war in vain

Okay, so my brother is taking a class at bradley that makes him think about religion... and so he's writing to the family about religious questions, creation questions, fun things like that. I don't remember western civ making me think much about god, I thought more about other things... but to each his own. I replied to his questions initially in a smart-ass way: god hates you and that's all there is to it. I think god has a sense of humor (if he even pays attention to email) and I like to joke around, I like to take religion lightly to offset the serious nature of some people's beliefs. However, I guess maybe I should be more sensitive when replying when my mom is going to read the email...whether or not god cares about email jokes & profanity, my mother doesn't appreciate it. She called me an atheist. she also said that maybe it was my religious attitude that was bringing on my stomach problems. Here's my reply:

wow... god doesn't smite people while they are alive. he waits till they are dead. god doesn't give me a stomachache, he's busy inspiring George Bush's wars.

I am not an atheist, I never said I was. I have a problem with people's perspective on god. That's what I have come to realize. God doesn't hate us, I was just kidding. I just think that people use his name in vain... and I don't mean by saying "g-damnit" or "jesus f***ing christ"... god, in my opinion, couldn't care less about that kind of verbalization. I think the true meaning of "don't use the lord's name in vain" is this:
Don't declare war in the lord's name when you know you are really declaring it for money, oil, power, land, etc.

Really, what's worse? saying g-damnit, or saying god wants this war?
... think about that one.

More than finding out what god wants, I wanna figure out what the world needs. god'll be fine without my consideration for him. I am sure he'd rather have me focus on people on earth, who need things like peace and equality and food. I don't need to pray in church in front of people, I'll be religious on my own. I'm not perfect, but at least I don't stand before the nation or before my neighbors and pretend to be faithful and religious and then press buttons that release poor people's sons & daughters into the deserts in iraq to kill and be killed (for the good of my bank account and that of my friends & family).

why pray to god with people in church... the 'majority' of white christians voted for bush because they were against abortion and gay rights... not because they thought bush was a good leader. he put the seeds of fear into christian minds by stirring the coals on issues of gays and abortion. Those issues do not belong in political debate. politics, by definition, is the process of distributing goods and services to the masses. taxing is a right of government, spending is a right of government, legalizing or illegalizing abortion and limiting gay rights is not a right of government. I don't like abortion, but I don't think it's a voting issue. I am not gay; I certainly think gays should have all the rights the rest of us have. But I don't vote on that issue! The only people who logically include gay rights in their voting concerns are gay people. Christians came out to vote against gays and abortion, not for national security. So why do I not like religion? I think that's obvious now. Do I not like god? I like god just fine.

I just wish other people would stop using his g-damn name in vain.