Inspired by a Bumper Sticker

If you've ever seen my car, you know that I'm a fan of bumper stickers. I saw one today that really made me think. It said "God is too big for one religion." I love it.

One of my fundamental problems with most organized religions is that they teach that their way is the only right way and that anyone who doesn't agree is wrong and must be punished. The way I see it, claiming that you understand the universe enough to say with that much certainty that everyone who doesn't agree with you is going to Hell is kind of like claiming God-like status. Isn't that supposed to be wrong?

For the record, I don't intend to attack any particular religion. It's the idea itself that bothers me. This is also simply my interpretation of what I see and hear.

Anyway, it got me thinking about what I believe. I guess I see God as more of a... presence? Idea? I'm not sure what the right word is. I personally think of this presence/idea/whatever as being represented by multiple deities, but the face that an individual person gives to God doesn't matter. It's the concept itself. I believe that you can call God whatever you like and interpret it in an infinite number of ways and that it's all okay if you don't try to say that your way is the only correct way.

That made me think of an argument I had with my uncle last summer. My uncle is an atheist and a philosophy major. Needless to say, he shot me down and he shot me down well. It was a really interesting argument, though. It made me wonder if I believe in essentially everything because I'm afraid to believe in nothing. I would be afraid to believe in nothing. I'm really terrified of Eternity and the thought of eternal nothingness isn't really something I can handle. Am I just fabricating a belief system because I'm scared of eternal nothingness, or do I really truly with all my heart believe that there is something more?

Then THAT led me to our discussion of existentialism in English class last semester. I am obviously not an existentialist. I mean, really- I wouldn't exactly be keeping this particular blog if I was, now, would I? But that discussion led me right back to the same place. Do I believe that everything has a purpose because I'm afraid of the idea of nothing having a purpose? Is my fear of nothingness the reason that mundane things are so profound to me? It would pretty much blow my whole view of life.

Then I laughed at myself for questioning my view of life because of a bumper sticker.

I don't know. Maybe I'm just a naive little girl in a silly little world where God is an idea and tiny little things have meanings that you need to figure out and put together like pieces of a puzzle to understand life/the universe/the afterlife/something/anything/everything. Or maybe I'm enlightened. Who knows? I sure as hell don't.

I'd like to thank the owner of that car. That bumper sticker really affected me and I'm going to remember it. I might even get one to add to my collection.