Faith
“Oh my God!”
“Oh my Allah!”
“Oh my David!”
“Oh my Vishnu!”
“Oh my Guru Nanak!”
“Oh my Buddha!”
“Oh my...rabbits ass?”
Faith is the evidence of things not seen. Believing in something invisible, and inaudible to most. Faith is believing in something that has not been revealed yet. Letting others laugh at us and believe that we are crazy for our beliefs. Faith is not religious abuse. You cannot teach someone to believe by hitting them over the head with a book, any more than you can understand what is in a book by being hit over the head with it until you scream out that you understand the contents.
You might say you understand the contents, but do you really? You learn not by being hit over the head by a book, but by voluntarily reading that book. If someone else forces you to read a book, will you develop a life-long interest in it, or will you shun the subject? But if you have a natural interest in a book, then you might just read it, and understand it, maybe even become obsessed with it, then recommend it to everyone you see. Not everyone will agree with your choice of book, but that is their decision, for nobody can force anybody to believe something that they do not believe. Religious abuse is not loving, but is controlling. Love is unconditional, love is patient, love keeps no record of wrongs. Love never ends. Religious abuse keeps laundry lists, is impatient, is conditional on agreement, and is like beating someone over the head with a book. Which one will win? I know I want love to win, and for love to be hand in hand with faith, met with faith on the victory line, for love and faith are my friends.