Share

Live and let live...

One of the more popular issues here on News24 is the issue of religion, and it is obvious to me that many people have ongoing questions about their origins and/or creator and their eventual destination upon their earthly demise.  As far as I am concerned though, religion should be, - and is in most cases, an invitation if you like, by the Deity or non-Deity involved, to join, or not join that specific cause or belief system; Notably however - never being at liberty to criticise or admonish people of other faiths, and most notably – never being at liberty to harm those of other faiths, be it by physically hurting them or even, as is often the norm these days, killing them for not agreeing with you.

Atheism, by the way, should also conform to this, in that it also is a “religion” as firstly, it believes in the non-existence of a creator and secondly, atheists are often very vociferous and vocal in their “cause,” if you will, - specially so on this site; often trying to convince others at length of their own convictions and doing so in the most derogatory way.  “Oh please – So you believe in the existence of God, do you?  Do you also believe in the Easter bunny and Father Christmas?”  Well, I have a question for you, Mr. Atheist.  Who are you to so roundly question the belief of another?  There is not one shred of evidence that for example, evolution is a fact.  It’s called “The THEORY of evolution” for a reason.  Your own convictions can be questioned just as easily, - or even more so.

If you honestly believe in a Magic Macaroni Monster, Flying Spaghetti Man, the reincarnated Master Jedi or Jabba the Edifying Hut, - the call should be up to you and you should be left to your own devices.  By the same token, if you honestly buy into being a Hindu, Buddhist, Christian or Muslim, you are the caller of the proverbial shots.  You also should be left to decide upon your own fate and passage through life.  However, and this is the killer, so to speak…if you are left to doing what you want – please make sure that you do the same unto others.  Leave them alone and don’t resort to violence or do anyone any harm!

Whatever religion you do belong to, - do make sure that it is a religion of peace, and if it isn’t, seriously question what the ideology is that you are supporting, as well as the actions that are being asked of you in the name of that god.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
42% - 396 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
58% - 557 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.94
-0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.91
-0.1%
Rand - Euro
20.43
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.34
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.2%
Platinum
910.50
+1.5%
Palladium
1,011.50
+1.0%
Gold
2,221.35
+1.2%
Silver
24.87
+0.9%
Brent-ruolie
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,346
+1.0%
All Share
74,536
+0.8%
Resource 10
57,251
+2.8%
Industrial 25
103,936
+0.6%
Financial 15
16,502
-0.1%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE