Religious Kookiness

Today has been one of those days when religious people doing stupid, vile, and violent things has filled the news.  As a religious catholic myself, these stories make me squirm.  There seems to be an simplistic connection between religion and morons.

You do not have to be an idiot to have faith in a power greater than you, but you do have to be an idiot to allow that faith to justify hatred and violence.

I am a person of faith.  I have spent years questioning every aspect of my faith.  The dark night of the soul has lasted for a bit too long for me.  On my journey, I have met many other people of faith that have struggled with the same issues that I do, but the blanket association between religiosity and lunacy have forced many of us to go into the closet...

I have found myself hiding my faith lately, too afraid of being counted in with the kooks to be open and honest about my own beliefs.  I do not believe beating people over the head with my face.  I believe that all of the great stories of humankind have something to say about our true nature and our relationship with the cosmos.

So again, I am coming out of the closet.  My name is Eric and I am a religious person.  I believe.  I pray.  I practice my faith and live it to the best of my ability.  Enough said.