a fine line indeed

i don't pretend to truly understand what makes folks believe in religion. i get told all of the time stuff like- folks need something to believe in- or these folks were indoctrinated- and whatnot. i can only speak for myself and i am perplexed. i have always viewed people as thinking beings. now, in full disclosure- i grew up going to church. i believed in god right up until i was probably oh- 17 years old or so. my prayers never got an answer and neither did anyone else's- and i kind of figured out it was a waste of perfectly good time and energy that could be spent elsewhere. and no- i am not a hedonistic heathen. i am probably more conservative than some conservatives. but, that isn't really my point.

i think that there is a fine line between religious beliefs and an excuse to practice bigotry, racism, and hatred for your fellow man. there are more decent religious folks out there 'practicing' whatever religion they adhere to- than the fred phelps' of the world, but it is a fine line. most of these 'decent' folk still practice the 'hate the sin not the sinner' approach to homosexuality when you know damned well they don't pray to god to differentiate. much easier to condemn. then, there's the whole malleability and subjectivity of religions. it has been highlighted this week in cnn that some christian pastors are embracing scientology, of all things, as a supplement to their christian teachings. uh huh. then, there's the whole mormon thing. whatever. you can believe in a higher power, if you choose, without the trappings of all of this nonsense. religion is a big part of what is killing this planet. spirituality can be had by all- religion is mutually exclusive.