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I can't get my head around why religion is still so important and such a motivating force in the lives of people from Middle Eastern backgrounds.
Western society has largely moved on from religion being an essential part of daily life - in my experience, based on the people I know, organised religion plays no part in the way they live their lives or view the world around them. Lots of Westerners profess to a belief in some form of "spirituality", but they wouldn't set foot in a church unless it's an official function that by tradition involves elements of Christianity. But they're not there to celebrate the Glory of God. Personally I'm an atheist, and have no belief in a hidden and mystical "higher power" that exerts any influence over our lives. That given, I have no problem with people who do have a belief system that involves an organised religion. Unless they try to force their views on others. That's what really gets my goat and floats my boat. If I can respect their beliefs, why can't they respect mine? What makes them so certain they are right and I'm wrong. Live and let live. I have my own internal moral compass and I don't need anyone else to dictate to me what's good or evil (for lack of a better term), or how I should live my life and behave towards others. Particularly not from someone who has spent their life studying to be a religious "leader" with no first hand knowledge of life in the real world. F*ck that. And I do have a problem with the atrocities perpetrated in the name of religion regardless of creed, but that's for another post. But back to the topic, why are the majority of people from the Middle East (or is that just my false perception) religiously observant, whether they be Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Yazidi, or any one of the hundreds of smaller sects and creeds? And so fervently religious that it dictates how they live their lives down to the smallest detail. And each one believes that theirs is the only true religion, and all others are false heretics. It's just one of the things that makes me ponder on a regular basis. Has technology and science replaced religion in Western culture, as opposed to a lifestyle that relies more on a direct connection with the real, often ugly, and always difficult to explain world around them? |
AuthorA white middle aged man who doesn't understand why things need to be so annoying - usually the small things that just shouldn't be an issue. But then maybe I'm just a grumpy old fart who refuses to accept that my position of institutionalised privilege gives me no right to complain or feel outrage on behalf all members of our society? You can make up your own mind about that. Archives
March 2018
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