You don’t realize what’s dysfunctional,
until you experience what isn’t.
Let me start this out with this: for most of my life I’ve had a strong aversion to organized religion. My mother is a devout buddhist, my brother is an Episcoplian priest. Needless to say, this caused some rifts in my family. Throughout my childhood, there were several instances where religion was a definite stresser.
It wasn’t until this year in getting acquainted with my boyfriend’s family that I’ve realized that it’s really not the religion that causes strife, but the people themselves.
I’ve had two serious relationships prior to this one, neither of them in families that are very religious. While their families were very good to me, I have to admit that I never really felt like I belonged in them –even after more than two years in one case.
So you can imagine my reservations meeting my boyfriend’s family, knowing that their religion is a very big part of their lives. I was afraid of what they would think of me, being completely out of their religious sphere. How wrong I was to worry about anything like that at all.� I’ve honestly felt more at home with his family than even my own. They truly make me feel like I’m accepted — and though I never really thought it was something I wanted, it feels somehow like what I’ve been looking for.
And seriously, of all the families I’ve spent a lot of time in, theirs has been the one with the most love and laughter of all.
Knowing this, feeling this, and experiencing this has made me really take a step back and look at my views on organized religion as a whole….And what I’ve somewhat come to realize is this: it’s not really race, or religion, or intelligence or borderlines that create intolerance among people. It’s the people of these races, religions, intelligences and borderlines that cause the intolerance.
It’s been said before, and I’ve probably said it myself…
But I don’t think I ever really experienced the good side of it until now. 
What are your religious beliefs? How do they affect your family life? Your day to day life?
Obligatory photo:
Should I get these glasses?
