Musical Musings and Religion

Dear Reader,

I sit here listening to Thrice’s album, Alchemy Index Volumes I & II: Fire and Water, and I am transported.

I just wanted to briefly mention that.

Here is a post from an old blog that I feel I need to share with everyone, because I re-read it, and was impressed that even as a freshman/sophomore in high school, I had such strong views.

So here it is:

“I’ve come to realize how much we take for granted…most of us have roofs over our heads, parents that love us and care about us, priveledges many people around this world don’t have. We complain when we can’t go see a movie friday night or our parents ground us. In reality they love us and are only doing what is best for us, no matter what we think. There are hundreds, thousands, millions of kids around the world who would love to have parents for just one day, and we complain when we can’t spend 3 or 4 hours away from ours. Who do we think we are complaining? We don’t know unfair, unjust creulty. There is so much in this world we don’t understand, never will understand…

Which leads to my next topic…when is it okay to separate school and religion? How is it okay for my parents to try to teach me religion, freedom of speech, etc. then turn around and tell me religion should be kept out of school? Granted, I agree that teachers should not instill their personal beliefs in school, but where do we draw the line? If I want to learn about the world religions, how do I tell if a teacher is telling me the facts about the religion, or telling me about their own personal beliefs? How can we have choices in our young life if what our choices are ultimately based on is what our parents tell us? How can our parents tell us what to believe or not believe if belief and faith are perosonal choices? How can we choose if our choices are based on our parents? It’s the parent’s job to teach their children about religion, beliefs and faith, but what if the parents fail that mission? what happens when the parents are close-minded and only want to teach their children what they believe? How, then, can the child make a decision about religion and faith if they can only make an uninformed choice? Is it truly a choice? Or is it a miask for close-mindedness? Can close/open-mindedness be learned? Or does it ultimately boil down to a choice of which to be? If it cannot be learned, and it is a choice, how can a personal choice be made if raised by a close-minded parents? So if that were the case, would it truly be a choice, or is it learned?

All of this incessant, incoherant rambling comes down to this one question: How can faith be taught?

But is faith taught at all? If faith is a personal thing, why are we not educated on all of the religions of the world to make an informed decision on our faith? And if we do have that choice, what is the purpose of church? Besides giving thanks and praising that higher power, what good is it? So why can’t religion be taught in school? I believe in a sense it should be. It should be taught as a history of religions. Church is there to give you the faith aspect, but school should give you the historical aspect. But how can I have faith if I’ve only been raised believing and learning one thing, one religion?

How do we believe our religion is correct? Christians and Jews believe in God. Muslims in Allah (who is the same as the Christian and Jewish God). Hindus believe in multiple gods. Buddhists believe in the Self. Naturally, each religion believes it is the correct religion. But ultimately, what will be the deciding factor? When we are “standing at the peraly gates” will St. Peter look and say “well you were Lutheran, so you can go in…oops! sorry you were Baptist, you’re going to hell!” ? I think not…So what is that defining factor for admittance to heaven? Believing and accepting Christ, as most Christians believe? Or is it simply choosing to have faith in God? Or maybe just plain old having faith? But how can we make that choice?

So ultimately the question is not “How can faith be taught?”, the question is a matter of choice. How can we truly choose anything for ourselves? I’ve chose to question all of this, but if I would not have discussed any of this with my parents, I would not be here questioning. So I have not willfully, on my own, questioned this. It has been sparked by an outside force. So, based on that, are we inspired by cause-and-effect relationships to question? Can we live on our own free will if we don’t have choices of our own? If we can, what is the extent of our own choices? Because I can choose to get out of bed and play guitar, but what cased me to do that? If I get out of bed, it is because I’m no longer tired. But if I was still tired, I would have to make the choice to stay in bed or get out of bed. But my choice will be influenced by how tired I am. And if I choose to play my guitar it would be because I was in the mood to play guitar. If I did not feel like playing guitar, I would simply choose not to. But that choice was affected by my mood.

So what is choice? Is it an illusion of the mind, body, and spirit? Is choice a thought process? Or is choice almost a belief? I could choose to be a Buddhist, but without knowledge of Buddhistm, why would I? Choice is affected outwardly. Cause-and-Effect relationships dictate choice.

So for the sake of all of the brave people’s sanity and time, I’ll leave you with a final quote and question…the quote is appropriate for today, seeing as how it is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, it is from Martin Luther King, Jr. : “What effects one person directly effects us all indirectly.” And the question I leave you with is this: Do we truly have choices of our own?”

Welcome to my mind. I am a firm disbeliever in organized religion (most of the time), yet I believe that faith is central to a person’s happiness. I believe faith is a personal relationship between someone and God, and I don’t believe that any church or mosque or any other institution can truly tell ANYONE how to believe.

What I DO believe church (or any other practice-center) is good for, however, is steering your path. But like I said in my ranting from 5 or 6 years ago, how do you know where to start? Isn’t starting always the hardest part? How does one find the motivation to go to a Presbyterian church? or a Lutheran church? or a Catholic church? what about an Islamic Mosque or a Jewish temple?

Which leads me to believe, and I mean TRULY believe, that God is a merciful God. I like to believe that God recognizes the division of religions, and that He will see us at the pearly gates and recognize that we simply HAVE faith. I, personally, believe that Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world, and I believe that God will not SHUN people’s souls from heaven simply because in life they did not believe. What if the person was raised Jewish and always believed that God was the old testament God, and that Jesus was merely a prophet? I don’t believe God would turn them away, I believe that God would simply say “I realize you lived the life of a good Jewish boy/girl. I am telling you now, truly, that Jesus Christ, my only Son, gave his life for you on the cross. Do you accept this information, and accept Jesus Christ into your heart?” and to me, if the person embraces Jesus’ death as their saving grace, God will allow their spirit to pass into heaven.

This leads me to another point: Even if I am wrong, and God is not the supreme being, that whatever being is up there, whether it’s a more Islamic-Allah (which, yes, is the same God, but different teachings, in a way) or Ganeish, a Hindu God, I would like to believe that the ruling entity of the universe is as forgiving as I believe my God to be, and that the supreme power would recognize that I lived my life as a faithful, dedicated Christian, and give me a chance to embrace the “real” beliefs.

Based on all of this, I don’t believe there is a right or wrong religion. Just faith. Faith that a higher power is watching over me.

I could keep going on, but I think I’m going to stop there. Thanks for reading, Dear Reader.