Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Religiosity

I think, on a technical level, I qualify as a religious person. I do a lot of things that religious people tend to do. Many of them I enjoy doing. That being said, I really, really dislike religious people. Some of it is probably resentment. Some people have this relationship with God, and they seem really very sure that whatever Lord they're in contact with is their buddy. I've never felt that way. I've always kind of felt like, in some ways, God is kind of a douche, and we have a hard time getting along.

Like, take this gay thing for example. I sort of take issue with the fact that God would make someone homosexual and then tell them that the only way to not burn in hell is rely on the Church for help. Religious people (not just LDS people, but generally speaking, they aren't in any way an exception) hate gay people. Does that not seem like a problem to anyone else? First people are asked to accept that an integral part of who they are is in direct opposition to the person who created them, and then they're told that the only way to reconcile themselves to said creator is to align themselves with people who, for the most part, will never accept them.

Now let's talk about sexism. I was ready to believe that God isn't a giant misogynist before I went to the temple, and that it was everyone else's fault for being giant misogynists and then claiming it was God's idea. Turns out it really was God's idea. I was under the impression that you're supposed to like God more after going to the temple, but I like him a lot less now than I used to.

But I feel like I'm screwed either way. I feel like God is God, and thus, he can probably make whatever rules he wants, but he also happens to be a gay-hating misogynist. So I can either fall in line or burn in hell, and I have to say, it's kind of a Sophie's Choice situation.

5 comments:

  1. If it was okay for Jesus to question the decision making of God, then i'm fairly certain it's acceptable for you to do it as well. There is absolutely no sin in questioning God. In fact, the Bible supports this idea.

    Luke 22:41-43
    Mark 15:34

    See? Jesus was a sinless man who questioned the decision making of God. I'd say you are in the clear, and probably not going to hell. :D

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  2. I'm more worried about going to hell for thinking that God is kind of a douche.

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  3. Ah yes, the 11th commandment. "Thou shalt not call the LORD a douche, regardless of how true it may be sometimes."

    No, I still think you are fine.

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  4. Your blog post completely resonates with me, Cassie. I've been thinking about it all day.

    I refuse to accept doctrine that paints God as a GLBT-hating mysogynist, and because of that, I feel like quite the black sheep (*cough*heretic*cough*). It seems to me that bigoted individuals often decide that God agrees with them and then say to others, "Look, I had an inspiration that God agrees with my gay-hating ways! Fall in line or enjoy your banishment to outer darkness." Doesn't it seem kind of backward? I, for one, don't buy it. Using God as an excuse for bigotry and hate is too easy.

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  5. I'm inclined to agree with you, Becca. It doesn't make any sense for God to be that way, and yet that ideology is so deeply entrenched in the culture we grew up in. No one questions it, which I don't understand. They just accept it as the way things are, and it doesn't seem to bother them. And one of my biggest fears is that people will hear of my religious affiliation and assume that that I'm a GLBT-hating barefoot pregnant kind of woman.

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