Religion

I was going to write a post about my cruise to Mexico, or about my awesome friend Koas, but then I knew what I had to write about first.
People never cease to amaze me.
Everyday I am surrounded by so much ignorance and so much hate that I want to scream. It sometimes feels like I'm in one of those great but depressing sci-fi movies where the society is so corrupt and only a small percentage of the population actually understand how corrupted it is.
I realize that I'm exaggerating, but I'm a writer (or at least I try to be). I'm allowed to go crazy with my imagination on a daily basis.

Not everyone in our school is a Christian. In fact, a large number of the students are atheist or agnostic.
I myself don't claim any religion fully. I consider myself to be a very spiritual person, and I am very happy to live this way. My parents and brother are Christians, but we don't go to church anymore. We embrace the philosophy that going to church doesn't make you a Christian anymore than standing in a garage makes you a car.
I have observed throughout the years, especially in middle school, that many "Christians" judged, ridiculed, and bullied other children even though they claimed to be very close to God.

Religion is such a funny thing.
It turns people against each other, even if they are a part of the same religion. It topples governments and crushes cities. Countless people have died or murdered in the name of faith.
Religion can make people crazy. Not all people, of course, but it has the potential.

My mom and I talk about many controversial topics, and yesterday we talked about religion.
I am very lucky to have a mother and a father who have never imposed any beliefs on me.
My mom and I talked about how crazy it is to think that any single religion is totally correct. Christianity, in the scheme of things, is a fairly new religion. Who is to say that the ancient Egyptians weren't right? Or the ancient Greeks?
Because of this, I embrace the Buddhist philosophy that gods are different depending on the time period and various cultural aspects. I think that there is certain wisdom in any of the world's religions, both past and present.

What I cannot comprehend is how some people get so worked up over religious issues.
So someone believes differently than you. Guess what? They are no more right or wrong than you are. 
No one knows what is after this life. Maybe we are born again. Maybe our soul leaves our body and rests eternally in a divine realm. The point is, no one can know for sure, so it is pointless to fight over it.

The other day in class, a boy said something about being agnostic. Another boy snapped at him and said that he was disrespecting his God.
People like the second boy are why I want to live on an island. All by myself, away from the ignorance.
Just because that is your God does not mean that is my God.

What I want more than anything is an accepting society, no matter how impossible that is.

I'll close this post with a quote from one of our presidents and founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson.

Millions of innocent men, women and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined and imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch towards uniformity.
-Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1782

Peace, love, and scary movies,
Sara

I'm On A Boat... Next Monday

Fear not, dear readers, for I have returned! I didn't give up on blogging, I promise.
I've been up to the usual shenanigans that involve: Walking into college psychology dressed as pirates with Paige, writing nonsense for English because I hate that class for the first time in my life, reading loads of great books, writing like a maniac on my latest story (as long as I have caffeine), and doing other things that generally apply to my everyday, geeky life.

I did decide that I needed to write this post, because I'll be dropping even further off the radar next week.
Why?
Because I'm going to Mexico!!! :D
My family is going on a cruise to Cozumel and Progresso and I am beyond excited. None of us have ever been out of the country or on a cruise before, so it should be a nice adventure.
I've wanted to travel the world for as long as I can remember and this is a perfect way to start crossing places off my list.
Although, when I'm older I won't like travelling at the pace of a cruise line.

The ship has an internet cafe which I was initially very excited about.
Yay, I thought to myself, I'll be able to tell the people who keep up with my blog about whatever interesting things might occur on the ship or on land!
But, much to my dismay, my mother informed me that computer usage on the ship costs .75 cents a minute.
That's right, a minute.
In other words, this is a goodbye until I return next Saturday.

In other unimportant news...
Tomorrow I'm playing music at a craft fair in Brentwood, so I'm happy (and nervous) about that.
Oh well, Paige is going to be there, so at least there will be a familiar face in the audience. It has been so long since I last played, but I need to start back again.
I think some quiet, strange part of me misses it.

Oh well, you can keep up with me via Twitter until I no longer have cell service. I'm sure you're all interested in my pathetic tweets.

Peace, love, and socks,
Sara