Religion makes sense to me. I have trouble with dogma more than I have trouble with religion. I think the best thing religion does is give people a sense of place, purpose, and compassion. My quibble with it is when it’s described as the only way to have those things instilled.
You can be moral and not be religious, you can be compassionate, you can be empathetic—you can have all those wonderful qualities. When it begins to be judged as purely based on religion, then you’re suggesting a world where Star Jones goes to heaven but Gandhi doesn’t.
Like anything else that’s that powerful—that is touching that deep into the epicenter of the human psyche and our fears, it can be misused. I’m probably much more responsive in a bad way to dogma and to extremism than to religion.
When people say things like, “I found God and that helped me stop drinking,” I say, “Great! More power to you. Just know that some people stop drinking without it.” It’s when it gets into the realm of “This is the only way to salvation”—that’s when I think, “Okay, now we’re getting into a problem.”
-John Stewart
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I'm Ok. You're Ok
Things I am currently and actively researching/interested in: Singularity, Revolution, Virtual Reality, Electronic Paper, Communal Living, Subjective Idealism, Ahimsa, Jainism, Dadaism, Anti-Folk, Sam and Max, Chess, Hip-Hop, Veganism, Nutrition, Corporatism, and Sustainable Investment.
Frequently visited sites:
a RAW Foods and Vegan lifestyle website
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