Religion is a Class A drug

Religion has long being known as an intoxicant, a veritable “opiate of the people” and church attendance is diminishing. Not surprising given the lack of connection people feel to pyramid style religious institutions.   It’s not that I don’t support the idea of God or believe in a higher power but I don’t think God would approve of being organised according to human directives.

Churches are led by people who have supposedly dedicated their lives to following God’s words and keeping his laws. They lead others to God or do they? People come to believe in their leaders even when these people appear misguided and hypocritical. In fact, when they start to eschew the vows that they made at ordination and misinform their congregation you begin to understand the potency of religion.

Gandhi is quoted as saying that “in heaven there are no religions” and he’s right. Instead of creating heaven on earth we have created  religious mess.

Below are a few of the “rules” according to God’s holy law and you’ll note God’s responses in italics:  

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•   wear a cloth wrapped around your head (turban) from birth and never cut your hair – God is not unhygienic or impractical;

·      -  cover the female head and body in a long piece of cloth so that nothing except her eyes are visible – God is a feminist and naturist so he’d never expect women or men to be clothed in this way

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g - go to church every Sunday dressed in your Sunday best – God wants you to do what you do on Sundays if its productive and loving to yourself and your neighbour – seven days a week. Dress your soul not your body.

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   - abstain for Lent – this is surely for die-hard Catholics who think that by giving up something for 6 weeks (meat, alcohol, chocolate) they’re getting just a little bit nearer to purity. God prefers that you give up bad habits like being harsh, angry, unkind and downright unpleasant.

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h- have your head bare in the synagogue – God doesn’t give a flying fig what’s on your head just what you put into it like clean, wholesome thoughts

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r  - remove your footwear before entering the temple – God knows that there are more unclean hearts than shoes!

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  - offerings must be made to God in the form of food- God has no need for food or water; if you have more then share it with your neighbour

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F  - for one month you should fast during daylight and eat by sunset – God would never prescribe a diet so unhealthy and injurious

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- - you should worship priests by sinking to your knees and lowering your head – that is a man-made law born of the ego; God doesn’t want anyone bowing and scraping.

When you get hooked on the whole “sackcloth and ashes” religious gravy train you may find yourself influenced to meet the criteria.

Religion is no doubt a comfort and provides a sense of community. Drugs and alcohol offer similar solace. The difference being that drink and drugs take a physical toll though overdosing on religion takes a mental toll.

Religion can distort thinking and give you a superiority complex, as if you’ve gained membership to an exclusive country club. You can quote chapter and verse of the constitution and follow its dictates to the letter.

Religious people “love their neighbour” but can’t love their own family. I know church-goers who would give a stone rather than a piece of bread to their son/daughter if they were in want.
Some are cruel and miserly people yet they never miss Mass on Sunday as if God doesn't really know who they are!

Shepherd and his flock

For some, money is their God so they’ve erased him from the bigger picture though they’ll wax lyrical about what God (read money) has done for them.

Religious people are hard to live with as they are far removed from independent thinking so they can’t always see that they’re part of the problem.

Religious people are mostly followers and never leaders. They get taken to hell back and still don’t realise it!

Religious people are martyrs. They believe that suffering is noble and to suffer is to be closer to God. They believe that they have no right to any happiness but they do seem happy when misfortune befalls their fellow man.

Religious people believe that lips that pray are better than hands that help. If you need some work done don’t look to them.

I used to be religious. Then I found out that God is not. If I’m striving to be a little more God-like then I’m aiming for spirituality. What does that mean exactly?

It means being peaceful in the face of my struggles to be a good citizen, parent, friend and family member. Being confident, calm and full of joy for the gift of life. Knowing that each day some truth is revealed that brings you closer to making a heaven out of this earth. 

Doing the work that I’m born to do and looking for diamonds in the dust…..they are there if you look hard enough. It means understanding that there’s nothing to understand. 

Life is a paradox; change, growth are optional but don’t be surprised when its lack lustre if you choose to do neither.

God's cathedral

Spirituality cannot be organised; its personal – between you and your higher self. 

It’s  quiet and gentle…you never need to shout about it.

Can you have too much of it? Not really…having more of it means that you live, see and know that God is in everyone and everything. 

Religion needs to be handled with care.  Stay within your limit and don’t get stoned. Remain in control and dip into it in small doses. Religion is your daily life so make it good!