www.darkdaysdawn.com
Ranting About Organized Religion


Clipped from an email conversation, August, 2004
I am angry at certain organizations for the influence and power they exert over others and the way in which it breeds intolerance in those that follow them. I am disappointed in a particular friend of mine for following such an organization. Fine, he's happy, great! I loose a friend, he looses a friend. I’ve known Born Again-types -- there's nothing I can talk about with them. They continuously shift every conversation back to religion and “accepting Jesus”, etc.

I know you many might not understand this part of me. That's fine, but I have serious issues with organized religion, and very little respect for those with strong faith. Those organizations continuously tell me, and those like me, that the way we live our lives is wrong, evil, etc. That's bullshit. You know it, I know it, and fine... I could deal with the bullshit if that’s where it ended.

The problem is that some people who are close to escaping the oppression of organized religion start to believe it again (due to parent or peer pressure) and start to resent themselves. Sometimes they go even further and try to enforce their beliefs by attacking, physically or otherwise, people who do not share their belief. No one in the "scene", "group", "lifestyle" I belong to would ever attack someone, especially physically, solely because they "thought differently" (let alone LOOKED different).

I was hassled in a bar in Winnipeg recently simply because of the way I look (and, initially anyway, they only saw me from the back – wonder what they thought when I turned around?). Why? Because the army-jock guys hassling me were ignorant. I believe that organized religion helps to retain the ignorance of the masses. It may not have been the direct reason these particular 4 guys were ignorant, but they probably aren't too far removed from a very Christian upbringing, and thus are indirectly motivated by it.

My friend here (in North Carolina) is a school teacher for young teens. She is not allowed to teach sex education. Instead, the school brings in external consultant-type teachers. The sex ed. curriculum is pitiful and pretty much just says “abstain, abstain, abstain!". So while we may not be talking about people beating up others because of the way they look, we are talking about the spread of potentially fatal diseases, teen pregnancy, etc. Why? Because of the power that Christian organizations have over the people in this state.

Another friend of mine here is bisexual. At a previous school, someone found out about her sexuality and instantly she was ostracized. No one talked to her again, except one girl who kept wondering why she was "like that". Imagine being a 14 or 15 year old girl, just starting high-school, and finding out that the next 4 years of your life would be spent alone and mocked.

Are you starting to understand?

Even my own family has unknowingly insulted me. I let it slide because I know they don't mean it. I don't let is slide so easily when it's friends of mine, and I will speak up regarding heterosexualism, homosexualism, bisexualism, transexualism, metrosexualism, and transvestitism, and pretty much any other ism for that matter, so long as that which is being said about it is negative and wholly inaccurate or untrue.

I'm very proud of who I am and how I live my life. It's VERY DIFFERENT from most people, and probably a lot different that many who are close to me realize. There's nothing wrong with it, so why is it always labelled an “underground scene" or something like that? It is because the average person can't, and/or won’t, cope with it; they are ill equipped because of lack of exposure and education; that's why; that’s ignorance.

I've pretty much had it with ignorance, and what my particular friend chooses to follow is his own business, but in this case, what he is following is the source of much of ignorance in the world.

So why not cut my hair, take out my jewelry, etc.? It won't change who I am, so why should I? And why should I have to? People like me will continue to resist ignorance and intolerance because it is wrong and it causes us pain. Do you ever think back to public school and feel bad about that kid you picked on for no reason? I do. If I could take it back, I would. But since I can't, I will stand up for those who are picked on today.



Feel free to argue by email, or in my guestbook. I might even respond to you.

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