For all of existence, man has sought to understand life beyond his day to day existence. Christianity, Judism, Islam and other faiths are the result of this seeking. Yet, in the last few decades, religion has come under attack by those who consider people of religious faith to be immature, uneducated or even worse. There is a growing minority of individuals who spew hatred and ridicule toward anyone who professes a belief in a higher power. And despite the attacks I expect to hear from this post, I feel it is important to talk about this growing hatred.

Consider this comment from digger rtarar that got 62 thumbs up on Digg.com:” ‘Religion is an insult to human dignity. Without it you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.’ - Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize winning physicist.” This quote from Mr. Weinberg was taken from a NY Times interview in 1999 and reflects the thinking of many people today.

Here are just some of the other comments left on the same article titled “Americans Change Faiths at Rising Rate, Report Finds“:

“I hope someday the headline will say ‘Americans say ‘fuck you’ to organized religion, Report finds.’” - Digger usrlocalbin.

“first santa and the easter bunny and now god? we are running out of imaginary characters to lie to our children about.” - Digger sigg14

“Step One: Realize YOUR organized religion is bogus. Step Two: Realize ALL organized religion is bogus.” - Digger GREEDOnvrFIRED

“So sad that many people either switch religions, stay with their father’s religion or live on to believe a fairy tale without religious affiliation. Can’t they see that atheism is the only RATIONAL path and everything else is a man created myth with no factual basis? Without any evidence, God is the same as a pink unicorn. Why are people so stupid?” - Digger jm4847

The message to people of faith is you’re are liars, you’re stupid, and your religion is bogus. The odd thing is that my research for this post took me less than a minute on Digg. I checked out the top stories on lifestyle and quickly found this article with the hateful comments.

I know, some readers will find my use of the word hate to be too strong. We are told that hate is something that is reserved for racists and the religious right. I agree that you can find hate in both groups, but the words of the new anti-religious are just as filled with hate and intolerance as any religious fanatic or klan member. The growing hate speech directed at those of faith is like a feeding frenzy. When did society decide that the one last group we can attack with words like evil, stupid and liars was Christians or Jews? And why? Because we don’t agree with what they believe. Yes, it’s that simple, and it’s called bigotry.

Here is one more comment from the article that helps you to understand the thinking of the seemingly very angry non-religious.

“At least some people get it. ‘The way to deal with superstition is not to be polite to it, but to tackle it with all arms, and so rout it, cripple it, and make it forever infamous and ridiculous. Is it, perchance, cherished by persons who should know better? Then their folly should be brought out into the light of day, and exhibited there in all its hideousness until they flee from it, hiding their heads in shame.’ H.L. Menckin” - Digger sos84

That’s is in a nutshell. Since non-believers are the superior thinkers, those of faith must be tackled, crippled and ridiculed. Believers should hide their heads in shame for their belief in a power greater than themselves.

I have just a couple other thoughts on this issue. First, I understand that the individuals who openly share their hatred for those of faith are few. By far, the majority of atheist and non-religious do not attack those who think differently. But society is seldom tolerant of any bigoted hatred expressed toward any group of people. Given how vocal this minority has become, I think it is time that we call this speech what it is and share our concern for the lack of tolerance.

Second, please do not start telling me the stories of how so many have done evil in the name of religion. It is like saying that so many crimes are committed in the name of money…so money is bad. Simplistic thinking says that we can color an entire group by the actions of some. Sorry, I simply can’t buy that one. Just as I pointed out above, it is the minority of atheists and non-believers who are attacking people of faith. We can not label all Christians, religions or atheists.

Finally, I do believe there is room for educated, respectful debate about whether or not there is a God or why Christians do not accept some tenets of science. All I am proposing is that we leave the harsh words and bigoted speech for the truly ignorant, while we have a reasonable discussion of the differences in our beliefs.

By the way, the images in this post are used as examples of some of the rhetoric printed on buttons and stickers to promote this anti-religious, anti-Christian speech. The words are harsh and meant to ridicule. That is the message of the intolerant.

Seeking is our need to believe in something. It is what gives life meaning. It is spiritual, but not always religious. It is understanding that we are more than just organisms randomly interacting. Seeking is our desire to understand who we are, why we exist, and what is important in life.

Seeking is also about morality and recognizing that life is bigger than just ourselves. When we seek answers about life, we begin to define all of our actions, our decisions, and our relationships. When one believes that life is nothing but chance and science, morality has no role. But without morality, we have no right and wrong; no responsibility to anyone but ourselves. And that, by definition, leaves no room for love.

As we seek to understand life, we will not all find the same answer. But the answer and the journey to get there will help to build a path for our lives and our decisions. As best selling author Greg Anderson said, “When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing — then we truly live life.” Meaning is vital to our lives.

In my own life, meaning is found in my spiritual faith. I believe in something greater than myself and greater than the application of science can explain. I understand the challenges that this post may present for many of my readers. For many, there is an aversion to anything spiritual. But look past my own journey, and ask yourself if you have not needed to understand life at a more meaningful level. You may find a different answer. For you, the spiritual answer to life may seem lacking. That’s fine. What is important is that we all look beyond ourselves for a deeper appreciation for our existence.

Where have you found meaning? How have you recognized that life is greater than just yourself?

[Photo Credit: Mayr]

But life is not over and the journey is still underway. I am at a point in my life where I need to revisit the goals that I have set, consider some new paths and set new targets for myself.

Over the years I have come to believe that our lives can be summed up in Seven Actions: love, play, live, seek, learn, invest, and work. Everything we do falls into one of these Seven Actions. By seeking to understand these actions, what they mean, and how we can use them to improve ourselves, we begin to take control of our lives. And when we are in control, we can choose our own path, create our own happiness and determine our own future.

So, I’ve set some new goals for my life. I’ve organized them by the Seven Actions. During the next year I will be talking about these goals, and the progress I am making. I will share with you what works and what doesn’t.

But this blog is not just about me. This blog is about change; and it’s about you. It is about using each of the Seven Actions to better our lives and become what we most want for ourselves. I hope you will visit often.

What you can expect:

• Regular posts and articles about using the Seven Actions to change your life.
• News and information about real ways to reach your goals.
• Tips, tools and resources that will improve your life at work, home and in the community.
• Encouragement from others who are changing their lives.

What you won’t get:

• A lot of fluffy words about change with no help with no real answers.
• Paid posts that promote a product or service without real experience that it works.
• Answers from a guru who knows everything and has life all figured out. (This is just one way of looking at life, and by no means the answer to everything.)