Crap, I keep writing about religion, a topic which is blog poison. I, myself, can't get off a blogpage fast enough once I see "Bible study", "church group", or by anyone named Matthew, Mark, Luke and/or John. Folks who, I assume, can't get off a blogpage fast enough once they don't see those things.

I swear to god, I kid you not, I came across someone's page yesterday with pictures of a group of white girls in Oregon washing each other's feet in one of their parents' living rooms in some church related ritual. In gray, Rubber Maid basins! It was so freaky I didn't even get a link. Ran to the bathroom and washed my eyes with soap.

That was mean. I shouldn't have said it. It's growing up non-Christian in this Christian country that made me do it. I really have no problem with Jesus and his teachings, but the vocal American Christians are a scary lot (I realize many, if not most, Christians don't go around spouting it, on blog or otherwise, and I apologize if I offend).

Although I do have serious problems with Pauline Christianity, as it seems much more about Paul than Jesus, and apparently most Pauline Christians don't even really know who St. Paul was or how he re-shaped Jesus's message. If Jesus were resurrected today and said, "What's with all the goyim?", point to Paul. And if you introduce him to the Roman Catholic Church and he asks, "Wasn't Pontius Pilate Roman?", just shrug like you have no idea what he's talking about.

(Here was a good place to end this post, and it's still a good place to stop reading, but noooo, I just had to go on and walk out onto the thin ice.)

But even if you were kind enough to give me that, my issues with Christianity don't bother millions of Christians, why should they bother me? It's about their faith, and if it grounds them and guides them, so be it and respect it.

I did read through one Christian site that cited twisted facts and hateful interpretations trying to debunk Islam – where does that get anyone? Where does that get him? And debunking Christianity will have as much effect on Christians as Christians telling me I'm going to burn in hell has on me. They are going to burn in hell for being so self-righteous and having so little compassion for someone like me who's going to burn in hell (see ya there! I'll bring the hot dogs, you bring the grill, we'll have plenty of fire).

In the end, I think the Qur'an puts it best when it says (interpretation and paraphrased*) it doesn't matter what your faith is or what you do or think you did, God will decide. Emphasis on the "God will decide". Or using non-religious terms, it's not in your hands. But good deeds are good deeds. They don't stop at the borders of religions. And hate is hate. It's ugly in any interpretation of divinity.

Who amongst us is so arrogant as to belittle God so much to say that he or she knows God? Who knows the direct way to God? Show me the path, and it and your life better be pretty perfect and be able to account for the salvation of all humankind, because any less is not God's love. Of course the folks who wrote the "Left Behind" series are going straight to so many levels of hell simultaneously.

*I'll try to find a cite, but don't hold your breath.