Real

I feel down for the first time since I've made the break from Christianity. I'm glad for it, though.

"The world needs open hearts and open minds, and it is not through rigid systems, whether old or new, that these can be derived."
-- Bertrand Russell

I have, up to this point in my life, been looking for the piece of knowledge or wisdom which would simplify things. The system under which everything made sense, and left no ambiguities. But if there is anything I've learned in all of this it's that life is complex. Life is way complex. Naturally, we want to make things simple and put them into a framework which we can understand. But we can't. We have to face the issues head on and say, "Okay, this isn't as simple as just referring to a passage in the Bible." Or a passage in the Koran, or any religious texts. Things aren't as black and white as we want them to be.

Please, don't write me off as the anomaly who got so messed up in the head that he could no longer see God. Do I fit into your conception of God? Please don't dismiss me. Wrestle with God on how I happened. Think through your beliefs. Challenge your presuppositions. Don't disregard the Muslims. Don't pass over the Hindus. Don't tune out the Buddhists. Don't scoff at the atheists. Realize that if you had been born into their family, into their world... you very likely would see life as they do. Beware of anyone who offers simplification, because it is probably a pleasant lie. If you disagree with that, stop and think about it and discover why. Please, just make sure you're view of God and religion isn't comprised of only the good in this world. Face the darkness. Face the complexities.