Why I Hate Religion

Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus



“Church is not a museum for good people but a hospital for the broken” from the spoken word poem titled “why I hate religion, but love jesus”

Not sure what this young man's name is name but his YouTube username is bbal1989

Some of my artwork on grace.

What are your thoughts on the church, church or religion?  Do you agree with this video? Disagree with parts? Why?

Critical Thought Tuesday: Ignorant vrs. Naïve

I would like to address the difference between naïveté and ignorance.  Though they have similar denotation, their connotations are different.  I think there is a difference and this is how I distinguish the two...

Naïve – Is the term I use to describe someone who may have never been exposed to something or never had the opportunity to learn about it. It is not their fault and no-one chooses to be naïve

Poster created by Felicia Follum in response to the described situation.  Read more.

For example when I moved to Wyoming and people found out I had a boyfriend about one person a day asked if he was white or black before asking about him or any other question. As I later learned when people don’t know how to place you into a schema, they sometimes ask what may weird or naïve questions (though I was not offended, many people would have been). These questions are so that they can understand something they have not been exposed to.

Ignorant – is a term I use to describe someone who is presented with an idea and chooses to blatantly ignore it. Oftentimes showing contempt or anger. This is typically more of a choice. Once someone is offered the chance to become aware or educated, but they reject it without showing any thought, remorse, or confusion in the response to cognitive dissonance.

The person above would be naïve, just trying to figure something that is new to them out where as the ignorant person may respond with “good, I am glad he is white” and yes this did happen.

Another difference is that between being respectful and blatantly rude, whether it is an un-acceptance to realize that people have different beliefs or using terms that everyone knows are offensive. The distinction become a bit cloudy, for example old people tend to be naïve rather than ignorant.  However, I do think that there is a distinction, that goes beyond someone disagrees so they are ignorant.  It has little to do with opinions, and more to do with how we express, form and process opinions.

I wanted to share how I use these terms and what I mean when I use them.  Are you intentional when you use these words?  How do you distinguish between the two?  Is there a difference at all?

Update: My grandma has since passed away. She never knew Jesus which breaks my heart. She was a wonderfully crazy and amazing women, even with some of her odd quicks.

Bible vs. Koran??

 I found this cartoon the other day when I was looking for some design inspiration.

Being an art student, I am used to this attitude and see it nearly every day.  My husband is a PhD student in Electrical Engineering and topics like this really don’t come up. 

There was a ceramics project up in our fine arts building a couple weeks ago.  The project appeared to be from Beginning Ceramics and the project had to do with using slabs of clay to build something.  One of the projects was a Bible like book that said “JESUS: Today’s Modern Fairy Tale.”  My husband was appalled (not surprised) at the idea of people mocking Christianity.  He brought up the point that you would never see something like this referencing the Koran or a Holy Book from another religion.

When I found this image while searching for inspiration, I literally laughed out loud.  I guess I commend any artist who can humorously capture the sad realities of life.

Check out my poster project that was in response to a series of Christian-Bashing posters…

De Honkify Your God

James Cone

What exactly does race have to do with religion?

I just had an interesting conversation with my professor (she used the term de-honkify and I liked it) from my online class (African American Religious Culture).  This is the same professor from my White Privilege post.  I will be learning much more about these specific theologians/philosophers later this semester, so I may come back and make some changes in the comments section.  But here are my thoughts for now…

First of all, humans are visual creatures.  We see color and beauty often times before we see anything else.  When the African world and the European world collided, there were  obviously significant visual differences.  These differences were emphasized and became an integral part of American society when the two cultures a clear social hierarchy.

These differences affect ever aspect of our daily lives including religion and God.  During slavery, God was made white. This white God was used to justify slavery and the superiority of the white man (look farther back at Manifest Destiny).  Along with a white God there are several subtle ways that white privilege, and the idea that white was the status quo, both played a role in the development of this lens in which we view society.

James Cone needs to be seen for what he was in the culture that he was a part of.  He was not some black power racist but rather a man trying to explain to theologians of the time (19600s) that race and color play a significant role in religion.  In response to the white god, Cone said “no God is Black, he is the God of the oppressed.”  If you want to see God at work, go to the ghettos, go to the homeless shelter, not the churches.  Cone explains this by breaking down exactly what God did through Jesus on the cross.  Jesus ate with tax collectors and prostitutes, not the Pharisees.  God’s character has not changed he still emphasizes with and is present in the lives of the oppressed.

In response to this idea of a black (or more importantly, a non white God) the white theologians and white churches responded by stepping back and ignoring the truths that cone was presenting.  They, in a sense, whimpered and said, “no, God is not White and God is not black, race doesn’t matter.”  They wanted to keep “their God” and if this meant not letting him be white either, that was fine.  It was clear to them that he was not black.  Instead of seeing the issue as an issue, they became outspoken about how God has no race and that race doesn’t matter when the truth is race does matter.  

I plan to continue this exploration of exactly how race plays a role in orienting oneself in the world (Longs definition of religion) and how race and history are involved in the history of the church...

What is Religious? Just some Thoughts

In my class, we were asked to discuss the question “what is religious?”

Here is my response to our reading:

Religion as Orientation: A mini-lecture, Charles Long says that, “Religion defies definition, paradoxically she notes, because when we look at religiousness we see that it is all about boundaries.”
In response to this quote, I think that spirituality is the aspect that defies definition and religion that has the boundaries. Maybe I am messing with semantics and missing the point but it does seem that there is an important difference between the two.

For example, a Christian could experience God, while snowboarding, backpacking, or even through the process of getting a tattoo while at the same time the legalists from that religion may say that these practices are not ways to experience God. However, someone from another background may be expected to endure body piercings, tattoos, and the use of Peyote to experience God.

It makes sense that the religion, rules and culture, guiding ones spiritual practices may be what orients ones spirituality. Religion helps show (through definition and therefore some form of understanding) the significance of spirituality (or the individuals way of experiencing truth and the world).

I think this varies from Long’s definition in that he says “many people live without Gods, nobody lives without religion.” I would replace religion with spirituality. The spirituality is in everyone and the religion directs it.


Question:

Another student commented that my definition requires a higher power and asked where a religion “like Theravada Buddhism -- which I would guess is largely regarded to fit into the category of religion, though the emphasis is on mental development, not experiencing a specific "higher power" -- fit into your idea of religion?”

My second response:

You bring up a good point, as I did imply that the spirituality is in relation to a higher power. Tough, I am not sure that it is necessary to have a higher power for these definitions to work.

According to my definition, Theravada Buddhism would still fit. Spirituality, in this case, is experienced through mental development rather than a God or a god. Mental development is the process of reaching their ultimate good as defined by their religion. The ways that the person is guided through this mental development, say fasting or other rituals, would be the religion.

I agree my definitions do fit in the sense that religion does help people to orient themselves.

Athestic Satanism and Satan

My previous question prompt:

Even though Satanism claims to not believe in the spirit world or Satan, from a Christian perspective I would argue that they are playing into Satan’s plan for the United States...

Our beliefs do not affect TRUTH.  There are various types of truth (scientific, personal etc.) but I also believe in an ultimate TRUTH (like Platonic TRUTH).  This ultimate truth is not affected by my beliefs or the beliefs of anyone else.  I believe that the fact that Satanists do not believe in Satan, does not mean that he doesn’t exist.  Not believing in him or his demons causes people to not be on guard (Ephesians 6)…

Satanism Documentary
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One of the ways that I believe Satan works in the United States includes the attempt to convince Americans that there is no such thing as morality and no such thing as a God. We are not as spiritual as other countries (Africa for example). Instead of using demons and possession to attack America, Satan is using an approach that we do not notice as easily. This approach still takes people away from God and I believe that Satan is more interested in keeping people from God than he is interested in being worshiped (although this happens too, and I would guess that he likes that as well). As a society we are beginning to support the John Hick idea of “many paths lead to God,” thus being drawn from the one Judeo Christian God.

I think that Satanism (one specific type of Satanism) in the United States plays into this belief. They do not believe in God, nor do they believe sin. Satan represents the philosophical ideas that they believe.  

Philosophical, Hedonistic, Atheistic, or Neo Satanism Defined  (for these posts I am simplifying the idea of Satanism; this girl complicates it.  She does define the terms well)



4:10 – Defines Philosophy
4:40 – Defines Atheistic and Modern Satism
(5:10 – 8:00 This is the type of Satanism I am talking about and seems to be the most common in the US.)

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What is Satanism

Satanism Defined



Anton Lavey’s Satanic Bible is the origin of LaVey Philosophy. This philosophy is based on the idea that you are your own God. This philosophy adheres to the belief that there is no spiritual world, no heaven or hell, no Satan, no God and therefore no reason to avoid sin (because it doesn’t exist). This group of individuals could also be considered atheists because of their beliefs.

However, there are reasons that they do not consider themselves atheists or humanists. Their name originates from the ancient word Satan which means opposer. Satan can be seen as the ultimate analogy of rebellion. Watch this video for a one minute explanation of why Satanists call themselves Satanists if they don't believe in him.



Some of the ideas that Satan represent include: kindness and love to those who deserve it; vengeance for those who deserve it; indulgence and the animal in man.
This video discusses the 9 Satanic Commandments and the representations of Satan.



Even though Satanism claims to not believe in the spirit world or Satan, from a Christian perspective I would argue that they are playing into Satan’s plan for the United States.

What do you think?
I will respond soon.

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