this post was submitted on 27 Aug 2023
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We have lots of religions, some that we're expected to abandon as adults, some we're expected to carry forward as adults.
Why? Because they make things easier for you (other) people.
Santa Claus: Won't give you presents if you don't go to bed X-mas eve!
(Now get outa my hair kid so I can do a bunch of work to make you happy tomorrow morning.)
The Easter Bunny: This bunny poops colorful, cooked, eggs all over the yard and it's ok for you to eat them in sandwiches for the next week. Ok so he doesn't poop them, he only hides them after you cook them. Somehow...
Everyone gets a valentine: There's someone who loves you everywhere, and we should share our love with everyone.
Life is Fair: Things should be fair, and when you get something you should share it with your sister, or your classmates. Not enough for everyone? None for you!
Fighting is bad: Anyone who gets in a fight gets in trouble, whether you started it or not!
We tell these lies because we want to control the experience and the environment of children, we want to protect them from the lies all those things are meant to keep them from seeing.
Santa Claus Ain't Real, you're prolly gonna be broke in an apartment alone eating premade food on a Christmas eve one year... and that'll be a blessing, cause you could afford something to eat.
The easter bunny was the least adult, adult's responsibility and one year the eggs stop coming.
Everyone doesn't get a valentine, and sometimes that kid goes home and gets beat up or hurts themselves -- that's why they're "too weird" for anyone to be their friend.
Life isn't fair, people don't get the same things and some people starve.
Fighting is sometimes not bad at all, and some people make a living doing it. We just want to be able to bet on our fights and make a premium selling the broadcast rights.
As we get older, we're only supposed to keep the more "adult" religions, like being subservient to our betters, elders, priests, lawmakers etc. They tell you to "be honest (in business.)". "Don't murder others (unless I tell you to)". "Follow the laws of the place you're in." and "Don't cheat on your wife (and get caught)."
We've got a few others in there, but those are pretty much the ones you're "expected" to follow.
Your reward? You get to think about the ending of a fictional book you haven't actually read a whole lot as though it were real, and you're one of the characters. It's amazingly pacifying if you're trying to keep millions of people from stealing, killing each other, and sleeping around.
I won’t argue that religion hasn’t been usurped throughout history in the name of control. I can mostly only speak with any confidence on Christianity. The Bible regardless how holy and true we are told it is has no doubt been tainted by men throughout history.
There’s still plenty of good in religion despite that. And I don’t think it’s wrong to believe there’s more than what we see. What life looks like after death is a mystery. Science points to your body shuts down. Fact. But we can’t say with any certainty that’s it.
From my experience a healthy church encourages my skepticism. It’ll encourage asking tough questions. It helps me to explore what I believe. The reward when doing that exploration seems to vary from one to another. Myself I became more resilient to the day to day troubles around me that were too big. Me yelling in the void of social media doesn’t change much about issues like global warming or people in need. I can reduce my consumption I can repair instead of replace. I can volunteer my time to help kids who’s parents can’t take care of them. The universe as a whole will be a little better for it
Not all need religion, I accept that, some people have all they need to get by and will cruise from now to the grave. But to some of us it is a major force for happiness and healthiness.