The Young and Faithful

Growing up in a smaller town than most, it has been easy to observe and understand the lives and religious upbringings of my peers and fellow students. Personally I am torn as to whether I should be somewhat jealous of those who were lucky enough to not have to endure the confusion of a young religious life, or be thankful that I had the opportunity to know what it's like growing up believing there is a god watching me masturbate. I guess it's quite a trade off. Well I grew up in a minority. My mother, a born local, was raised into as far as I know, liberal Catholicism and my father being born in New York was a little more of a serious Jew. At least under the influence of my Hungarian Holocaust surviving Grandfather. So as a product of their marriage, I was raised Liberally Jewish out here in the Midwest, where Judaism.... is not too popular. At least outside the cities. So growing  up through primary school, I was one out of about four Jewish kids in my school. So, I was quite different from the rest. The interesting thing about my generation is the fact that we are so lucky to grow up in the information age. The start of the gradual yet rapid death of religion. So, religion isn't taken as seriously as it may have been fifty years ago. Depending on the home of course. Now for me, when I look back on it, religion was jut kinda a fun little thing that my family and I practiced in a very free, less serious way. Now That I'm grown I'm seeing a lot of false religious conviction among other people my age. It couldn't be more obvious that the sincerity of their devotion isn't genuine at all. It could just be a sham, simply to appear perceptually "grown up" or mature in the eyes of adults observing them as they graduate high school or something. Like they have a good head on their shoulders. Well let me tell you. Religion does not make you a "good person." An antiquated documentation of the creative tales of Mediterranean sheep herders is not the primary source for good morals and ethics on this planet, in our species and in our societies. Humans are smart enough to know that makes each other happy and sad and there's a difference between a "Christian" and a Christ follower. People are just too ignorant and uneducated about their own religion to know that. And you know the worst thing about these religious communities scattered about the globe? the sense that the more "faith" you have the better you are. When the hell did being blind and stupid become an admirable characteristic? "faith" is making a virtue out of not thinking. A person may see someone's faith and devotion to god or how much they pray or what the Fuck ever as a measure of good character. It's just the same old counterproductive practices that have gotten the world nowhere and set us back. Not me. I judge a person's character based on their will and drive to get up, go out there and make a Fucking difference. Praying is just lazy. It's the best way to look like you're doing something when you're doing nothing at all. I've always said two hands working are much more productive than two hands clasped in prayer and it's true. It's time we rid the world of this behavior of mindless sheep. We may be a minority, but we are fare more powerful. Because there's no strength in numbers when you are just dead wrong.