Here’s what I think about religion:

Many people have asked me what I think about religion. I usually get about a half a sentence out when they interrupt me to tell me about their own beliefs. They really don’t care to hear about my beliefs. They just wanted to tell me about their God. Now that I have your uninterrupted attention, I’ll tell you what I really think. First off, I really don’t give a shit if you believe in the man in the moon. All I ask is that you allow me the right to believe as I feel. Do I pray? Yes. I have a very close relationship with God. Do I worship at a church? No. I’m very fortunate that God visits my home everyday. Do I read the Bible? No. I read it once about thirty years ago. All I remember is that I don’t believe much of it.

I grew up as a Catholic. My parents forced my brothers and sisters and myself to believe that whatever the Catholic Church dished out was the Gospel. I hated having to waste my time in Church every Sunday and Catechism on Wednesday evenings. The best television programs were on when I was in agony having to kneel, stand, sit, kneel stand, sit, kneel, stand and sit over and over again, even though my bad knees could barely bend. I pleaded with my father about my knees. “No son of mine is going to Hell! Kneel and like it!” My knees always filled up with fluid and had to be drained on a regular basis. They were always wrapped and never healed until I was old enough to leave home. I never went back to that Church.

After that, I probably don’t have to tell you what I think about formal religions. And, yes, I believe that if a parent forces a child to go to church, they are abusing their child. I think that once a child comes to the age of conviction, whenever a child knows how they feel about religion, they should be given the choice of how or if they want to worship.

I have a bachelor degree in sociology and anthropology. One of the things that I learned in college was what Karl Marx had to say about religion. He said that, “religion is the opium of the masses”. In his day, opium was the drug of choice abused by drug addicts. Some people agree with this statement while other people disagree. I believe that he was partially correct. Religion can have different effects on different people, in that, what is good for one isn’t necessarily good for the gander. I view religion to be a medication.  Some people need it and some people don’t. While it has helped many social derelicts to conform to society, it has crippled others.

Religion is a product that people either dive into or avoid like the plague. The people that dive in headfirst are usually the ones that are unable to step back and evaluate their belief system. Then one day, their trusted minister, pastor, priest or whatever is passing out Kool Aid and everyone’s dropping dead. Unfortunately, there are no warning labels that say, “Religion can be very addicting” or “Check with your psychologist to be sure that you are not allergic to religion”.

Some people experience mild yet crippling allergic reactions to religion. They can usually be found on the street corner. Just look for the person wearing a white bed sheet, sandals and a crown of thorns around their long hair. They will usually carry a sign or gigantic crucifix. In some cases, they have been known to hang out at airports or bus depots. These people wear orange bed sheets, sport a shaven head and pass out flowers to strangers. Some people have been known to have severe allergic reactions. These people can be found shooting at Coalition troops or planting bombs. The word “Jihad” comes out of their mouth at least once every sentence.

Religion is free, but some people insist on paying for it, anyway. All you really need is a copy of the Bible, or whatever books you fancy, and the urge to read. For some weird reason, most people aren’t into the economical way to get religion. They insist on paying lots of money for it. I just can’t understand how something so plentiful can cost so much money. It defies the economic laws of supply and demand. Religion can be found everywhere.