I’m surprisingly enjoying this blog writing thing and also find it therapeutic. It’s usually a recent life event that helps me decide what to write about next. I have so many ideas in my mind that I jot them in my drafts.
I finished reading A Fortunate Life by Albert Facey on the weekend. Albert, or Bert as he preferred to be called, was born in 1894 and lived 87 adventurous years, departing in 1982, leaving behind his incredible story published nine months before his death. He has no idea that he is a best-selling author, which is amazing given he never attended school and taught himself to read and write.
Below is a paragraph that resonated with me and is something I have often questioned.
I posted this paragraph and other excerpts from his book on my business social media, Facebook and Instagram.
My Aunt commented on the above, “Hmm... Rather simplistic. I don't believe God is a magician either, but I believe in a God that is present in us and throughout the whole of the Universe and that gives us the freedom to create our own futures and to contribute to the happiness and well-being of others.”
I replied, “I think people should believe in whatever it is that helps them live out their values and a life of purpose, and that does not harm others; however, Religion has contributed to many of the world's conflicts—differences in general. People get bullied because they're different; the Jews were murdered because Hitler decided their beliefs were not okay. Catholics have shunned homosexuality, resulting in many deaths by suicide and families turning on each other because of something out of their control.
My Aunt, “ I agree. Believing in God is different to believing in Religion. I was commenting on belief in God. Would love to chat when I'm in Canberra next month.”
I’m excited to have opened the conversation, especially with someone in my family.
I would write this post later, but yesterday a friend sent me the following headline….
I replied, “except God supposedly loves all people.. so why would they need to discriminate… Religion is everything that is wrong in the world. Why create hate?”
I was raised a Catholic and had a Catholic education; however, I never found myself aligning with the values and preachings of the church. Nicole and I were altar servers at one point, but my belief in God didn't lead me to volunteer for this. I was trying to make the mass more bearable since I had to go anyway. The highlight of being an altar server was blowing out the candles, and then we would dip our fingertips in the wax and peel off the fingertip wax moulds once it was set.
When I was in Rome, I went to the Vatican because that’s what you do in Rome, right? I couldn’t wait to get out of the place, and I felt sick seeing all the gold, sculptures, wall to-ceiling paintings while there were homeless, starving people outside those walls.
Having a belief system does give people’s lives meaning, and I have no issue with people who believe in a God, no matter what Religion they align themselves with.
I wouldn’t say I like when people push their beliefs on others or say that a belief is wrong simply because it’s not the same as theirs. As I discussed in Labels Are Sticky, we are all different, making life interesting and often resulting in significant, wholesome discussions.
I feel that a belief system isn’t something you can pick and choose; it either aligns with your values or doesn’t. The values of the belief system draw you to it in the first place.
Don’t choose when to be Religious and when not to be; you either believe or you don’t. An example of this was the refusal of the COVID-19 vaccine based on Religious grounds when these people displayed nonadherence to other system rules, such as no sex before marriage.
My knowledge of the bible is pretty sketchy, but from what I remember, it preaches kindness, peace, loving one another, helping your neighbour, and sharing what you have. All-round togetherness YET “Religious schools must be allowed to keep the right to discriminate”!? (I have not read the article/justification for this, just this headline). This headline is the opposite of what society is trying to achieve, stamping out discrimination.
Acceptance of others, including their beliefs, I feel is a way to a better life for all. Not being accepted, made to feel different, deliberately left out, or discriminated against directly affects a person’s mental well-being.
Emma Watson shows their feelings about this.
What are my reader’s thoughts/opinions?
I know very little about other Religions, but as I mentioned previously, you do you, as long as it does not risk the health and safety of another person.
Now back to Albert’s fortunate life. He practised gratitude, chased growth and loved with all he had. Despite the adversity he faced (I don’t want to say too much in case you read it) and the loss he experienced, I sensed no bitterness or resentment towards anything or anyone. We can learn much from him and apply it to our lives.
Have you read A Fortunate Life? Please share your reading experience if you have :).
I am agnostic. I don’t believe in any religion. I’m open to the idea that there is “something else”, but for me, the bible is nothing but a story. If I were to align with any religion it’d probably be Buddhism, but even it has its flaws. Not that I’ve spent much time studying any of them.