Please Keep It to Yourself

I grew up with Judo-Christian education. Going to synagogue on Saturday and attending a Catholic school run by nuns Monday to Friday meant I was immersed in religion. By the time I was 12, I had read the Old Testament from cover to cover twice. I had also studied the Book of Luke at school. And I was 11 years old before someone told me I didn’t have to genuflect.

I’m done with religion. You might think that with that much religion in my upbringing I’d be a staunch believer, an adherer to the rules, a zealot. Nope. When I was asked whether I wanted to be bat mitzvahed or confirmed, I chose neither. I had seen hypocrisy in both religions and I’d have no part of it.

Alex, who was not raised with religion but has read the bible, has admired her friends’ faith. But not enough to join up. My son, too, was raised with no religion, which is a good thing since autistics are rule-bound and he would have ended up a fundamentalist. (I think a fundamentalist is anyone who chooses doctrine over love, regardless of denomination.)

My friends who are religious never preach. They are not homophobic. They have guns because they hunt game (I live in the bush); they are tools, not “collections.” They believe all genders are equal. Most are dual-income families, so the women haven’t been consigned to keeping home. Don’t get me wrong, if you choose to keep home, that’s your business. But if keeping home is your only option, that I have a problem with.

I believe you can belong to any religion you want. I also believe that your religion should remain under your roof, and under the roof of your house of worship.

We have a school board in Ontario that is funded with taxpayer money. Yes, I know, they choose to fund the Catholic School Board (CSB). But having two school boards means having to duplicate all the administrative stuff. Yup, there are twice as many people at head office because there are two head offices. Now, how ridiculous is that?

We’ve allowed religion to set the tone for some of our political agenda. We’ve watched where that has gone over the last couple of years since the Conservatives in the US won everything: the House of Representatives, the Senate and the Presidency. Completely in charge they have ruined trade relationships, they have given the markets the willies, and they have made poor people poorer by removing their health-care and destroying social programs. If we let the Religious Ragers – regardless of denomination – get into the game here in Canada, religion will have over-stepped it’s bounds and we will have let it.

All this is to say I am glad your religion brings you comfort. I’m glad your religion works for you and your family. You’ll probably live longer than me! But while we’re both floating around in the same soup, that religion thing, please keep it to yourself.