What Difference Does it Make?

What difference does it make whether you are a Catholic, a Mormon, a Baptist, a Christian Scientist, a Nazarine, a Presbyterian, a Muslim, a Buddhist, or whatever?   What difference does it make to anyone but you?  It doesn't matter to me what organized religion you practice. And it doesn't matter to most others, either.  So what are these advertisements all about on the social networks:   "I am a ......." .  Oh, really!

I feel what happens is when one begins pushing one's beliefs on others, then that's when the trouble starts. When they start getting in your face when you're not the least bit interested, that's a problem.  Do you care if someone is any of the above?  

A problem that I see about organized religion is that the rules are man-made rules and are usually published in a book of some sort for that specific religion, and of course the words are inspired. Of course. But your rules might not be right for someone else, in another culture, another people, another time and place. 

I have my beliefs, was raised a Christian, later became more of a spiritual person, believing that "God" or the "Higher Power" is within me, is me, that I am in charge of my destiny.  However, I enjoy the atmosphere in a Catholic church probably more than any other, get goosebumps when I'm there.  But I was taught in the Baptist church to believe the Catholics were heathen.  Now that's a laugh, isn't it?  Now I know how ignorant that was.  I've learned for myself about the various religions.  I mean at one time or another the churches are in the news for this or that scandal. Not the religion, the human factor. 

All religions are unique unto themselves, set up for the people who believe in them, but none are the one true faith above all others.  But they still have their special places in lives.  A belief in a higher power is better than none.

Now I don't go around pushing my beliefs on anyone else, trying to win them over. It's for me alone to put into practice in my life what I believe.   And that's what I do.

So what does this have to do with anything? 

Just let me say ... the same goes for politics.  One party and one candidate is just as good or bad as the other in our politics.   What good does it do to argue politics with others?   You can read and you can vote, can't you?  That's all you need to be able to do.  But I do understand the process of winning others over to your political views, I do.  It's part of our political agenda, that's how political parties win, so there's no argument there. Politics is a game, unlike religion.  A game, actually, more than anything else. A win or lose proposition.  Strategy as in a chess game or any other game. That's politics.  I don't go there at all.

So what about sexual preference?  Is your choice of sexual preference anybody's business?  Hell no!  It isn't!  And it should not even be brought up in a discussion about you, or be considered as a part of your CV.  Sexual preference is a biological trait, a right, has nothing to do with anything else, not with religion, not with politics. 

So ... your religion, your politics, nor your sexual preference are your nomenclature, are not to be listed next to your name in introduction, discussion, or by association.  They may help to define who you are, but are not designates.  And it's only your business, your choices.

It goes without saying that race and gender are also included in this anti-prejudice semi-rant of mine.

That's all I have to say today ... was provoked ...