Being Religious

[poliphilo]

It is said of one of the London bombers that he had recently "become more religious."

I grew up in a society where "religious" was always a praise word.

Going to church a lot, being a pal of the vicar's, helping to run some militaristic church youth group- these were all, in and of themselves, things worthy of praise. They were moral. They were good.

Morality and religion were all scrambled together. You could be sour, nasty, intolerant, ignorant, snobbish, small-minded, cruel, power-mad, not to be trusted round children, but if you were also "religious" you were automatically on the side of the angels.

It has taken me most of my life to undo this early conditioning.

And to realise that "being religious" is just a compulsion, taste or hobby like any other- and that "religious" people are no more to be counted on for moral behaviour than football supporters or stamp collectors or any other gang or group.

Comments

[pickwick.livejournal.com]

I hope morality and religion ARE becoming separate entities. It's the thing I find most frustrating about being an atheist; that people assume I can't have a moral core. Cos why would I be a good person if I didn't have a God telling me how to be? *bangs head against wall*

[saskia139.livejournal.com]

I try always to keep in mind--as a person who would, until recently, have described herself to most people as "religious", at least as a shorthand--that some of the kindest, most compassionate, most ethical people I know are also atheists.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Religious people are very keen to retain a monopoly on morality because if religion doesn't actually make you more moral it's hard to know what the point of it is.

[saskia139.livejournal.com]

It's that whole "by their fruits" issue again. Religion seems to make a lot of people hate their neighbors, despite hearing about loving them in church pretty regularly (or has everyone dropped the Summary of the Law from the Eucharist?).

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

The New Testament is full of warnings against hypocrisy and judging others and they just seem to go over people's heads.