YeahSureRight

Oh, yes, I did go there

I think it's time for the religion talk. I know, but it has to be done.

I was raised Catholic, by a woman who was raised by a Catholic, but is half Italian, half Russian Jew (twice the love, twice the guilt). I was baptized in the same church my parents married in. As were both my sisters. I had my first communion there too.

Anyway... Mom was very involved in the church when she was younger and when we came along, she involved us too. That was fine when I was 7 and going to church was fun and cool (I was allowed to bring toys). But as I got older, it got a little suffocating. Do you know how many rules those Catholics have to follow, I mean, come on. And mom got a little lax in our Catholic upbringing right about the time we were able to drive. We were all confirmed ( a Christian rite conferring the gift of the Holy Spirit, a way of dedicating your life to living a Catholic life) much to our protestation. Mom made us do it for our grandmother, her mother. Not the best circumstances, but you get over it. I am agnostic, (a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (as God) is unknown and unknowable; broadly : one who is not committed to believing in either the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god). Basically, I think there is a higher power, but will not pigeon hole it into one religion. All faiths have their good and bad points, so I stick to the middle ground.

But I am fascinated by religious scholarship. I don't know why, but it is so intriguing. I watch all the shows on the History Channel about ancient religions and cults and factions, I love religious epic films. I don't know what it is, it just lights me up.

Buddha seems like a totally cool guy, big ears, usually smiling, he'd be fun to party with. God is the same in Judaism and Catholicism, only the Caths added a few more players to the mix. Mohammed saw the other monotheistic religions as a stepping stone (but said that he had been sent by God in order to complete and perfect those teachings) and accepted Jesus as a prophet, not a god, a prophet. Islam is very similar to Christianity and Judaism in many ways (I read, I know these things).

So pretty much all faiths are related on some level so being agnostic is a pretty good place to be.

posted by HelloBettyLou @ 6:24 PM