On Religion

Dear Michelle,

As you grow, you will find that a great many of the controversies and disagreements that people have arise as a result of religious beliefs. For example, the issue of abortion is often fought across religious boundaries. Religion is, in itself, not a bad thing, but the uses to which it is often put can be atrocious indeed.

One important thing to consider when discussing religion is the tendency (especially among Americans) to equate religion with Christianity, when there are other religions in existence. It's not as simple as atheists vs. Christians; not only does this discount agnostics, Muslims, and Jews, but Hindus, Shintoists, Buddhists (never mind that Buddhism is, technically, more a philosophy than a religion), pagans such as Wiccans, and countless other theologies. 

But the thing that astounds me about religious people is that most of them are not willing to let other faiths practise their chosen customs. Just as one example: in America right now, one of the most controversial topics is gay marriage. The vast majority of people who oppose gay marriage do so on religious grounds. They insist that the Bible forbids homosexuality, and thus the secular law should also forbid homosexuality. The fallacy being committed in this argument, however, is that the Bible does not apply to all people (nor should it). The laws laid out in the Bible cannot be said to apply to atheists or pagans, and yet Christians insist that it should.

Christian doctrine states that the faithful are to minister to the non-believers in order to save their souls, but that doctrine has been twisted to the point where the believers are not willing to allow others a choice in the matter. Like the 16th and 17th century missionaries performing coerced mass baptisms on Native Americans, most modern Christians are determined to prevent anyone from committing a sin, even if other people don't believe in the Christian religion. And in my opinion, that action is nothing short of taking away another person's civil liberties.

Again, religion is a good thing, bringing comfort and peace to people who need it. Which religion is the right one? I don't know. Are any of them right? I don't know that either. I know what I believe, and I will help you to explore all the possibilities so that you may discover what it is that you believe, if anything. But you must always remember that no matter what you believe, you must never force another person to believe the same thing, nor even to act as if they believe the same thing. Because what most people tend to forget about religion is that it is a deeply personal thing, and you should never let anyone tell you what to believe, how to worship, or how to live.