Part 2: Hmmm, I like it, I'm not sure why, but it talks to me.

What is wrong with considering religion as an attribute like other human attributes? - color, height, agility, intelligence, artistic expression, language, etc (it has components that are academic, expressive, artistic, philosophical, etc).

Can we really say religion is (almost) no different than the color of our skin?[1]

I'm thinking of "religion" in this case as our the part of us that questions, speculates, provides answers, and is willing to accept something unseen as possibly true, whether that's God or the Mona Lisa's smile or subatomic strings.

If you approach it this way, you can, like I do, stand back with one hand on your chin as if at an art exhibit and say to yourself, "Hmmm, I like it, I'm not sure why, but it talks to me."

We welcome enormous variety in human behavior when it comes to food, recreation, movies, books, music, cars, the opposite sex, etc, but when it comes to religion, most of us believe there is only one correct version and the others are at best ineffective approximations, but more often counterfeits and endanger our eternal soul (if your belief presumes an eternal soul).

Or, if you are a-religious are anti-religious, you may regard them all as at best misguided, and at worst dangerous folly.

I’m not advocating that anyone discard their common sense or do dangerous things because a belief proscribes or commands them, but rather that we allow ourselves the liberty to celebrate the diversity of religious expression as we do any other type of human expression.

We criticize what we don't understand, whether it's art, faith, skepticism, sexual orientation, or another culture.

Next time: Part 3 (and probably last part): All ideas carry the potential for abuse. <- Unlike Zebra stripes, titles can change :-)


[1]
I choose skin color because unlike hair color or language or our taste in reality TV shows, we can't change or pretend to change it. I say "almost" because many folks do change their "religion," though I am referring not to formal religion alone here, but our capacity for religious expression of all types.

Started: 2012-04-22