Keeping the Faith

I read something on the internet today that made me uneasy. Someone wrote vehemently against allowing religious students the opportunity to learn anything about atheistic beliefs.

I wondered why they were so afraid of differing ideas of theology since we are surrounded by them and there actually is no escape.

My only experience with something similar is when I was in New Orleans and visited a store that sold voodoo paraphernalia. I couldn't control my irrational fear of the sales people or the strange items sitting on the shelves and had to leave the store quickly. And I'm not even religious!

It was simply a fear of the unknown and it's ability to permeate my thinking that frightened me. Looking back on that episode I'm ashamed for my lapse of logic and I'm sorry I didn't use the opportunity to learn even a tiny bit about a brand new culture to me.

We should never be afraid to learn as long as we're adult enough to be able to pick and choose what we want to accept into our lives. It's the purpose of all schools to teach their students that alternate beliefs exist in the world and they aren't all bad. It shouldn't be taught that a person who follows a different religion or belief is a demon. Many atheists have higher moral standards than some priests.

There is good and evil in every religion. There is good and evil in each one of us and we have to choose which will rule our lives. I've always found that travelling the high road made my life easier and happier so it's been a simple choice for me. It wasn't a priest or minister or church that influenced me. It was common sense. We should use a little common sense when it comes to what we teach our children.