Thinking About Religion.

If you have strong views on Religion in any form, feel free to skip this post. It's more a thinking out loud post. It's not intended to cause offence to any person of any faith but this is where I am with religion and why. Religion and politics are always the things people will disagree on in life

I know I have said it many times before but I am far from what you would call a religious woman. My parents and maternal grandparents are non believers and as for my paternal grandparents, I think my nan was but not my grandad so much. However, I find the whole idea of Religion and Faith very humbling. All the religions have such basic and decent morals behind them.

Different upbringings bring in very many different ideas but the general idea is that we should all treat others as we wish to be treated. To live well, to treat others fairly, to love one another, to not commit crimes, to respect others beliefs and wishes.

Last Friday was Matthews Easter church service and I went along with the boys. They are both at an age where they can begin to sit through something like this. James has been ready for a while but Liam is just getting there. The Church, as I have explained repeatedly, is a beautiful church. The above photo was taken at the entrance for the Harvest Festival last year, Liam would not have sat through that at the time but the entrance hall is stunning on close inspection.

Inside is just as stunning. I sat on the other side of the pillars on the left with the two boys (there's another 2 rowed aisle hidden from this picture) and they were really good.

The school kids told the Easter story with a mixture of readings, prayers and songs. It was beautiful and incredibly moving.

Whether you follow this religion, the story is a devestating tale of hurt, betrayal, despair and loss. I know proper Christians rejoice more in the Ressurrection but the story to that is very sad. It really did make me think and for quite some time afterwards. (Obviously as I am still thinking about it as I write one week on)

Other religions have similar grounds to their stories, of a certain person as a religious figure who became martyrs of their faith and the "second in command" figure to the chosen "God" that religion focusses on.

Belief is something I wish I had more of.

Faith is something I find in other ways. Science creates and explains so much more than it ever did as we discover more and more and understand it all that little bit more but I loved the whole church thing.

I know I sound a hypocrite being a non practicing Christian (I was Christened as a baby by the way - it was still quite a popular thing to do in the UK in the 80's) to love the church environment, the atmosphere, the radiance and glow it creates as it draws together a whole community.

I am looking forward to the Christmas service now and I believe that all kids should grow up knowing the real reasons behind our religious holidays. It's an important part of life whatever your religious background.

As more and more religions are becoming a bigger part of British Society we are seeing more Temples,  Synagogues and Mosques than ever. In certain areas of London and Birmingham Christianity is the lesser
practiced religion as the British become less and less religious. The minority religions total up more than the Christianity followers which is sad and whilst I accept all religions and their tales I also think that the local kids should be bought up knowing about British heritage and that DOES include religion. We were always a Christian country.

I am not blaming the immigrants who come over and continue their traditions on foreign soil, but those of us who are not doing enough to keep the religions, history, heritage and traditions circulating. It's no good blaming others.

So, whilst my kids are going to be eating FAR too much chocolate this Easter weekend, I have that traditional story in my mind as it does create a whole range of emotion through such a simple story that has been told for hundreds and hundreds of years.

The ONLY real argument I have against religion (besides believing that in the early years of religion they looked for answers and Science wasn't as advanced as it is now) is that if a modern day person came along saying they were a messanger of any "God" or  "Supreme Being/Energy" from any religion were to come along now then they would be branded a cult leader. People in the olden times before Science looked for answers, they believed what they were told (and yes, I do believe we are just as bad now but in a different way - it's human nature) and were given a path in life to follow.

However, why did only a set number of religions survive?

Why do different denominations of a larger religion vary so much on practices? (ie Catholics are much stricter than other practicing Christians)

The Romans had separate Gods for separate purposes. Then alot of the Roman Empire was taken over by Christianity. How many years did it really take for the belief of all those Gods to die out.

What other religions were out there but not documented as well as the ones we recognise and see today?

Ya know, I REALLY want to believe more, I really want to find the answers to the worlds age old questions but I don't think I will see it in my lifetime.

If there is an afterlife whether it be Heaven, Paradise, Reincarnation or simply death being it for us mere mortals, I just hope it shows that I did my best in this life to give love, be a good person and did what I could to be kind to others and went through life with an open mind and an open heart and a lot of respect for Holy tales. They do teach us so much in their own way.

So to all blog friends, whatever your beliefs, I wish you all a special weekend whatever you do.