a sensitive event, his grandmother's funeral service.
So as an agnostic (agnostic not atheist because I simply can't say for myself that I have proof there is or is not a god, but I am not denying his/her existence) my view points about religion are aloof, in that I don't care to subscribe to any religion and I respect the views of others and where they desire to place their faith. I expect similar respect in return. However, I get very defensive and offended when someone tries to witness to me and tell me that I am not a good person because I don't believe in god or that Jesus was the son of god and died for our sins.
And that is where I ran into a problem at my grandmother-in-law's funeral. As the pastor began to talk about how grandma accepted Jesus into her heart and now walks in the kingdom of heaven he also turned the sermon into a bashing of those who have sinned and do not accept Jesus as the son of god. I found my self in tears, but I'm not sure the tears were shed for the loss of grandma. The tears were shed because of the attack I felt on my beliefs.
The sermon went something like this: In a discussion grandma had with the pastor she questioned whether she had been a good enough person to be accepted into heaven. Pastor told her that if she accepted Jesus into her heart and that he died on the cross for her sins that would be enough. I believed that is what she believed and how she wanted to picture her afterlife. However, the Pastor proceeded to tell the people assembled that they needed to do the same and that no amount of goodness or kindness on my/our part would be enough if we didn't accept the "fact" that Jesus was our savior.
I CALL A BIG B.S. ON THAT SHIT! Give me a break! So simply being a good person isn't good enough to be rewarded in the afterlife (what ever that may be)! That I can be a total SHIT in life but if I accept that Jesus died for my sins I have an automatic ticket to heaven (whatever you believe that might be). That type of talk makes me upset!
I'm not sure exactly what the motives of this pastor were, if he was trying to convert anyone present or just reassuring those who already accept Jesus, but come on! Was this the place to pull that move?
What about recognizing that everyone present may not subscribe to that mantra and that they have different beliefs about how their current life will be rewarded when they pass on.
My mantra, be a good person, kind, trustworthy, loyal and you will be rewarded by the memories you leave with others. You will be remembered positively and that is how you will live on. I do believe in redemption and second chances. I refuse to believe that the life I live isn't good enough to lead to a positive, heavenly afterlife. I believe sin as defined by...well the bible I guess...is inevitable but you don't need to believe that the "son of god" absolves all of that because he is dead. No one entity should have to bare that burden. I believe that you should be responsible for yourself and take responsibility for your actions and if those actions are "sinful" that is all on you and you alone should be accountable.
With that I again state that I refuse to believe that my life isn't good enough! I refuse to believe that by living my life as a good, honest person with some indiscretions here and there negates my right to have a free and inspiring impact when I die. I will not live my life tied to an entity and believing something that has little basis in truth or reality (as I see it).
And I will teach my children to think for themselves and guide them to believe what corresponds to their needs and sense of reality. And that isn't a bad thing. Here is a good article to help drive home my point.
"When these teens mature into “godless” adults, they exhibit less racism than their religious counterparts"
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