Where is Religion Leading Us?

Ever wonder why religion is always such a hot topic among people. Religion has spaked tense debates, arguments, fights, killings and even open war. What is it about religion that makes it so sacred to people? No pun intended of course, by any means. I've just never exactly understood why people hold it so close and dear to them, to the point that they will defend their god infallable and their denomination is perfect.

I've personally gotten into heated debates with folks (heated on their side only) when people start a friendly discussion of religion only to find out that I'm agnostic. As soon as they find out that I don't walk the same path as them it's as if my choice is a direct insult to their way of life. I'm informed that I will in fact burn in a firy abyss, that I'll spend a thousand years in purgatory and that I won't be welcome in heaven, etc, etc

Let me start by saying that I'm agnostic by choice, of course. I wasn't always so. I grew up with my family dragging me along to Baptist services. I never fully understood exactly what was being discussed, it never seemed to catch my attention. I even spent an entire summer going to sunday school with a friend of mine and was always left feeling pretty confused about the things that were discussed. Once I got a bit older, early teens really, my family stopped going to church so I stopped going without a second thought. After I graduated and was out on my own I began encountering folks in the real world on a regular basis as we adults usually do. A question that was often asked was "Do you go to church?". I always felt awkward answering because I knew that people who don't go to church typically don't ask that question, and regularly church-goers who ask that question are prepping to remind you that you should if you answer "no". I started questioning myself as to why I wasn't going and couldn't really come up with an answer. So, I did the only logical thing; I started going again. I tried several different churches, in several different denominations over the years. Even a few non-denominational groups. I was never moved to stay, and often felt as if the people who were preaching to me were more opinionated than I cared to be subjected to, and were concerned more with their own interpretation of the bible and less about what was actually written or it's real message.

That's when I made the decision to skip all the mumbo-jumbo. I don't have to go to church to believe in a higher power anyway. God exists whether I set foot in a church or not, or which church I choose. That's what gets me. So many people seem to overlook that simple concept. Your local corner church/temple/house of the Almighty didn't exist at the beginning of time. So why should I go there, or study that specific religion?

The most interesting quirk about people in regards to religion though, and one of my most frequent topics of debate, is why people so blindly believe in that which they cannot see, with the only proof of such things are the words printed by men. "God and Jesus are real, they exist because the bible says so"

Did you know if you read school text books from different countries regarding WorldWarII you will find very different, contradicting "facts". You'll also find that key information has been omitted on all sides. So if such is the case with history books, why not the Bible? I even had one individual tell me that the book was written by men as God spoke through them. My response was simple; Prove it.

Now I'm in noway questioning the existance of God, Im simply reitterating my point about how curious it is that people would so whole-heartedly accept as truth that which they cannot see, taste, touch, smell or hear. Where there is no undeniable prood. Yet in our lives there are so many things that breed skepticism, and few people will accept these things without proof. Hard, physical evidence.

I think there are plenty of people who genuinely believe in their religions, for whatever reason they cannot be swayed. Perhaps they are simply lost without having some kind of faith and hope that everything we do isn't a complete waste, and that were living our lives as a test to be accepted into Gods house. Others believe out ofa fear that if they don't then they'll spend an eternity in purgatory. Even without proof that such a thing exists, they are terrified of it. Even more are those who o the exact route of my debate topic above. That there is not proof that god does NOT exist, so he must. That's one of my favorites. It's like wearing a talisman that wards off eyeball stealing aliens. Tell that person wearing it that there are no eyeball stealing aliens, and they nod and point at the talisman. "That's because it's working".

I don't think Ill ever understand what causes such blind anger when it comes to religion though. What causes entire nations to rise up against another simply because their religion is false. They have absolutely no true proof that their religion, or their god, is true and correct but they believe so. So much in fact that they will kill to make it known.

That we, as the human race, could be so technologically advanced and yet so base as to come to blows over such a thing is inconcievable to me. I'm sure the vast number of religions will begin to dwindle quickly over time however. As technology advances, we will come up with bigger and quicker ways to deal with the infedels who do not believe in the way of God. Which "way" am I referring to? That's the funny part. Who really knows?