I once was a devout follower of the catholic faith. I believed that the bible should be a reference tool in my life and Jesus was my homeboy. I knew that if I never did anything that Jesus wouldn't approve of, I would live eternally in a land of happiness after my body ceased to take breath. A lifetime of restriction was a small price to pay for an eternity of happiness. I believed that this message should be spread and other people should follow the path of Jesus. I couldn't think of any other way to spread the teachings of Catholicism so I decided to look into the history of my faith and find out how it was done in the past. This jaunt through the pages of history was the defining factor in my excommunication from the Catholic Church.
The Christian faith is dangerous when you get into their collective way. Throughout history Christians have not thought twice about spilling the blood of others when they would not hear or accept their message. Millions of people were killed by Christians during the crusades, European Christians have always prosecuted Jews, and if you can warp your thinking a little you might be able to figure out why the average Christian American has a gripe the Muslim faith(even before 9/11). The more I researched the more disgusted and enraged I became. I realized that I was living a lie passed down for generations and I would have to be the one to put this beast of reconstituted hatred to rest.
After my faith was completely dissolved I started to look into the histories of other religions and saw that most others shared our checkered past. It was easy to see that one religion has the right idea and there is no real way to know what happens after we die. Religion is just a tool to help you come with that natural fear of "What comes next." Carl Sagan, one of the most prolific scientific minds in the history of the world, has influenced me to great measure. I will leave you with some of his most influential words.
“I would love to believe that when I die I will live again, that some thinking, feeling, remembering part of me will continue. But much as I want to believe that, and despite the ancient and worldwide cultural traditions that assert an afterlife, I know of nothing to suggest that it is more than wishful thinking.
The world is so exquisite with so much love and moral depth, that there is no reason to deceive ourselves with pretty stories for which there's little good evidence. Far better it seems to me, in our vulnerability, is to look death in the eye and to be grateful every day for the brief but magnificent opportunity that life provides.”
--Carl Sagan "In the Valley of the Shadow" PARADE magazine (10 March 1996)
