Coming to grips with faith

A lot going on today, so I didn't have time to write a whole lot today, which seems to be the norm on the weekends. At some point I may have to rethink my schedule of writing, and possibly go 5 day a week, and just add something on the weekends if I have time.

But for now, here's something I had done already.

I have a hard time with faith. Growing up I've been taught to accept a lot of things that I later found out weren't really true, like Santa, the Easter Bunny, and Christopher Columbus discovering America. The more you find out that things you once accepted aren't true, the more you become disillusioned and skeptical. One might say "jaded" and to a certain extent that's true, but I think that implies a cynicism that I don't really feel. Some truths are hard to accept, and if the way you come to those truths is through a well intentioned lie, or fabrication then it's difficult to think that there was any malicious intent. It's certainly possible, but I find that maintaining a positive attitude about these things helps keep stress and alienation from turning me into a total bastard.
So that tends to be how I see religion. A largely well intentioned lie meant to help people be better people.

Oh, don’t get me wrong, I still think there are people out there who use religion for their own personal gain, and to have control over people, and how they think, and to promote rampant bigotry and hate. But that’s not the fault of most people.

Most people just need comfort. And the idea of a larger-than-life father figure, who loves you and wants nothing but the best for you is far more comforting than feeling that you’re on your own, randomly bouncing around the world, subject to the most random whims of coincidence. People fear chaos, so they choose to believe in order. They fear the unknown, so they give it a name, so they can know it. People fear death so they tell themselves that it won’t be the enxd. And this is what they call God.

How could you not want this? An answer to all life’s insecurities, a voice in the darkness that says “You are not alone. I’m here and I’m going to take care of you. I will protect you and then when it’s time I’ll bring you home.” I can’t object to that. I can’t tell someone that it’s just a fabrication. That would be like telling a three year old there’s no Santa.

You might get the impression from this, if you happen to be a believer that I find your faith a bit silly. Well… you have to look at it from my perspective. If I told you I had an imaginary friend named Wilkerson who was a tortoise who only spoke in iambic pentameter and that he was a ghost that nobody could see or hear, not even me… you would probably think I was a bit silly too. But far from that, I think it’s an understandable silliness. It’s the kind of silly I can understand.

In fact if it had more "love everybody" and less "persecute everybody" and maybe take out the jihad all together then I think I would have no problem with religion . After all were all in this together, we have to look out for one another. Maybe then we'll feel a little less afraid.