30 Day Meme Thingy, part messianic

Day 19a → What do you think of religion? Or what do you think of politics?

I’m not against many religions. I’m against organizations that try to define and regulate religious practices, especially when they think their laws should apply to us nonbelievers as well. They tend to take a good idea and twist it into something obscene over time. Religious beliefs are good when they provide comfort when you are feeling lost or troubled. They suck when they’re a constant source of misery. If your religion is giving you grief, then whatever you are – don’t be that anymore.

As for the type of religious people I prefer, I like people who believe in something good (whether or not one or more gods needs to be involved), honestly try to be true to their beliefs, don’t feel compelled to convert me, have a reasonable sense of humor about quirks in their religion, and tolerance for other beliefs that don’t actively interfere with their own lives. By “actively interfere” I mean situations like “I can’t sleep while you sacrifice goats on your side of the bed”, not “it bothers me that you’re in your house behind closed doors persistently not worshipping Jesus.”

Second favorite types are the ones who are devout and overly serious about it, but are willing to not preach to me constantly as long as I avoid their place of worship. At least they’re fun to play with.

Third favorite type are the ones who think the baby (insert messiah) will cry and they will BURN BURN BURN if they do not spend every waking moment trying to convert everyone who breathes their air, and that tactics like making up false statistics (“studies show evangelicals are 30% prettier and are much less likely to be mauled by bears”) are okay because anything done in (insert god)’s name must be good, right?

Fourth is the not religious but very pissy about it, the kind who believe that it’s in the American constitution that we’re all supposed to be Christian and who pitch a fit when the government fails to create laws that enforce what they think is in the bible (not that they’ve read one, but it’s common knowledge).

Fifth are the atheists who act like the ones above, the kind who have a conniption if they hear Silent Night in public or if they see people celebrating Christmas as the birth of Christ. They’re no worse, I just hate to see non-believers acting life wannabe fundies.

Last are the ones who believe their god wants them to rub out a segment of the population to attain heaven.

Correction - #1 (一番) fave is Satanic metal bunnies. But I think that went without saying.

Direct link to metal bunny video.

---

Update - posting this caused some Mormon missionaries to drop by and pester me. At least I think they were Mormons. They knocked, I opened the door, before it was fully open I saw dark suits and name tags and fake leather-bound books, I said "Not interested" and shut the door again. It's a shame the local ordinances don't let me set intruders on fire.