Wednesday, March 04, 2020

Of Being A Person of Faith and Critical of Religion

"I believe in God, Jesus Christ, and angels...
         I read my Bible every day (on my phone app, because: technology). I can quote my favorite Psalms (especially 91: "he who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty"). I feel like I am a product of God's grace. My point is, I love Jesus, and Jesus loves me, too, as this little light of mine shines. I am a person of faith, and it is an important part of my life. However, being a person of faith has not stopped me from being critical of religion. I am in it and I am of it, but I side-eye it from time to time. Why? Because religion has been one of the most powerful and often detrimental institutions in our world, and its abuse has been responsible for much of the hurt we experience. This is why I must judge us, for using religion as a tool of mass control, discriminating, oppressions, and hate-mongering for so long.
          You know one of the most ridiculous things about super-religious people? Some of us have the nerve to think that our religion is the one that's 'right,' or better than everyone else's. Whether we're Muslim, Christian, or Jewish, our faiths follow most of the same tenets: Do good. Love your neighbor. Pray to a higher power. Don't be Satan's minion."
Luvvie Ajayi, 2016, 140
I'm Judging You: The Do-Better Manual

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