You know what really grinds my gears? Religion.

Now, I know that most of you are going to see this and think bad of me, but there is a reason behind the opinion.

Hear me out, Shippensburg.

I just cannot understand what religion has become. Religion is not religion anymore; it is more political and radical.

There is nothing holy about any religion that tries to force its ideals on you in a way that you feel like you are a sinner if you do not abide by laws.

Also, with the ever-changing social aspects in the world, many new religions pop up.
I mean, there are people in this country who devote themselves to believing in nothing at all and they are still a belief.

How can a religion be a religion without being religious?
This is why we make no sense.

When I was growing up, I was raised Catholic.

I like to say that being raised Catholic I was taught two important lessons.
There is no religion above being Roman Catholic, and I can do no wrong because we could confess our sins to “God” and become cleansed.

Now, when you are 10 years old, you are not really committing that many sins.
Maybe lying about a snack before dinner, getting in trouble at school, or, in my case, beating up the neighbor kids.

I used to brag that it was all right because I could just confess my sins and then be fine.
So, I made my religion out to be a joke at a young age.

As I grew up, I recognized other friends religions such as Methodist, Lutheran, Baptist, Evangelical and Mormon.

I did not have any Mormon friends but it was always fun to chase them down with rocks when they came by our block plugging their faith.

Plus, I loved when my mother would yell at them.

In fact I also had a confrontation with a local religious sect when a friend and I mooned their church bus.

The Cedar Crest Church is more of a cult religion though and they got a good show.
My priest thought it was funny so all was good and my sins were forgiven.

I realized that all of their beliefs were similar to mine, yet why are they different?
What does the word Christian mean?

So many questions with so few answers.

Christians are known as anyone who believes in the teachings of Jesus Christ and who follows Christianity.

I do both of these, so why do the “holier than thou” guys who preach at Shippensburg tell me different?

It is because my religion is “wrong” to them.

Now, I want you to tell me how anyone is able to dictate that my religion is wrong. Jesus asked Peter to be the rock upon which he will build his church.

Peter became the first pope of the Catholic Church.

So how are we wrong? For years Muslims and Jewish people have fought over holy land.
Christians lay claim to this holy land too.

I find it very funny that out of all the places in the world these religions, the three biggest in the world, claim that they originated from the same area.

I know that when the stove is hot not to touch it, so why can we not use common sense to see that all “religions” are the same?

Yes, the belief systems might be different but how did we all pick a strip of land in the Middle East and not somewhere like Jamaica, the Rastafarian Promised Land?

Buddhists do not even believe in a “God” so how are they classified as a religion?

Buddha never wanted to be considered a god so they would be completely different than ours.
We have thousands of beliefs from people who pray to a fat man, a talking dead guy and in the case of Tom Cruise and other scientologists, aliens from outer space.

Why can we not get along?

It is because of the term religion.

It identifies us with one following and separates us from everyone else.

The true faith is living a good life, attempting to be kind to others, and loving those close to you.
Actually just have fun with life, who am I to dictate.