Is Religion Worth It?

Many people frequently convert to Christianity, as it is the most common and popular religion. It is well known for its hospitality, forgiveness, and for a sense of motivation to go through challenges life throws at itself. However, like all religions, they have their own moral compass regarding what’s right and wrong. For example, choosing to forgive those who have wronged you and to love your enemies. There are controversial topics, like being against people within the LGBTQ+ community, same sex marriage, or people who identify as something completely different than what aligns to their gender assigned at birth. The same goes for many religions, as many of them have different views on the LGBTQ+ community. Though there are always supportive people, many others look down upon it and tend to disapprove of such topics, which can impact how families work and function. Sometimes parents might kick out their children for coming out as transgender, lesbian, or gay. 

As much as religion can be beneficial to many, serve as moral guidance, and promote forgiveness, shouldn’t everyone also have their own opinions on religion? It is often stigmatized that people who don’t follow religion are Satan worshippers or don’t believe in good. However, I believe that to be untrue, as atheists are capable of developing their own beliefs in what is right and wrong, especially when it comes to forgiving those who’ve wronged them. Not everyone owes another person forgiveness and no one should be pressured into doing so. Alongside the discrimination towards the LGBTQ+ community, atheists are relatively supportive or apathetic towards it in my experience. Why should we hate someone for loving another person of the same sex, gender, or for identifying as something else? It’s rather odd, and it is pretty normalized, especially within different bird species such as swans or cranes.

Image courtesy of: Isravel Isra99 on Wikimedia Commons.