The Seventh Day Before Christmas

For the 7th day Before Christmas, religion gave to me...

Self-described pastor guilty of sex assault a 2nd time

The story (which can be read by clicking the link) is pretty much like many other stories involving church leaders and minors. This story, along one about Sandra Bullock portraying a Christian woman who adopted a now-football star made me seek to clarify the reason of my criticism to church leaders who harm others.

As many might think, my point is not that religion causes priests and pastors to rape children, among other things. Hell, no. There are many criminals out there who harm other without the necessity of a religion. Furthermore, there are also many who have their religion helping them to overcome problems and treat others better.

My point is that not because someone is a church leader or a believer, he or she is a better person. Not because someone leads a group of people in the name of God, he or she is an automatically great person. This might seem obvious, but unfortunately it is not. Religion asks you for obedience, religions asks you to be a sheep and follow a shepherd. In the absence of the "real" shepherd, religious leaders are considered to be the ones who will guide the sheep. And people take for granted that those shepherds are all good, all trustful.

Religion did not invent kindness, or goodness, or charity, or love. In the same way, a religious person is not necessarily a person with all those attributes. He or she might be, but is only to be discovered after getting to know the person.

A pastor who preaches you the word of god is just as believable as the lawyer who asks you for money to keep thinking in your case, or the mechanic who tells you that your car needs much more work than expected, or the politician that promises you a change.