Last night my hubby's friend started a conversation about God, or rather his unbelief in there being a God (though he will not call himself an atheist or agnostic). This came about because I said I'd given up biscuits, cake and chocolate for Lent. He scoffed (ha, a pun!) at that. Why do those who don't have a faith have to ram their views on me? I don't ram mine on them. I respond if I am asked or I might say I was church if I'm asked what I did on Sunday. I don't try to convert them like others try to take my faith apart, but I will respond if provoked (though I never preach). It seems to me these people actually want to be reassured that they are right! But I don't have anything to prove. There's this whole New Atheism with people like Richard Dawkins (actually he writes jolly good books, I have to give him that!). It is the in thing to 'bash faith' Suddenly it's trendy to be an atheist. Atheists have 'come out'. Well, good for them but it doesn't mean I have to change what I believe.
My faith works for me. He says that having no faith works for him. Fine, I accept that, but he couldn't leave it there because he has so many questions. Ah! I just told him my personal experience and what keeps me in my faith. I admitted I had doubts, I questioned too, and that is no bad thing. No one should just believe anything without sussing it out. I still am sussing it out. The fact that I might never know, never prove things one way or the other doesn't bother me. Life would be so boring if we had all the answers. I like a mystery.
We didn't fall out over this but it does make me smile that people make such an issue of religion to try and disprove it. Why are they so worried? For themselves? Surely not for me? If I have my head in the clouds and the whole God thing is false...do I want saving? No. My faith is based on love, how your treat people and the planet. It's what you do in life. It's not about rituals and rules. He says you don't need religion to believe that. True, and there are bad Christians and good people with no faith, but I just happen to have a faith. I'm not going to apologise for that, it's who I am, part of my make up. But I am not anti any other faith. I love to learn from other faiths, including Pagans (yes, I'll call that a faith).
One other gripe that regularly comes up is 'religion has caused so many wars in the past, such bad things happened, how can I believe in something like that?' We cannot keep harping on about the past. All religions have done really unspeakable things in the past (mine included). But we have to move on from that. Say sorry, forgive and live for now. Of course bad things are still going on and some of that is rooted in the past. There are always people who want to cause trouble. It's a bit like football hooligans. They go to the match not for the football but for the fight they might start. Unfortunately it's the negative aspects of life that get the most air time.
Now, I'm going to have my lunch while reading Will (by Christopher Rush), about Shakespeare and then watch Doctors on TV!
On a happy note:
My faith works for me. He says that having no faith works for him. Fine, I accept that, but he couldn't leave it there because he has so many questions. Ah! I just told him my personal experience and what keeps me in my faith. I admitted I had doubts, I questioned too, and that is no bad thing. No one should just believe anything without sussing it out. I still am sussing it out. The fact that I might never know, never prove things one way or the other doesn't bother me. Life would be so boring if we had all the answers. I like a mystery.
We didn't fall out over this but it does make me smile that people make such an issue of religion to try and disprove it. Why are they so worried? For themselves? Surely not for me? If I have my head in the clouds and the whole God thing is false...do I want saving? No. My faith is based on love, how your treat people and the planet. It's what you do in life. It's not about rituals and rules. He says you don't need religion to believe that. True, and there are bad Christians and good people with no faith, but I just happen to have a faith. I'm not going to apologise for that, it's who I am, part of my make up. But I am not anti any other faith. I love to learn from other faiths, including Pagans (yes, I'll call that a faith).
One other gripe that regularly comes up is 'religion has caused so many wars in the past, such bad things happened, how can I believe in something like that?' We cannot keep harping on about the past. All religions have done really unspeakable things in the past (mine included). But we have to move on from that. Say sorry, forgive and live for now. Of course bad things are still going on and some of that is rooted in the past. There are always people who want to cause trouble. It's a bit like football hooligans. They go to the match not for the football but for the fight they might start. Unfortunately it's the negative aspects of life that get the most air time.
Now, I'm going to have my lunch while reading Will (by Christopher Rush), about Shakespeare and then watch Doctors on TV!
On a happy note:
TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING
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