I used to be a man who sought out religious people to defeat them. I knew a lot about religion. I had been a Catholic school boy for the first eighteen years of my life. I have taken a religious class every year for nearly twelve of those years. I attended services of my religion, and some others, at least once a week and some of the times two times a week. I have attended philosophical seminars on religion, and I have engaged in philosophical discussions with friends and family more times than I can count. I had had enough of religion to last me a lifetime, at one time in my life, and anyone who dared cross my threshold was going to get the brunt of my retribution.

I was always respectful to religious people don’t get me wrong. I have always tried to be respectful of another’s viewpoints regardless of what they were. I did try to sway them to my line of thinking though. I did try to assist them in seeing the errors of their way by leading them to the way, the truth and the light of my new found knowledge. I asked constant questions of those of faith. I asked rhetorical questions for which my goal was not answers but their belief that I was of a superior intellect. I challenged their beliefs with my questions, as I have always challenged my own. But my intent was always a good one. I never intended to have them switch their religion or drop religion altogether.

I couldn’t sit by, however, and allow these people to pursue their devotion in an anti-intellectual manner though. It dated back to my eighteen years spent in religion in which those who taught me the precepts of the religion asked me to do so in an anti-intellectual manner. They told me that I had to have faith. It was infuriating to my young and ever curious mind. Having said that, I was bound and determined to force those around me to endure my thought process on the matter. I couldn’t stand the fact that these people were happy in their religion when I had been so unhappy in my own.

I think that there are some who cannot stand the fact that there is such an enormous religious populace in this country, and I think many mean to change this one person at a time. How can you believe in a religion that cannibalizes it’s Savior on a weekly basis? How can you believe in a religion that speaks of a virginal birth? How can you believe in a religion that speaks of a Savior dying and rising from the dead? It’s all so illogical. These questions, for some, may be honest questions of a curious mind. If that’s the case, then I have no problem with it. I have, however, seen many of these "curious minds" turn to me with laughter the minute their subject left the room.

My curious mind wants to know why we feel the need to engage in such questioning of the religious mind? Why do we feel a need to put them through the paces? Are these questions that are directed to the religious mind nothing more than curious and non-threatening? How many times have we asked the religious person a question, then turned to our friends later and said: "They had no answer for that." In lieu of that, how many of us have felt a sense of accomplishment by putting these religious people on the spot?

My question is why can’t we leave these people alone? They’re happy people. They enjoy their uncomplicated, unquestioning lives. They may not have examined their lives or their religion in the manner we have, but why does this bother us to such a degree? There may be certain aspects of their religion that they don’t sufficiently question, but why does this bother us so much that we feel a need to call them out on the mat?

"We have a dumb society, that doesn’t question matters enough for their own good. Maybe I can enlighten them with my studies."

"Well," I say quoting Caddyshack, "the world needs ditch diggers too." Not everyone has the wherewithal or desire to put themselves through the self-examination processes that the supposed enlightened do. A dirty, little secret that I have found among the enlightened is that they are, on the whole, unhappy and unfulfilled people. They have spent so much time filling their mind with contrarian thought that at the end of the day they are empty people in search of fulfillment. This search of theirs usually lands in other "religions" such as Scientology and Kaballah.

I don’t want anyone reading this to think that I think the pursuit of religious ideals or morals is an anti-intellectual pursuit. I used to believe that, but I have been so successfully contradicted over the years that I no longer believe this is the case. Are there some holes in the plot, sure, but this does not mean that there isn’t enough material in the various religious texts to keep the most abundant brains satisfied. There are some, however, and we all know them, who don’t need the intellectual stimulation to pursue the religion of choice.

"What if they’re trying to convert me?"

Well, do you have confidence in the strength of your mind and thought processes? If you do, then you have nothing to worry about. Brainwashing, like hypnotization, cannot make you do anything you do not want to do. This idea that the God-fearing ideas and tenets are somehow Svengali in nature is a myth propagated by the anti-religious who think that the human mind is a weak vessel. Most religious people are, also, not out to convert you. There are the airport people, the bicycle riders and the missionaries, but by and large those who make up religions are good, normal people who find solace and fulfillment in the religion of their choosing. I think that it’s about time that we left these good people alone.