Common Sense in the USA - MIA

Lately I have been reading a lot of the newest books debunking religion and God. I haven't completely weighed in on everything yet, for me to discard the notion of my God would almost be like no longer brushing my teeth every day. Its been with me since I was a child. I was raised relatively secular with the most religious thing thrown around in my house was "do to others what you would have them do to you" translation be nice. When we did go to church it felt forced, unnatural, I remember my mum kneeling in prayer and while she did her best to act natural, she still seemed like she was wearing cold, wet underwear. It never seemed natural to me either.

I have always felt really uncomfortable with ultra religious people. I feel like they all see me as deluded, like a parent watching a clueless child explain the logistics of Santa Claus on Christmas eve. Take for example Creationist vs Darwinian theory of evolution. Most of the Bible Belt in the US believe in creationism, that we appeared from Adam and Eve and we are now as we were then. I personally don't buy this, that Noah but everything two by two onto an ark and saved the world as we now know it. If that were so, every single animal would have either become genetically mutated to the point that they would be no more than a puddle with eyes or die out entirely (think Hapsburg line).

As for the Darwinian theory it kind of makes sense. How can you dispute the discovery of bones found that show though humans looked markedly different millions of years ago, we stood up straight and walked, there is even evidence that they spoke. In the face of such compelling evidence the creationists scoff, and hold up an overly translated book as proof positive. Remember that game Telephone that you may have played as a child? After 10 people the story's unrecognizable from the original, so what do you think happened after 2000 years?

These same religious fanatics who believe in Noah's Ark, Jesus resurrecting from the dead etc., would call you insane if you said you saw something like a ghost or a spirit, or that you believed God sent messages to some people through their dreams. So as I understand it, only one small group of people in history were allowed magical powers and the rest of us peasants are supposed to read about it and believe it and tithe to the institutions that represent these magical beings. If you oversimplify it becomes kind of ludicrous.

I don't mean to make fun or offend anyone, I just want to point out the hypocrisy that surrounds fanaticism. I don't want to throw out the beliefs of religion, what I do want is for people of a strong religious bent to be tolerant and open minded to alternative explainations of our being. Believing in scientific findings for the theory of evolution does not mean that you turn your back on your religion, or your God(s). You can have yur cake and eat it too.