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Meditation 1270
Re-Imagining Religion: everybody deserves respect

by: Gordon Barthel

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I dream of a religion that teaches we must respect all humankind, not a religion that decrees most people are destined for eternal damnation for such a religion essentially teaches those people are not worthy of respect.

Instead, I dream of a religion that teaches we should respect all humankind without exception, without excuses, a religion that teaches we should respect people from every walk-of-life, a religion that teaches we should respect people whatever their background, whatever their ancestry, a religion that teaches we should respect people from every creed, every culture and every race, a religion that believes all people, every human past, present and future deserves a modicum of respect for simply being human.

I do not need nor want a religion that slanders others people, a religion that essentially tells parishioners they need not respect their fellow humans because they have wrong skin, they have the wrong heart, they have the wrong mind, they have the wrong soul, I do not need such a religion for it is not a citadel of love, compassion and forgiveness but a hall of hatred, contempt and vengeance.

I desire a religion that teaches all humanity deserves respect, even those who seemingly deserve none for one could argue society failed them, government failed them, religion failed them, education failed them; one could argue family failed them, friends failed them, humanity failed them; one could argue somebody somewhere failed to nurture their desirable potential, therefore they deserve a modicum of respect for simply being a homo sapiens surviving as best they can in an indifferent and frequently hostile world.

I do not desire a religion that preaches everybody outside the church walls are doomed souls, miserable, wretched sinners to be discarded for all eternity, for such a religion is profoundly small of heart and mind.

Instead, I dream of a religion that believes all humankind deserves respect, whether male, female or otherwise, liberal, conservative, between or beyond, rich, poor or middle class, eastern, western, southern or northern, every human deserves respect simply for being human.

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