Thursday, March 27, 2014

Just In Case Religion

There is a song by Tom T. Hall called "I Remember the Year That Clayton Delaney Died".  One of the lines goes, "They say at the end he got religion and I'm glad he did".  To me that is just a case of "Just in Case Religion" and that seems to be what far too many people have.

Just think, how many people you know who did just whatever the heck they wanted until they were around sixty or above and the fact of mortality came looking them in the face THEN they, all of a sudden, "got religion".  Just in case ....

I wonder just who they think they are fooling.  If there is a god such as the Christian Bible proposes then do we think he/she/it is so stupid as to believe after 60-70 years of doing as we damn well please we all of a sudden get enlightened?  Or, is it, we all of a sudden get scared of an eternity in hell and "Just In Case" we need to "get religion" before we die?  Hmmm...

I guess it is just human nature to  not worry about the future of our "immortal soul" when we are young and death seems so far away and not so believable.  Then, as we age, we come face to face with the fact that nobody yet has escaped this world alive and start thinking "just in case" we were wrong to deny the reality of religious beliefs. 

Personally, I believe "Just in Case" religion is worse than no religion at all.  At least no religion at all is honest.  IF there is a GOD and IF there is a judgment I think there will be a lot of surprised people who find that "Just in Case" is not good enough. 

I think I'll take my chances on dying by the values I've had to live by.  I do not believe in the stereotypical Christian God.  A God who is a demon with delusions.  A god who commands genocide, a god who demands torture and death for non-believers.  I do not believe in a God who would sentence anyone to an eternity in the Christian Hell for any reason.

If there is a God, I believe he/she/it would be more concerned with belief, intent and honesty that mere forms and public professions.  IF there is a God I will face him/her/it with my head held high and the knowledge I have done the best I could with what I was given.  I will NOT bow to "Just in Case" religion.  Because if there is one thing I do believe it is that hypocrisy will buy you nothing at all.  If I go down it will be standing on my own two feet and believing what I believe.  It will not be on a platform of "Just in Case" hypocrisy. 

People should understand, If your beliefs are good enough to live by they are good enough to die by.  And, if you are afraid to die by them, then, perhaps you should take another look at how you are living. 

I admit I despise conventional religion.  I think it is evil incarnate disguised as good.  No professed evil in this world has ever done as much harm as organized religion and most especially Christianity.  I believe that IF there is a GOD and IF he/she/it is just there are going to be a lot of surprised self-righteous hypocrites looking around for some excuse and not finding any. 

When it comes to life I believe, "If you can't die by it then don't live by it".  Morality is simple.  It is called the Golden Rule.  Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  Nothing else is necessary.  If we would all just do that we would not need a bunch of religious hokum.

I've lived my life by what I believe and I'll die by what I believe.  There will be no "Just In Case" religion for me.  If God judges by the heart then the rest does not matter.  If there is no god then the rest does not matter.  Just in case hypocrisy is not for me, thank you.
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