PART II - YOU (The Outside Influencers)

Organized Religion

Organized religion, like just about every other entity that involves human beings, has its good and bad. The key is to look past the frailties of your religion’s ministers and members, and concentrate on the fundamental messages.

Many people have had bad experiences with ministers, or can’t get past a disagreement they have with their religion’s teachings or policies.  Unfortunately, as a result, they completely reject their religion - “throwing the baby out with the bath water”.

Others pick and choose what they like from their Church’s teachings.  It is very important to discern what messages are from God, and what messages may be the invention of human beings who, no matter how well-intentioned, may be out of sync with the fundamental messages of a loving, just, and merciful God.  Those who pick and choose need to examine their motivation to ensure that sound practical judgment governs their decisions, not selfishness.

Some accept all messages without questioning and cannot defend them to themselves or others, which may be a bigger problem than picking and choosing.  We are not talking about basic issues of faith, such as the Christian doctrine that Jesus Christ is both human and divine, but rather the messages that affect everyday life. 

Blind acceptance of those messages, especially the ones that don’t pass the test of sound practical judgment, can lead to abuses, sometimes horrific ones, such as the mass suicide of members of the People’s Temple in Jonestown, Guyana in 1978.

How has your religion (or lack thereof) influenced your behaviors or attitudes?  How do you feel about what you’ve written? What impact do you see on your marriage?