Hello from the BIBLE belt (ughh)

I live in North Alabama (right smack in the middle of the bible belt) and it is RIDICULOUS how non-religious people get treated here. One of the first questions people ask around here is, "So, what church do you go to?" If you say you don't attend church, people treat you differently--like you have a disease or something. Anyhow, just wanted to say hello to the board. I'm a....well....I'm still in the process of deciding what I believe. I haven't ruled ANYTHING out yet because I'm only 21 and haven't fully experienced the world yet. I am a student of psychology and philosophy, so that helps me look at things objectively. It really bothers me when people just take their religion for face value and explain it all away with "Well, that's how GOD wants it. We can't question it" I'm not sure at this point if there is SOME higher power in the universe, but I don't like organized religion very much because I feel like it is a form of social control. I feel like the people around here, especially, have their heads filled with the herd mentality. They are sheep and they follow whatever religion sucks them in (usually christian in these parts). I've rambled enough I hope this board continues to grow!

Ohhhhhh. The Bible Belt. *shudder* You are a brave soul! I too wonder about those people who just swallow dogma, unquestioned. I don't say this often but that sort of thing tends to make me assume such people are not terribly intelligent. I once tried to ask someone like that if she really thought about her beliefs so that she might understand the ways of her god more deeply and even appreciate her religion more. She thought that was unnecessary. If people want to live that, well OK whatever, it's their life. But when they use that attitude to pass judgment on me and others? Thank you NO!!! I had always had my issues with religion but I really started to think about it in college; specifically when I studied psychology and cultural anthropology. It became plainly obvious to me that religion is a purely human construct, aimed at meeting certain psychological, social, and cultural needs. It perfectly explains why every culture has invented deities since the dawn of time. Good luck with your studies and feel free to post any discussion topics that might interest you!

An amazing book to read, Myths to Live By: How we re-create ancient legends in our daily lives to release human potential by Joseph Campbell. It explains the unfortunate necessity of "society" to have religion to be morally upstanding people. Great book! ~Van

I'm gonna need to get that book...It sounds interesting. ...fellow independent thinker