CONTRASTING RELIGIONS
Kura's note: I wrote this for a portfolio to get into the Literary Arts program at an arts school.
The subject of my opinion piece is the way some religions force their ideas on you, and do not let you think for yourself. I know they are just trying to save you from a terrible fate when you die, but if you do not want to believe what they believe, they should just accept that.
For example, I know many followers of the Christian faith. Some of them accept that other people do not want to follow their faiths and have the same beliefs as them. I am okay with that, I believe it is right to accept what others believe even if it�s not the same as you. I also know some who start shoving the doctrine of Christianity down your throat, trying to convert you the second they meet you, even if your family follows a different religion. I can understand that you are trying to save these people, but if they have a religion and are happy with it, let them stick to it.
Most religions have a life-after-death theory. In Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, they have heaven. In Buddhism they believe in Nirvana. In the Hindu religion, they pray to many gods and goddesses. They are a pantheistic religion. There is usually a feud going on by believers of these faiths about which one is right. One religious belief stands out above the rest, and that is the Wiccan belief that when we die we all go to the same place; we just get there in different ways.
The Wiccan religion is heavily frowned upon by the Christian religion, as they practise witchcraft, and yet they believe that followers of both faiths (and others) will end up in the same place in the end. If that�s not tolerant, then someone tell me what is. That is how we ALL should be, accepting of others religious views.
Contrasting religious beliefs are the cause of many problems in our world. For example, World War II was started because Hitler was trying to wipe out all the Jews. Now if he hadn�t of been so convinced that Christianity was the only right religion, many people need not have died.
In some ancient cultures if you did not accept the religion of your land, you were declared a heretic and you could be put to death by being hanged or being burned. In Ancient Egypt, there was a pharaoh who was considered heretic, because he abolished the belief system and had them pray to only one god. The citizens were very angry and continued to pray to the old gods in secret. When he was dead, they got rid of anything that had to with him. In those days, this was considered �dying the second death�.
In conclusion, I believe it is wrong to have religion forced upon you. We as humans were created with the ability to think and choose for ourselves, and religion should not be any different.