This I Believe - Losing My Religion

I believe that religion should never be used as a weapon, as an excuse, as a method of dominance, for financial gain, to subjugate another culture, gender, or those deemed by society as inferior.
Phillip Roth recently stated "When the whole world doesn't believe in God, it'll be a great place."
I am reasonably sure he meant all pseudonyms encompassing God, Allah, Mohammad, Buddha, Jesus…. God and religion have continued to mutate beyond recognition. Beyond the presumption of one Supreme Being, there is the shared belief among faiths of treating each other as one wishes to be treated. This has been lost in translation, morphed into a grotesque version of treating others as one's religion dictates or how one interprets the coinciding law book of morals.

I was raised Catholic and much of what I learned was pre-Vatican II. It took years for all the installments of user-friendly Protestantization to inhabit the parochial school teachings. It was the belief that our religion was the correct and only one, but it also included a respect for other beliefs, not to preach, but show by example what being a Catholic meant. Bibles were rarely used for more than a family record. I was taught people were made in the image of God and were to be treated that way, regardless of sexual orientation, race, disabilities, gender, or religion. As an enthusiastic child of God I embraced the kindness toward all philosophy. This of course was not necessarily followed in the male hierarchy of the church, as they were exempt from rule following.

I would lose all the shininess of celestial glory when the years of priests’ molestation crimes were no longer shielded deep in the catacombs of church doctrine. The political, financial, church-sanctioned cover ups of depraved abuse toward children with total disregard for their protection, was not explainable, not excusable, but the antithesis of God.

I have found no comfort in other organized religions. Each with judgments and decrees on what is right, what to believe, who to hate, who to blame, why it is superior, why I must obey. Each designates a copious book of rules and edicts written by chosen males.

There is no need for all this superfluous verbiage.

Treat each other as you would wish to be treated. If the whole world would lose their religion and live by this one simple phrase, how could war, poverty, and hatred exist? When the world practices humanity, kindness, generosity, acceptance, it will be a most wonderful world.

I believe, however one knows God, God would be pleased with this world.