It seriously irks me when someone becomes extremely religious as if he/she is saying to your face: “I’m absolutely righteous and you’re not!” – just because he/she never misses a mass, always prays and does all the religious rituals beyond imaginable. Mind you, attitude like this made religion to have caused and still causing wars since time out of mind 
Don’t get me wrong, I am not atheist and have nothing against religious people in general BUT the close-minded and self-righteous doctrinaires ggrrrrrrr…for crying out loud!!!
Yes, I was born, raised and have remained a Catholic all these years but I am certainly NOT dogmatic about it…simply because I don’t believe that there is one ‘rightful’ religion for all.
If truth to be told, I’d still admire you albeit you don’t go to church yet you go out in the real world and do genuinely good to your fellowmen. For me, righteousness is all about the quality of goodness in your deeds and NOT on quantity of how often you go to church and pray.
Nonetheless, who will define goodness? Perhaps this is the reason why we created religion in the first place. It is like an organization wherein we try to share and unite our beliefs, principles, etc. so we may have an orthodox of goodness and may set rules for the common good. In analogy, religion is just like a government in one way or another. And just like the government, the trouble begins when one party harasses another party…and worse comes to worst, a war is triggered.
Why is it so hard for us to harmoniously co-exist with all our differences???
During my college days, I remember to have attended several gatherings of Focolare movement wherein we advocate UNITY and PEACE regardless of religion. There, I met believers from various sectors: Catholics (nuns were there too), Seventh Day Adventists, Mormons, and even the agnostics…all were united towards universal brotherhood. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we can all do that?
If you’re with me, sing with me now:
Don’t get me wrong, I am not atheist and have nothing against religious people in general BUT the close-minded and self-righteous doctrinaires ggrrrrrrr…for crying out loud!!!
Yes, I was born, raised and have remained a Catholic all these years but I am certainly NOT dogmatic about it…simply because I don’t believe that there is one ‘rightful’ religion for all.
If truth to be told, I’d still admire you albeit you don’t go to church yet you go out in the real world and do genuinely good to your fellowmen. For me, righteousness is all about the quality of goodness in your deeds and NOT on quantity of how often you go to church and pray.
Nonetheless, who will define goodness? Perhaps this is the reason why we created religion in the first place. It is like an organization wherein we try to share and unite our beliefs, principles, etc. so we may have an orthodox of goodness and may set rules for the common good. In analogy, religion is just like a government in one way or another. And just like the government, the trouble begins when one party harasses another party…and worse comes to worst, a war is triggered.
Why is it so hard for us to harmoniously co-exist with all our differences???
During my college days, I remember to have attended several gatherings of Focolare movement wherein we advocate UNITY and PEACE regardless of religion. There, I met believers from various sectors: Catholics (nuns were there too), Seventh Day Adventists, Mormons, and even the agnostics…all were united towards universal brotherhood. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we can all do that?
If you’re with me, sing with me now:
*(1st stanza omitted)
Imagine there's no countries, it isn't hard to do.
Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion (dividing us**) too.
Imagine all the people, living life in peace...
You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.
I hope some day you'll join us, and the world will be as one.
Imagine no possesions, I wonder if you can.
No need for greed or hunger, a brotherhood of man.
Imagine all the people, sharing all the world...
You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.
I hope some day you'll join us, and the world will live as one.
Imagine there's no countries, it isn't hard to do.
Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion (dividing us**) too.
Imagine all the people, living life in peace...
You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.
I hope some day you'll join us, and the world will be as one.
Imagine no possesions, I wonder if you can.
No need for greed or hunger, a brotherhood of man.
Imagine all the people, sharing all the world...
You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.
I hope some day you'll join us, and the world will live as one.
*I omitted it because I still like to believe that there’s heaven and living only for today takes away life’s meaning or purpose, don’t you think?
**Religion is OK as long as it doesn’t destructively divide us
No comments:
Post a Comment