IN blog comments, letters to the editor, interviews, social media, and everyday conversation; it is very hip to rationalize away the idea of religion based on the "hypocrasy and intolerence" of religious people. What a concept! Such statements presume that those who openly identify themselves with a (Christian) religious group are claiming to be something they are not, and expect everyone else to be so as well. There is only one rational response to these folk, in words that today's culture understands unequivocally- bullshit.
Granted, there are denominations out there which do proscribe to sole source salvation, and believe that those who don't belong are done for. And yes, there are those who believe that actions speak louder than anything else and their faith is demonstrated through an elitist, exclusionary approach. (You know who you are.) But this is not religion, this is not Christianity. This is what happens when human beings play cosmic arbiter. And, it applies equally to the smug non religious person living high above the fray, who's own "tolerance" does not reach quite as far across the board as he or she may imagine.
Religion is about an individuals approach and relationship with a higher power. Most of us refer to that power by the noun, God. It encompasses an infinite number of forms and as many theologies. There are actually those of us who are Christians, who can accept this fact and live with it, without feeling that such a belief diminishes our relationship with Jesus in any way. Or, more importantly, that such belief diminishes Jesus and his message in any way. Which is the way this whole Christian thing began, as I understand it, before humans began to improve it, (tongue in cheek).
Anyway, explaining this would take years of blogging and make little difference to anyone. Which is sad. Just as sad as reading the cynical, prejudiced thoughts of the enlightened who enjoy their right to condemn and besmirch what they fear. I know far, far more Christians from many, many denominations who would try to understand those viewpoints and pray for those people, rather than drag their attitudes through the mud and condemn them to hell. But for some reason, those folks just don't get it.
Oh well. I guess I'll go out and be hypocritical and intolerant for the rest of the day. What else is there to do?