Recently, I decided that I'm done with religion. It is just not for me. What shoved the nail into proverbial coffin? A Facebook post from a family member stating that the Archdiocese of Milwaukee recently ordered a church not to perform a wedding to a same-sex couple after a guest from said wedding notified the archdiocese about it.
Some people just plain suck. I decided to post my unsolicited opinions on this matter on Facebook. The response there and elsewhere was, shall we say, illuminating.
That is not what this long overdue blog post is about.
Like I said: I'm done with religion.
Some might say I've been brainwashed. I'll take that as a compliment that I've kept an open mind throughout my life. I am free to have my own thoughts, beliefs, and opinions. So what has shaped them? My life experiences and also in order: my parents, my family, my Latino heritage, Star Trek, the congregation of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Waukesha, my education, the Catholic church itself, the LGBTQ community, and finally - the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. No one person has brainwashed me. No one person deserves to give themselves or to be given that much credit.
Much of what I listed above has stated that there is one true religion better than all others.
Many people in my life know that I have an insatiable curiosity. I have suddenly begun to wonder just how many religious leaders have existed throughout time. I've always strongly believed there is no one true religion and no one true deity.
I do not respond well to hearing there is one true anything.
Religion and its traditions are as diverse as humanity itself and there is no one way of thinking - no belief system - that is superior to all. Like humanity itself, it simply exists. That many complex organizations and belief systems have come and gone is.. fascinating (yes, I'm saying this with a raised Spock eyebrow). Talk about over-complicating the concept of, "don't be an a$$hole to other people."
Where did my curiosity take me? To this Wikipedia post. I found a number of ad-filled pages that included mentions of Martin Luther King Jr among other contemporaries. Surely they will invite a "my deity is better than yours" discussion. I'd prefer not to share any of them.
Enjoy!
List of Founders of Religious Traditions
