Ignorance Is Not Always Bliss!

If you were to ask me “what’s your Religion?”, based on the religion of my parents my response should be “I am a Rasta” but in reality my response is this, “I believe in God, but I do not go to church, I believe in God but I do not know my bible and I believe in God but I do not know the Lord’s Prayer”. Growing up in the UK this was never really an issue for me until I changed my location and had a religious culture shock.

I am a second generation African Caribbean born Brit whose parents rebelled against their parents traditional traditions of Christianity and clasped the root of Rastafari.

When I was a small child and people use to ask me what my religion was, I used to reply “well my mom and dad are Rasta’s so I that’s what I am” as I got older I realised that I really did not and still do not have much insight into the religion that I claimed as a child, but this didn’t and still does not bother me because I have never felt that because I do not know all there is to know about the religion that I claimed or the Christian beliefs of my Grandparents that this lowered or continues to lower my value as a human being.

I personally do not believe that in order to be a good person, to understand yourself, to know the difference between right and wrong, to love yourself or to have appreciation and respect for all things in this world that you have to strictly abide by a religion and its Holy days and place of worship.

But here I am 25 years of age taking a break from life in the Caribbean and catching up on some quality family time which involved an uncle that I’d never met before preach to me like you would not believe! He actually sat me down and asked me if I had a boyfriend to which I innocently and thankfully replied “no”, to which he replied “Good! Keep your virginity! You must remain pure for the Lord!” As the saying goes ‘the Lord truly is my saviour’ because had he asked a question about my virginity rather than make a statement I feel the rest of that dictation would have gone VERY differently.

After telling my cousin all about my uncles talk that may have been suitable for a 12 year old girl not so much for a 25 year old that heavily believes in free will and pre-marital fornication, she told to me that “God gives everyone the free will to make their own choices” so why is it that my choice to not know my bible, not to go to church, but to believe in God as a higher being is treated as though it’s the wrong choice?

I believe that religion offers great foundation and also great guidance for life, but from what  I know and understand of various religions, each religion possesses beliefs and values that are already within me which I call Respect, Love, Appreciation, Acceptance, Understanding, Faith, Kindness and Forgiveness but above all Moral.
Each Religion when it boils down to it teaches the same concepts but there are many individuals of each religion who need to practice what they preach.

My intention by my beliefs and the way I live my life is not to offend anyone nor is it to please anyone other than myself. If the things that I do and the way that I do them bother you then tough titty!

Yeah I swear, I drink, I dance to the ‘devil’s music’, I fornicate without a ring on my finger and gay people don’t ruin my day! Whoop-dee-flippin’- do!  The things I do make me happy, they feel right and they allow me to be the person that I am. If I strictly abided by a religion and didn’t do these things then I just wouldn’t be true to myself, further more I wouldn’t be the person that I am today

I don’t have issues with people who choose to devote their lives to God, in fact I think it great that you feel such passion about you religion that you are able to do this, spirituality is an amazing thing that not many care for or understand. But I also have to say to those that this applies to, just because you feel that you have a close relationship with God, or that you do all that your Holy book requires does not give you the right to judge other people!

Some of the meanest things I have heard being said about other people’s sexuality, race, physical appearance, intellect and life circumstances have come out of the mouths of some of the most religious people that I know! How am I or any others then able to truly respect you as a representative of your faith if you are a contradiction to your beliefs?

I feel at peace with the way that I am, the choices that I make and the God that I know, I only ask that you live and let live, do right by others and allow others to make their own choices in life and in faith.

I respect you and your beliefs so please respect mine.

Love Sara (A little lady that believes in the free will of one’s choices). xxx

* All images sourced from Google