As a general rule, I don't bring up the topic of religion that often with people. I think faith is a personal thing that needs to be respected whether you agree with the other person's point of view or not, but it seems like most people view religion as a black-and-white affair. I actually really like to talk about religion if people can be reasonable about it because I think it's interesting to hear other view points. But when you're talking to a Bible-thumping Baptist or a staunch atheist who looks down on you for admitting to any kind of belief, the conversation is considerably less fun.
I, personally, am Roman Catholic and I identify myself that way in spite of not going to church every Sunday, taking birth control, and not actually believing in the transubstantiation.* Sometimes though, I get the sense that people have a certain pride in identifying themselves as NOT Christian. The same way I think there's a pride to NOT be American.** It's like people feel the need to disassociate themselves from groups that have been tarnished by the acts of a vocal minority.
In particular lately, I've been thinking about the Christian protesters who picket funerals of fallen military, known homosexuals, or murdered 9-year-old girls. (That last one they apparently agreed not to do in exchange for air time. How noble.) So while I'm expressly talking about the Westboro Baptist Church, I'm also talking about any Christians who are so cruel and non-Christian as to judge and harass any group of people you happen to disagree with. It makes me sad that these people are giving Christians a bad name. I suppose the potential is there in any religion (Muslims seem to have a few problem children in the ranks) but because it's MY religion it's especially distressing to me because we are clearly not talking about the same God.
I think part of the problem is that lots of people don't know the history of their religion and that is incredibly important. (John the Baptist was not a Baptist people, he just went around baptizing.) Catholicism began with Jesus and Peter became the first pope. ("Catholic" means "universal." As in, "one church.") Then there was The Great Schism and it split into Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox. Then there was the Protestant Reformation and a BUNCH of Christian denominations split off and continue to do so. The point is, you need to know where your religion came from and take everything in context. I mean, a bunch of guys got together and decided after the fact that Jesus was divine (the Council of Niceae) and the Bible was written after the time Jesus was alive and a good number of books written didn't make it into the Bible. During the Protestant Reformation several books were removed which is why the Catholic bible has more books. These are all facts that are important to know because it gives you perspective. Religion was created by man, who is fallible. To think that religious success is to live according to the letter of the Bible is ridiculous. Not least because, depending on which Bible you pick up, the exact wording changes. And you can't count out mistranslations.
The thing is, I don't really care if Jesus was just a guy or if every story in the Bible is fake. My religion works for me and the things I know don't affect what I believe. I've taken the basis of what I grew up with, and tweaked it to fit my observations of the world and myself. I don't think that makes a bad person or any less of a Christian because the Church does it too. It's easier to see in Catholicism because the history is longer, but it has changed (I don't know enough about Islam and Hillel to comment knowledgeably but I imagine it's similar). You used to only be able to print the Bible or say the mass in Latin, women had to cover their hair in church, unborn babies went to limbo instead of heaven, etc. Jesus wasn't born on December 25, the Church just co-opted the date of Saturnalia to rope some pagans into the fold.
The point is, religions change. All of these people protesting say that the changing world is destroying itself, but really it's just moving along like it always does. You can't hold onto the past, in your personal life or on a grander scale. And true, the acceptance of change grinds particularly slowly where religion is concerned, but do you know what happens to religions that don't change with the times? They become mythology.
*That last one is a pretty big deal doctrine-wise, but when I was little I couldn't help but think that if the bread and wine at church were ACTUALLY turning into Jesus that meant I was a cannibal. Besides, unless Jesus was made of wafer and alcohol, the taste just didn't add up. Most Protestants believe communion is a symbol and that works fine for me.
**My parents and two of their friends went on a two-week hiking trip through France and were thoroughly flattered when they were mistaken for being French, English, and Italian at different times. My dad was the only one singled out as American and they teased him for it. I've also been advised that when travelling in Europe, Americans should always lie and say they're Canadian.
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