Before I start:
Religionists: people who believe in a deity, being, god, goddess, etc.
Non-Believers: people who don’t believe in any deity, being, god, goddess, etc. (to many a reader out there - learn the difference between being an atheist and being agnostic please…)
I am a non-believer and disagree with all religion out there. Now before you religionists start getting up in arms and planning your response(s) as to why “We should believe”, I don’t care. The same bodes for all you non-believers out there, that are getting excited and planning your response(s) as to why “We shouldn’t believe”, I don’t care. Every time I open up News24, there is, 90% of the time, a Most Commented article relating to religion or non-religion. These articles are debated furiously, with every side trying to prove why their choice (and it is a choice no matter what you think) is the right one and why you, the opposed are “evil” and wrong! (Now I know that some moron will inevitably say “A murderer choses to kill, so does that mean you condone it!”, it’s not the same thing. People do have mental and various other issues.)
These religious debates show up a huge fundamental flaw that we have as humans – intolerances to/for difference. To be fair, out of all the people I have met on this road of life, some of the non-believers (and I re-iterate some) I feel are more tolerant than the religionists. Why is it that when we as humans, come across someone/thing/aspect that is not within our norm, we have to judge and prejudice based on pre-conceived ideas. Have you ever just taken a step back and said you know what - that person’s choice(belief), sexuality, condition, etc. is not with within my norms but I’m OK with it. I’m sure you haven’t as your narrow-mindedness cannot justify why that person is that way (this bodes the same for both parties in this regard). You need to argue, to be afraid, to be angry and scream - why isn’t everyone like me, why doesn’t everyone share my views, I am right no matter what you say and I can prove this, etc., etc. , etc…
All religions have some sort of book/text that has writings, scriptures, whatever, that the followers of that religion choose to believe and then base their life upon. The non-believers don’t necessarily have a “book”, but they have read a whole bunch of writings, science papers, blogs, whatever, that they have chosen to believe and then base their life upon that. If I choose to read The Red Book and you choose to read The Green Book, does that make your or my decision wrong? No.
To put this into context:
My norm is that a male and female should be together. Does that mean that I should be against a person, be that female or male, that is attracted to the same sex? Does this make them outsiders to me or a bad person, no.
My choice is that I don’t believe in any greater beings or gods or whatever you choose to call it/them. Does that mean that I should be against a person that chooses to believe? Does this make them outsiders to me or a bad person, no.
I choose to believe that there are other life forms and races out there, not dis-similar from ourselves. I feel that we are not the most intelligent life forms around but at the same token, I do feel that we are quite advanced. No one has made up my mind for me, it’s a choice. Does this make my choice wrong, no!
What I’m trying to get at here as that we (including you) need to learn to be more tolerant. People are going to be different. Imagine if every single person on this planet believed in the same thing, wore the same clothes, thought the same, etc…. this world would be an extremely boring place!!!
In closing – no one is always right. I am not always right, and neither are you. Learn to listen, learn to communicate, learn to tolerate and more importantly, learn from “life”. Get over yourself and your conviction’s!!!