Politics and Religion

The hypocrisy that exists in our world of politics and religion and people's blindness to it amazes me. There are outcries that we should not allow Syrian refugees to escape into our country. Yet, we want to blast social media with #alllivesmatter. Because African American men occupy a large amount of our prison space our black boys walk around with a target on their backs. Because terrorist are of the Muslim descent we want to deny them all on the potential they're terrorist. We have an epidemic of mass school shootings across our country typically lead by young white males; yet I don't see a target on every white male's back. White Catholic priest are way too frequently guilty of molestation, but we don't deny them all their sainthood and their place in our churches because of the guilt of a few.

So why do we put the sins of a few on all in the case of minorities but for whites one is only guilty of their own actions, not the actions of their race or culture. And if you tell me that's not racist then please feel free to explain to me what is?

I'm not saying I'm not guilty of my own judgments or my own sense of hypocrisy. I'm all for promoting a new world of peace and love; yet, I completely support the rights to bear arms. I know that's hypocritical. The truth is in our world today we're a long way away from that idea of peace, but I also believe my chances of actually needing that gun for something besides killing dinner is pretty slim. But as fear and hate continue to breed like an infestation of mice I greatly fear how much worse the violence will get before it gets better.

I like to think I recognize how my judgments may be wrong and a result of fear even if I can't necessarily change them.  When we make these judgments against groups of people because of their race or culture based on the action of some, we are either living our life uneducated or in fear. That's what racism is. Fear and ignorance of what we don't understand. Both fear and ignorance lead to hate which in turn just leads to a continued cycle of violence.

You can tell me I'm naïve, but don't stand there and claim to be a good Christian and condemn all those not like you. Only one gets to make that final judgment, and that one is not you. We always want to bring God and religion into our political reasoning, which again nothing says hypocrite like claiming to be a good Christian but only deeming those worthy of  love and acceptance to those like you . I don't consider myself a Christian, Jew, Muslim, or with any religious affiliation anymore because unfortunately I feel they all push their own agenda when it suits them. Religion is also one of the leading causes of war; therefore, death. This group has fought that group throughout history all in the name of God.  Really?

Because the God I believe in loves us all the same way we each love all our children. Religion to me is more about traditions, but it's enforcing again that our traditions are the only acceptable ones by God and therefore the right one for society. Is God really going to send someone that lived a good, honest, loving life that believed in a higher power and purpose than themselves to hell because they practiced Jewish traditions over Christian ones or Muslim ones over Christian ones? I'm sorry I just don't believe the God I believe in would do that to a good, loving person. Doesn't Christianity teach we're all God's children. You want to do something in the name of God? We want to serve God? Love, accept, and help one another no matter their racial, cultural, economic status, sexual, religious, political affiliation. Be a voice that teaches love, not hate. Fight and pray for humanity, fight and pray for the world, not just the people we believe worthy because they're most like us.

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