Dinkydaisy

...marry, and that we were misguided. I lost all respect. If someone believes something, such as homosexuals shouldn't marry, I don't agree but I won't tell them they're wrong. The day people aren't entitled to an opinion is when society needs to be reformed. But to tell people they're the ones who are incorrect is arrogant, elitist and ignorant. This doesn't only apply to those with a faith.

I didn't like this girl, and I doubt I'll be speaking to her much in the future. Things brings a new point in. I've never disliked someone because they have a different opinion to me, which I've already said. However there have been a lot of people I dislike because they're so opinionated and refuse to accept other views. Unfortunately there are a lot of people like this in the world, and many people I've met both in real life and on the Internet are no exceptions.

When arrogance and ego come into it (which they inevitably do, either through yourself or someone opposing you) then religion causes a lot of problems. People are shunned simply because they have a faith, have a different faith or have no faith. Despite the arrogance that seems to go hand in hand with atheism people without a belief are less likely to suffer prejudice unless in a strong religious area. But in modern Britain people with religion are more likely to be mocked and abused than those without. It could be said I'm in a good position, I don't follow a religion and so can't be held against for it, but not denying means there's more acceptance from the other side, if you will. But I didn't choose my thoughts to be safe from people's comments, I'm not so eager to please as to base my life around a system I don't agree with. I don't know why I have this particular opinion or how it came to be, but it's what I know is right for me. Perhaps some people feel religion is right for them and are happier for it, other take comfort in logic and science. Whatever you believe there are going to be problems. People can be abused on the street for it, and considered dangerous, stupid, worthless and all a manner of other things thanks to ignorance and the media. This is just the tip of the iceberg of problems arising from religion, but that isn't what this blog is about.

So far my title's been neither supported nor proved incorrect. Religion is a personal thing. As I've already explained it never played much of a part in my childhood, and I was taught to respect other people and other cultures. I've never thanked a God for anything good in my life, and I've never hated one for anything bad. At funerals people have told the mourning family that they're praying for them and the deceased. Of course the sentiment is appreciated, but again I never took comfort in that. Some people may be happier believing in an afterlife, others are more comfortable thinking there isn't. There was an occasion in my life where we (me and my family) were told it was a miracle the situation was improved. People we knew from the local church told us they'd been praying for us, though they knew we weren't a religious family. Still, none of us once blamed a God for it happening nor thanked a God for the improvement. Thought is always appreciated, regardless of someone's beliefs, and we didn't believe it was some holy power. We took it for good luck, and were thankful.

I've coped fine without religion. I'm no less happier than someone with it, and I'm comfortable with having open options and being entitled to an opinion. If someone doesn't agree, with me or anyone on this topic, that's part of life. Everybody disagrees. But unfortunately people will consider themselves above someone with an opposing thought. Atheists will think they have logic and so are better with reason, many religious people will consider themselves better because they have a God (or several) on their side. Either way, an opinion is just that. An opinion. Not truth. And while that's correct, I'm right in saying I don't need a religion. Perhaps some people do, perhaps the comfort of a religious community and people who understand are needed. And then perhaps some people are happiest believing science. While it's certainly not necessary to think the same as I do to be happy, I know with this thought I'm comfortable.

As for a disclaimer, I know this can be a very sensitive subject for some people. This wasn't made to prove people correct or incorrect, and not to insult. If you don't appreciate people having different thoughts than you, don't read material like this. I'm always open for a discussion as long as it's kept respectful and I'm not being told to choose your religion. Cheers for reading.

A conversation I've had before.
Random Christian: 'So why don't you have a religion?'
Me: 'I just don't.'
Random Christian: 'Poor you, I don't see how someone could even admit that.'

To begin, I know not every religious person is like this. There are people with a faith perfectly happy to accept that there are people who don't. Unfortunately there's an awful lot who aren't.
My background with religion is pretty simple. Both my parents are atheists and I was brought up to respect that some people did and some people didn't. Primary school would make us sing hymns and pray, but I wasn't particularly concerned, at the ages of five to ten I was never concerned about what other people thought on the topic. I personally thought it a bit silly to think there was a man who we couldn't see but created everything. We learnt all the basic stories, again which I thought silly but enjoyed simply because any young kid likes stories. When secondary school started I understood a little more about how people saw belief systems, and grew more defensive, particularly in RE in which we had a Christian teacher. But the area where I grew up in (and still live in) has never been very religious, and there was never much discussion about it. Now I'm older and know a lot more, I see religion differently. I find I'm now considered old enough to be spoken to by Mormons, and have Jehovah's Witnesses handing leaflets to me. I know a lot more, I understand a lot more, and my opinions are plentiful.

I'm not ashamed to not have a religion. I try not to use the term 'atheist' because I'm very open to the concept. I'm not a fan of agnostic either, because in all honesty I don't believe a God exists. I'll accept that there's some possibility, but I personally don't think so. For whatever reason, some people think it's a shameful thing to not have a faith. I really don't know why, these people can surely understand the concept of personal choices. I personally see living your life doing everything possible to please your Lord a bit shameful. I'm far too arrogant to accept a God and live my life according to 'their' rules. But alright, I accept that's how people want to live, if it makes them happy I'm not going to disagree with them.
Relating to this, a few weeks ago I was chatting to a woman from Amnesty International. She was an atheist, and me and her were talking a bit on religious views of helping people. She told me that the Muslim men from the next tent (this was a peace festival) had asked her why she went out of her way to help people if she didn't think she would be rewarded after death. These men were only educating people about Islam and were talking about it just because they thought they would be rewarded in the afterlife. Whether this was the full story or the woman was leaving some out I don't know, but it seems strange to me to have a religion and only follow it because you think you'll live forever, or however your particular belief system goes. I didn't get a chance to talk to the men, but they had taken time out to sit outside on a muddy field in the rain and talk to people about their faith. Even if they did do it just because they thought it would get them a good afterlife it was still a good thing to do and I don't think they genuinely only did it for selfish reasons. The idea of doing a good deed just to get an afterlife applies to many religions, and I find the idea rather selfish, even if it is only part of the motive. I'm sure a better concept is to help people and try to convert them, if you'll allow me to use the term, to your religion because you really believe they'll be happier, not to score points with your deity.
That last statement may seem pretty ignorant to some people. And I'll be truthful, the middle of England isn't nearly as full as religious fanatics as other places and I haven't nearly enough experience with different faiths to have full opinions and knowledge on them. But from what I have experienced you get a lot of bad people following a faith. Being religious doesn't automatically stop you being selfish, or arrogant or indeed make you a good person. I know assholes who will hide behind their faith and accuse me of being prejudiced if I don't like them. In reality, I don't like them because they're twats, regardless of their belief system.

I've had some contact with, I'll say, over-zealous religious people. As most people will know college is a very diverse place, and I had my first real talk with someone my age with a very strong faith. She happily told an entire class they were wrong in their beliefs, and that hers were correct. She knew they were correct because she'd been to a 'camp' where she 'had vision and witnessed miracles'. I didn't say anything, though I personally thought it was nonsense. But then she started telling us how gay people should have no right...