Let’s Talk Religion
Ga Maleven
Religions come in many different forms. From polytheism, monotheism, even atheism. Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Judaism are the more “popular” ones, but there are many others out there. Many religions have come and gone, such as the Ancient Egyptians religion with Ra, then the Ancient Greeks with Zeus, and even the vikings with Thor. Religions and lack of religion have always been around, they have clashed, and they have empowered people, saved people, or even destroyed people. But, would the world be better with no religion?
No, it wouldn’t. Let’s look why.
While some religions (cults, really) in the past and even today may encourage harm to others, such as live sacrifices, suicide, hating gays, promoting murder, true religions don’t. In fact, religions such as Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, etc. do not encourage their followers to go on killings sprees, but sadly there are extremists who claim that these religions do in order to justify their hate, abuse, and murdering others. In the past, and even today, many have died due to those who have agendas of hatred and violence and twist the words of religious texts to try and justify their actions as being “holy” and “permitted” by their god or gods.
Christianity, for example, has been twisted by Fundamentalists to make it seem like God hates gays, wants humans to eat animals, women are objects, birth control is “evil,” that human overpopulation is impossible, and that humans are “superior” above all other life. In reality, God wants us to be vegan, God still loves you despite sexual orientation, and birth control is fine. The Bible doesn’t actually preach hate, to eat and kill animals, to abuse others, or to be cruel. Sadly, people such as those in the Westboro Baptist Church, Klu Klux Klan, and Fundamentalists ignore what the Bible actually says to hurt others all because they don’t like them. It has nothing to do with what God wants.
This has been done with other religions, such as Islam, that doesn’t actually tell people to murder or to kill Christians, or bomb people. Extremists claim they are following Islam, when they simply are not. Muslims are targeted by those who do not fully understand their religion and discriminated against and even killed because of it.
The Bible had some questionable stuff in it, just as the Qu’ran does and other religious texts, but those violent acts are not ordering the believers to do the same. A lot of misunderstanding also arises due to the languages that the texts were originally written in. On example of this would be when Jesus in the Holy Bible speaks about caring for slaves. During the time of slavery, these verses were used to justify owning slaves, but God never actually intended for slaves to be kept. The word used for these “slaves” in the Bible doesn’t have an accurate translation in English, so the word “slave” was used. These “slaves” were actually more like butlers that lived with their “masters” and took care of the house, animals, and the owners. They did this out of necessity since they were poor, had no place of their own, and this job provided everything they needed. Many people had them during the Biblical times, so Jesus simply told people to care for these “butlers” and ensure they had food, necessities, and were not harmed.
Many things in the Holy Bible, Qu’ran, and other religious texts also do not translate over to other languages, or even life. These texts were written in a very different time and culture. If we were to live EXACTLY as people did back then following all those rules precisely, we could not survive. Back then they had no electricity, vaccines, medicine, soap, nothing. Our bodies are not adapted to live in those conditions, so it would take a while to do so. We would not be able to live long without the proper medical care and so will be dying young, and even genetics have changed over time. So, to follow these religious texts to the letter is impossible.
While following the teaching of your religion is important, you must remember what it was like in the time they were written, the culture, and to follow the good teachings. I am a Christian myself, and while I follow what Jesus said, I am not cleaning anyone’s feet. Times have changed and now the streets are clean, we have closed shoes, and with the change of culture it would probably be viewed as a foot fetish if I approached someone and cleaned their feet. And then I would be arrested…
Religions are not evil, and while some conflicts, wars, and even murders have happened by someone claiming their religion wanted them to, the reality is it didn’t. They had their own agenda and they went after that, using twisted verses to justify their actions. Cults do this often. Cults are branched off of religions, changing many things to it to fit a personal agenda (Westboro Baptist Church is a cult heavily trying to attack other religions and sexual orientation), to create something new to believe in (Scientology), or to control others into believing something they want to have be believed in. Cults do not follow actual religions, science, and abuse/control is often heavy in them.
Amish are a kind of cult given how they have changed the Bible into trying to make it seem like God only wants people to live with 1800s technology. They also twist the Bible in many other ways to support animal abuse, child abuse, treating women like property, and hating outsiders. Amish are quite far from being “peaceful” or following God. They are the largest providers of puppymills, they overwork, beat, and kill animals, and they horrifically abuse children. Rape is common, and women are often forced to marry their rapists, and women have no say in what they do with their lives. While many may say the Amish are a “kind” people, the sad reality is they are not actually following the Bible, but instead creating a high patriarchal society that benefits only men and greatly harms women, children, and non-human animals.
What about lack of religion? Atheism is not pure itself. Many evil people are atheists, just as many evil people claim to follow a religion. The problem is not religion, it’s humans. It’s selfish, cruel, hateful people who don’t care about others. Religion is not something to fight over, hate people for, or use as an excuse to do bad, just as a lack of religion isn’t. Sadly, humans are destructive, especially if they are not taught to be peaceful and loving to others.
Macro evolution (believing the big bang, species evolved into new species) is sort of a religion of itself. While religions, such as the Bible, have evidence of battles, cities, and even people mentioned in it of existing, we can’t actually prove God Himself exists. Macro evolution works the same way. We have evidence that micro evolution (wolves becoming pugs, but still same species) exists, and have found fossils that might be transitional fossils, but there is no way to prove the big bang happened. Evolution has some possible evidence for it, but still lacks a lot, so simply is still a theory. Since it cannot be tested and proven, as the scientific method goes, macro evolution will probably always be a theory.
All religions support science. Not a single one says science doesn’t exist or even require science to not exist in order to work. God, Allah, and other deities who may or may not exist obviously created science in order to run the world so they don’t have to. To claim that Creationists or someone who is religious doesn’t believe in science is simply bullshit. As I like to say, God is the engineer, science in the car engine, and the universe is the car. Many scientists are Creationists, and are not fundamentalists or any such things.
Religions do not cause violence, religions and science work together, and hating someone for being religious or not religious is simply bullying. Religion is a big subject to delve into, so I am not going to go into much more detail into it in this journal. I simply don’t have the space! Religions, all religions, need to be taught in schools so children learn about them all. It doesn’t have to be excessive, but even a basic overview is better than nothing. To show what these religions believe, and how creationism and macro evolution both explain how the world was created, how species exist, etc. This is important to not just spread education, but help ensure no discrimination happens. When children do not learn about religions, hatred and fear can form and you have them harming those of a religion they know nothing about. This is what’s happening in the United States right now in regard to Islam. Many Americans know nothing about Islam and assume it’s a terrible religion so attack Muslims. If they knew better, they would know that only the extremists are the problem, not 90% of actual Muslims.
Teaching children about all religions and lack of religion and giving them the choice to believe one or none also empowers kids. It builds their education and allows them to make better decisions as they grow, and to not hate those who believe something they don’t. Because in the end the only thing that matters is not harming others. IF something you do harms someone, whether human or non-human animal, then that is bad and needs to stop. But if your actions and lifestyle cause no harm, then who cares what you do or believe?
One last thing I will touch on is child marriage. While it is not actually religious, but rather culture related, some people may use religion to justify it. It doesn’t. No child is property to be sold to an older man in order to get food, money, or anything else. Child marriages are still prevalent throughout the world, even the United States. They cause unimaginable suffering, rape, abuse, and psychological trauma to the victims. Child marriages must come to an immediate end.
While not always as bad, arranged marriages, especially to other family members, is also forcing people into a relationship against their will. People have the right to choose who they want to marry and live with, and forcing them into a marriage is wrong, goes against human rights, and often leads to abuse. Marriage is not a “necessity” for life, and people are not property to be forced to do things simply because you gave birth to them.
Muslim Man Killed by Hindus: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/05/muslim-man-dies-in-india-after-attack-by-hindu-cow-protectors
Child Marriages Before 12 (video): [link]
Child Brides: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/06/child-brides/gorney-text
Girls Not Brides: http://www.girlsnotbrides.org/about-child-marriage/
11 Years Old and Forced to Marry Her Rapist: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/26/opinion/sunday/it-was-forced-on-me-child-marriage-in-the-us.html
Child Marriage Facts and Figures: https://www.icrw.org/child-marriage-facts-and-figures/
Stop Child Marriage: http://www.care.org/work/womens-empowerment/child-marriage
Why Can 12 Year Olds still get Married on the United States: https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2017/02/10/why-does-the-united-states-still-let-12-year-old-girls-get-married/?utm_term=.24cd388eb779
Why I Made My Teenager Become a Child Bride: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/17/syrian-mothers-child-brides
Child Marriage in Bangladesh (video): [link]
Muslim Woman Confronts Intolerance (video): [link]
Confronting Politicians on Islam (video): [link]
Muslim Woman Attacked for Being Peaceful (video): [link]
Acid Attack on Innocent Muslim Man (video): [link]
5 Warning Signs of a Spiritual Narcissist: http://www.crosswalk.com/slideshows/5-warning-signs-of-a-spiritual-narcissist.html
Family Loses Everything but Cat: https://www.thedodo.com/syrian-refugee-family-cat-2209810898.html
Someone Sets Fire to Memorial of 17 Year Old Murdered Muslim Girl: http://rare.us/rare-news/whats-wrong-with-people/someone-set-the-memorial-of-a-17-year-old-girl-killed-in-a-horrific-act-of-violence-on-fire/
Virginia Muslim Girl Killed After Leaving Mosque: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/fairfax-loudoun-police-searching-for-missing-17-year-old-reported-to-have-been-assaulted/2017/06/18/02e379ac-5466-11e7-a204-ad706461fa4f_story.html?utm_term=.b2526d477e78
Islamaphobia Grows Louder in North Carolina: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/feb/23/north-carolina-islamophobia-muslims-threats
Muslims Hides Christians From ISIS: http://churchleaders.com/news/305384-muslims-hide-christians-isis-affiliated-militants-philippines.html
20 Million Muslims March Against ISIS: http://www.alternativenewsnetwork.net/20-million-muslims-march-isis-mainstream-media-completely-ignores/
Muslims Save Neighbors From Fire: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/grenfell-tower-fire-muslims-still-awake-ramadan-saved-residents-lives-105703176.html
Muslim-Americans Help Repair Vandalized Jewish Graves: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/321271-muslim-americans-help-repair-hundreds-of-vandalized-jewish
4 Month Old Girl Misses Open Heart Surgery Due to Trump’s Travel Ban: http://www.rawstory.com/2017/02/like-a-nightmare-4-month-old-girl-misses-open-heart-surgery-because-of-trumps-travel-ban/
Islam isn’t Evil: http://www.danielpipes.org/437/the-evil-isnt-islam
If Islam is Violent, So is Christianity: http://foreignpolicy.com/2016/06/14/if-islam-is-a-religion-of-violence-so-is-christianity/
10 Things to Know About Islam: https://www.onfaith.co/discussion/10-things-i-wish-everyone-knew-about-islam
How to stop Viewing Islam as a Bad Religion: http://www.wikihow.com/Stop-Viewing-Islam-As-a-Bad-Religion
Majority of Fatal Attacks in America Carried Out by White Supremacists: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jun/24/majority-of-fatal-attacks-on-us-soil-carried-out-b/
Muslim Virginia Home Vandalized: http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Muslim-Familys-Virginia-Home-Vandalized-Quran-Torn-Up-417328033.html
Muslim Man Dies Saving Hundreds by Hugging Suicide Bomber: http://awarenessact.com/muslim-man-dies-saving-hundreds-of-lives-by-hugging-a-suicide-bomber/
Muslim Youth Talks Veganism: https://vegplanet.in/muslim-youth-delivers-talk-veganism-inside-jain-temple/
Faith Healing Isn’t Following God: http://www.today.com/video/disabled-woman-wants-faith-healing-parents-prosecuted-for-lack-of-medical-care-668998723741
Amish Puppymills: [link]
Survivor Speaks Out Against Amish Rape Culture: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/survivor-speaks-out-against-amish-rape-culture-ahead_us_581e7b02e4b0334571e09cfd
Speaking Out Against Amish Puppymills (video): [link]
Puppies Terribly Mistreated by Amish: http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=7187712&page=1
Amish Puppymills: http://www.thepuppymillproject.org/amish-puppy-mills/
Amish Mistreat Puppies: http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=7187712
Amish Puppymill Abuse: http://www.religioustolerance.org/amish-puppy-mill-abuse.htm
Disturbing Abuse in Amish Community: http://lancasteronline.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-a-disturbing-animal-cruelty-trend-in-lancaster-county/article_4670b55e-60c9-11e6-a52f-db51441e6c36.html
Amish Man Beat Horse: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/08/06/amish-man-beat-overburdened-horse-until-it-collapsed-police-say/?utm_term=.839758746353
The Truth About the Amish: https://30daysnotice.wordpress.com/2011/12/15/the-truth-about-the-amish/
Children Killed in Amish Community: http://blogcenter.readingeagle.com/a-closer-look-at-animal-welfare-issues/2013/10/02/amish-a-forgiving-and-cruel-community/
The dark Side of the Amish: http://amishdarkside.blogspot.com/
Amish Animal Abuse: http://www.fltimes.com/opinion/animal-abuse-we-can-t-always-be-culturally-blind-in/article_19f3f8aa-bcbf-11e5-ba20-830f86ee0090.html
Amish Animal Cruelty: http://amishamerica.com/hot-horses-amish-animal-cruelty/
Sexual Abuse in Amish Community: http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=316371
Amish Bishop Didn’t Report Child Sex Abuse: http://www.pennlive.com/news/2017/05/amish_bishop_charged_with_fail.html
Amish Rape Culture: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/survivor-speaks-out-against-amish-rape-culture-ahead_us_581e7b02e4b0334571e09cfd
Sex Assault Case Offers Glimpse of an Amish Community: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/us/03amish.html
Book – Tears of the Silenced: A True Crime and an American Tragedy; Severe Child Abuse and Leaving the Amish: https://www.amazon.com/Tears-Silenced-American-Tragedy-Leaving-ebook/dp/B00RETC8B4
Muslim Vegans Celebrating Ramadan: https://www.buzzfeed.com/ikrd/vegan-ramadan?utm_term=.bb5DjR8yD#.kpPqpEnvq
How Muslims Got Through Ramadan: https://www.buzzfeed.com/ikrd/vegan-ramadan?utm_term=.nfGYDMGdY#.dypJ6dBKJ
How Islam Convinced Me to Go Vegan: http://mvslim.com/how-islam-convinced-me-of-becoming-vegan/
Islam and Veganism: http://www.onearabvegan.com/2012/01/muslims-cant-be-vegan-where-veganism-and-religion-collide/
It’s Time More Muslims Turn Vegan: https://themuslimvibe.com/western-muslim-culture/food/is-it-time-more-muslims-turned-to-veganism
Muslim Boy Chooses to Celebrate EID Differently: http://www.veganfirst.com/article/this-muslim-boy-chooses-to-celebrate-eid-differently
Muslim Women March to Wear What They Want to: [link]
Muslim Women Wear Bikinis: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/algeria-women-bikinis-conservative-islamists-muslim-cover-up-skin-beach-a7880371.html
How to Help Muslims Being Harassed: http://bust.com/feminism/18544-stop-anti-muslim-hate-crime.html
Iran in the 1970s: [link]
The Concept of Veganism in Islam: https://pal.ps/en/2017/01/29/the-concept-of-veganism-in-islam-2/
Buddhist Leader Wants You to Go Vegan: http://www.onegreenplanet.org/environment/thich-nhat-hanh-leader-draws-attention-to-food-choices-and-planet/
Rabbi Challenges Synagogues to Go Vegan: http://vegnews.com/articles/page.do?pageId=9790&catId=1
Which Religion is the Most Violent?: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/dec/31/which-religion-most-violent/
Creationism Banned in Schools: http://io9.gizmodo.com/teaching-creationism-as-science-now-banned-in-all-uk-pu-1592549647
Turkish Schools to Stop Teaching Evolution: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/23/turkish-schools-to-stop-teaching-evolution-official-says
Ten Major Flaws With Evolution: http://www.epm.org/resources/2010/Oct/3/ten-major-flaws-evolution-revised/
Top Three Flaws of Evolution: https://evolutionnews.org/2012/05/what_are_the_to/
Flaws in Evolution Theory: https://www.gotquestions.org/flaws-theory-evolution.html
Creationists Point to Huge Flaws in Evolution: https://genius.com/Creation-today-creationists-point-to-huge-flaws-in-evolution-theory-annotated
Robotic Evolution Exposing Flaws of Evolution: https://americanvision.org/13117/how-the-robot-revolution-is-exposing-the-inherent-flaws-of-evolution/
5 Flaws of Evolution: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christiancrier/2014/11/11/5-flaws-in-the-theory-of-evolution/
The Top Ten Scientific Problems with Biological and Chemical Evolution: http://www.discovery.org/a/24041
Four Fatal Flaws of Evolution: https://ptv.org/devotional/four-fatal-flaws-of-evolution/ Podcast on this: http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/pathway-to-victory/listen/the-four-fatal-flaws-of-evolution-498503.html
The Fatal Flaws of Living Fossils: http://www.icr.org/article/major-evolutionary-blunders-fatal-flaws/
The Theory of Evolution Has Flaws: https://www.compellingtruth.org/flaws-theory-evolution.html
Creationist Scientists: http://creation.com/creation-scientists
Creation Scientists: https://answersingenesis.org/creation-scientists/
Is Creationists Compatible With Science? Evidence Says Yes: http://www.slate.com/blogs/saletan/2014/02/21/is_creationism_compatible_with_science_the_evidence_says_yes.html
Do Real Scientists Believe in Creation: http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/edn-scientists.html
Bible Believing Scientists of the Past: http://www.icr.org/article/bible-believing-scientists-past/
Institute for Creation Research: http://www.icr.org/
T-Rex Had Scaly Skin, Not Feathers: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/06/06/tyrannosaurus-rex-had-scaly-skin-and-wasnt-covered-in-feathers-a-new-study-says/?utm_term=.c1fa6599709c
Should spiritual leaders be vegan?
Never treat a woman like this. Powerful film.
Houston’s Mosques Are Staying Open Around The Clock To Help Harvey Flood Victims
Don’t Kill An Animal This Eid – The Vegan Muslim Initiative
Muslims Defend Christians During Attack in Kenya
I Grew Up In A Fundamentalist Cult — ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Was My Reality
Jesus’s Skin Color: http://theconversation.com/jesus-wasnt-white-he-was-a-brown-skinned-middle-eastern-jew-heres-why-that-matters-91230
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-29/jesus-wasnt-white-he-was-a-brown-skinned-jew/9600402
https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2016/april/why-jesus-skin-color-matters.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APMu32sC2nM
Islam: “Do not allow your stomachs to become graveyards of animals.” – Prophet Muhammad, Hadith
Buddhism: “All meats eaten by living beings are of their own relatives.” – Lankavatara Sutra (Tripitaka No. 671
Christianity: “If you had known what that text means, ‘I require mercy, not sacrifice’ you would not have condemnded the innocent.” – Matthew 12:7
Taoism: “Do not go into the mountain to catch birds in nets, nor to the water to poison fishes and minnows. Do not butcher the ox that plows your field.” – Tract of the Quiet Way
Judaism: “It is forbidden, according to the law of the Torah, to inflict pain upon any living creature. On the contrary, it is out duty to relieve the pain of any creaturem even it it is ownerless or belonds to a non Jew”
Hinduism: “Meat cannot be obtained without injury to animals, and the slaughter of animals onstructs the wat to Heaven; let him therefore shun the use of meat.” – The Laws of Manu V, 45-52