Personally, I believe people of different religions can never coexist if we're too hung up on religion in itself. No matter how much Americans say they want peace they won’t take the first step towards it. They, somewhat, wait for it to just happen and just let people fight in the name of religion. With this being stated, it is fair to say that religion has also caused violence.
Religious violence has probably existed for as long as religion. History has done nothing to calm the passions, hatred, and brutality expressed in the name of religion; if anything, the progress of science and technology have enabled religious extremists to hate and kill more effectively. Almost everyone would like to end the violence, but few understand its causes. Even worse, some religious believers are in denial about the causes and connections between violence and their religion. Which makes sense when every religion says to treat others kindly. Then again you can’t do that when you judge people for being different and not a copy of every other American. Many religions proclaim that they are peaceful and opposed to violence, but these same religions generally have traditions in which violence, war, and aggression not only exist but are permitted. However, most religious bigots do not see their own bigotry.
In my opinion the people of the United states of America don't really believe in the First Amendment. The First Amendment says it will protect your right to any religion but not the practice. To me, that is a little like saying “You can stick your hand in the cookie jar but you can’t have a cookie.” People of America may say they do believe in Freedom of Religion and that the law allows it, but in many ways it is not true when most Americans are Christian.
This is my opinion because I have witnessed this first hand. Being a different religion in a Christian society isn't easy. You are judged for not believing in the same thing that everyone else believes in and more than half the time you are told you are wrong, when in their mind they question their faith as well. Because honestly, if you have complete and total faith in your religion then why would you force it down someone else's throat instead of just saying to yourself "God will forgive them." Isn't that what the Christian religion says; that "God" loves everyone and forgives everyone for sinning?
I’m not here to say which religion is right or wrong, I’m here to say that I think people should come to the conclusion that everyone is different and they have the right to worship, think, and believe in what they want. Such as the Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) states, “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion; this right includes freedom to change his(her) religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in a community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance.”
Yes.
ReplyDeleteIt would be a different world, were it not for the taint religion has left upon landscapes worldwide.
We'd likely be a lot farther along technologically, seeing as how we'd not have to worry about what some thousand year old text and some intangible father figure has to say about it.
We'd be more peaceful since we wouldn't divide ourselves as much specifically by religion.
Personally, I think any religion that professes belief in any deity to be erroneous and superficial.
Appreciation goes to what regularly sustains us like the Sun, the natural forces on the planet we've harvested that prolong our lives (rain for water, wind for power and electricity).
A world minus ignorance would be a perfect one.
And that perfect world will be out of reach as long as our race inhabits it.