Here we go, taking a few days off and coming back with a controversial post! That's just my style, I had finals this past week, so got a bit distracted, however, I'm back! Anyway, about this controversial post of mine. I was thinking today that the whole concept of religion seems pointless in this day and age. Essentially religion's biggest aid in the world is that it tells us to love each other and be nice to one another. The whole concept baffles me, Christianity is what I'm most familiar with, so that will be my basis for most of these statements, however, I know enough about a few other religions to be able to say with confidence that once you get below the shell, all religions are exactly the same.
I just don't understand how some people need the fear of going to hell in order to be nice to each other. Is it really that hard to just be a decent person? Why do people need to be threatened with an eternity in hell in order to adopt decent morals? The worst part is it makes a lot of religious people think that anybody who isn't in their religion must have no moral compass. I'm amazed at how often I meet people who believe that without Jesus in my life I must have absolutely no sense of right or wrong. The crazy thing is, religion doesn't even work for giving people a moral compass. Take the ten commandments for example. Modern christians seem to be putting "except..." after every single one of them. "Don't kill other people. Except if they don't accept Jesus, then they don't really count." (every religious war ever). "Judge not lest ye be judged, unless they aren't christian, then by all means tell them that they're damned to hell, because God definitely isn't the only being with the power to decide who goes to hell." (literally every evangelical christian in the world). "Love thy neighbor as if they were yourself, unless they're gay, then strip them of their rights and treat them like a lesser being."
I have no problem with christians who actually try to act like Jesus would have, but that's a small percentage these days. I don't think it's really that hard to just be a good person, love everyone, treat everyone as equals. Believe it or not, there are plenty of atheists with much stronger moral compasses than most religious people out there. I have no problem with people wanting to believe whatever they want to believe, just please don't let the fear of going to hell be the only reason you're nice to people. I believe that if there is a heaven and hell, and if we really did get judged at the end of our lives, God would more than likely look at how we lived and give that much more weight than whether or not we decided that his son was legit. I believe that if that God does exist, he's a just god, and not a jealous parent who hates anybody who isn't best friends with his son. If you accept Jesus and then go around being a dick to everybody, belittling people and taking freedoms away, it doesn't matter that you accepted Jesus, you're still a dick. That being said, if you deny Jesus, and yet you still donate to charity, help out your neighbors and your friends, and bring a light into any life you come into contact with, you're a good person whether you accept Jesus or not.
Life is about how you live, not about which secret handshake you know. Also, take a minute to learn about other religions, and realize that they're all the same. I'm talking about Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism... they're literally all the same when you get to the core. Now, what blows me away truly is when christians think catholics are going to hell, I was raised around both a christian upbringing and a catholic one, I've spent plenty of time in both churches, and I promise you, there is 0 difference between the two. They're exactly the same religion, so please, at least accept the other variations of christianity, because you all use the same book.
Question: Is religion needed anymore?
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