religiosity

You should know before we go anywhere that this post is not going to be funny.  Please deal with that fact and move on...

Dealt with?

Accepted?

Fine, let's continue shall we?  Earlier I was watching TV (no good can come of that) and as the show lapsed into commercial break and I found  my attempts to fast forward through the commercials thwarted by the fact that I was watching live TV an ad for a 3 volume set of Christian music came on.  I could have just ignored it like I do 75% of advertisements I come across, but instead I trained my eyes on the screen and put on my listening ears...  I was overcome with an urge to know.  To hear.  To listen.

As I listened a few thoughts occurred to me.

Some people are very serious about the Time Life Series.

Some people are very serious about their religion.

I don't fall into either category.

In case you haven't picked up in the past I am not a religious person.  I have no deeply held spiritual conviction.  I don't have faith that a higher power will make this world a better place.  I don't believe that some all powerful deity is responsible for my fortunes in life at the same time that a child is dying of starvation or being killed in a brutal dictatorship.

I believe in myself.  I believe in my family.  I believe that there are good people on this earth who want to make the world a better place.

I also believe so very strongly that I deserve the right to believe (or not believe) what I choose to.

I believe that you have the right to choose what you believe and even to practice it as long as it doesn't bring harm to others.

Oh yes I have a problem with any religion that encourages it's disciples to harm someone.  Or to threaten them.  I'll even be honest for a moment longer and tell you that I am awfully vexed by religions that encourage their followers to tell non believers that they're going to hell.  That sounds an awful lot like a threat to me, but I digress.

Good thing for you to know about me.

Also good to know?  I love cheese.  and cherry coke.  and cupcakes.

Right, now back to the religion thing.

I understand it, to a certain extent.  As someone whose faith does not lie with the church I of course can not completely comprehend all aspects of it but I do

.  I think faith is a beautiful thing.

Another important thing to know about me?  I don't think that religious people are wrong.  They could be right.  There could be a god smiling or grimacing or smirking down at all of us even as I type this.

You or you or you over there in the back?  You could be completely right.  I don't begrudge you that.

But I don't personally believe.

And I don't want to.

I don't think I need religion or god to be a good person.  I don't think I need them to raise my child well.  I don't think I need them to make my marriage solid and happy.

But if you do?  That's alright by me.

Do you need to go to church on the major holidays?  Fine.

Something a little more regular?  Worship once a week?  Good for you.

Not enough?  You want to add in meal time prayers and bible study?  Fantastic.  Have fun.

Still need more?  Help in the church?  Encourage others?  Teach?  Help the less fortunate (even I like to do that)?  WONDERFUL.  Keep it up.

Is your faith so overwhelming, so overpowering that you feel the need to join the clergy?  Lovely!

But really... do we need that 3 CD time life series?

No.  I don't think so.