The way it is

I don't really understand religion. I thought it was something created to assist people in getting along, create communities, pass along values, and help people determine what is acceptable and what is not, but the older I grew, the more disenchanted I became with the religious. I attended mass all the way through college (almost every Sunday), trying to make peace with what was being preached, but in the end, I found that my own spiritual journey was deeper than what I was getting inside the church.

I don't understand people who interpret the Bible literally. As if it was written by the hand of the Creator. I don't understand how folks who are nice enough to other people cannot accept different religions as being legitimate faiths. I was born and raised Catholic, which I learned translates from Latin as 'universal'. Why can't Catholics accept other faiths? It makes no sense to me. (Not all Catholics I know are like that, but a fair few are.)

Other people, so-called 'Christians', are unable accept to other faiths, as well. What's the deal with that? Did Christ not teach acceptance, to love others as you love yourself? People with different beliefs, or different values are not the enemy. As long as they mean no harm, what is the point in labeling them as such?

I think many of the problems today stem from language. People use words and other people interpret what they think the words mean. Quite often, the meaning is lost in translation, even with people who speak the 'same' language.

If you need proof of what I am saying here, open up your computer manual and start reading.