Where Is Love?

Does it fall from skies above?
-Where Is Love from the musical Oliver!

As someone once asked, isn't the role of religion to create compassion in people? I've always thought so but evidently there are many people who do not agree with this interpretation and the ones who do not seem to be more than willing to share their intolerant religious views with the rest of the world. In the last few months I have been reading about or listening to people condemn others based on their (the person condemning) interpretation of the bible and/or their belief that their religion is the one and only true way to God.

-We have people passing out religious leaflets saying women who dress "provocatively" are responsible for being raped.

-We have FoxNews commentator Brit Hume saying Tiger Wood can only be forgiven for committing adultery if he gives up Buddhism and becomes a Christian.

-We have Christian evangelist Pat Robertson saying that the earthquake in Haiti happened because the people of that country are being punished for making a pact with the devil.

How can people who call themselves Christian and supposedly follow the teachings of "the prince of peace" be so reactionary and judgmental? I think Mark Twain explains it perfectly:

In religion and politics people's beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second-hand, and without examination, from authorities who have not themselves examined the questions at issue but have taken them at second-hand from other non-examiners, whose opinions about them were not worth a brass farthing.

And where is this leading, you ask? To me writing down my own thoughts about the bible and religion. Starting next week I will begin a series of blog posts called The Gospel According to Colleen in which I will explain my biblical and religious views. I am not sure where this will lead but I do expect it to be interesting....well, at least for me and hopefully for you, too.