by Elinda Harrison

Created on: August 02, 2009   Last Updated: August 09, 2009

What's wrong with religion...

I was born and raised in the rural south. One of the house rules was that we had to attend Sunday services - period! You had to be deathly ill to miss church services. Our services were of the "holy rollers" kind. There was music, Hallelujahs, and speaking in tongues. I strongly believed in what I heard and saw.

I am a believer, but I am not a practicing Christian and I'm 50 years old now. There were many rules of my faith and I have never lived up to most of them. I love Christ and I love the church, but I'm lazy and I love sitting around home more. But the question, "What's wrong with religion?" irks me. I do not think there's anything wrong with religion, just with the people who can't or won't practice what they preach.

I have always thought religion was about my faith and my beliefs. God exists in my faith. God is merciful in my faith. God listens to me, and I can pray to him directly, not through an intermediary. God is reachable and he cares. I have free will and can do whatever I want. Some of those wants are not always what the church says is the way of God. However, I am able to seek council from God and be forgiven, if necessary. I also believe that God will show me the way and give answers to my many questions, if I believe.

I believe God is worthy of worship. I believe that I can love God with all my might and that that is okay. Religion may dictate that I don't love God if I don't give all to the church or believe that some mortal man is holier than the next. I believe in the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - three, not the Holy 5 or the Holy Quad. I do not believe in the pageantry of some religions and sometimes, I am actually amused by the pomp and circumstance some groups hold dear. Some of them wear thousands of dollars on their person and on their ring fingers. How dare they? Why aren't children being fed, or seniors being cared for with that money?

Instead they waste this money on dresses and other gear for the men of God. I do find this offensive, highly offensive, and feel what gaul to label this as being done in God's name. I have yet to see where Jesus was fanciful and vain. It's disgusting.

Naive? Maybe. But I have faith in God. That, to me, is all that matters in the end.

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