Organized Religion Rant

Ever since Sue and I moved down to Alabama, my opinion of organized religion has been steadily decreasing. For one thing, I have always been a very introverted when it comes to discussing religion with other people. I'm not willing to tell others that their religious choice (whatever it may be) is wrong when I have so little hard evidence that mine was right. This clashes with nearly everything that goes on here in the bible belt. For example:

(1) In the last election, my polling location was inside a church.

(2) On the weekends when I go to work, I often drive by a church where there are always folks at the end of the church driveway waving at people as we drive by. I don't really understand why, but that bothers me. I cannot really put my finger on why, but it really bothers me.

(3) The whole ten commandments in the judicial Building issue down here. For those who were unaware, the chief justice of Alabama decided that all laws come from the Bible, and that a giant 10 ton granite monument should be placed in the judicial building for everyone to see. What bothers me about this one is that the judge in this case felt that he did not have to comply with the federal judges order to remove the monument.

(4) All the laws in this state passed by the religious organizations. There are still several dry counties around the one I live (thank goodness the one I live in is not that way). Also, we do not have a state lottery because "gambling is bad" according to the religious right.

Things like this, where a particular religious group feels the need to FORCE their belief on others has never sat right with me, particularly when the use the law to do so, makes me very uncomfortable and sad.

This Gay marriage thing is another example. What the hell is the argument that Gay Marriage is not ok, but civil unions are? How can you logically be for that? I can at least understand the logic of not wanting to accept gay marriage and gay civil unions (not wanting to legitimize that sort of life-style). I don't agree with it, but at least I can understand it. But what argument can one give for wanting to reserve just the title of marriage to heterosexual couples? The only arguments I have heard is that marriage has always been defined that way. So? By that logic slavery would still be legal and women would not be able to vote.