At 83 years old, Sanders is not running for president again. But the stooped and silver-haired democratic socialist has emerged as a leader of the resistance to Donald Trump’s second presidency. In tearing into Trump’s seizure of power and warning about the consequences of firing tens of thousands of government workers, Sanders is bucking the wishes of those who want Democrats to focus on the price of eggs or “roll over and play dead.”
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not anti-Islam. I just don’t care for organized religion period so when it’s a significant part of a candidate’s life, it’s usually worse than neutral for me. I want religion far away from government no matter what kind it is.
I mean, mysticism aside, I think most people agree with most actual principles of major religions. Much of it boils down to “be nice to people.”
The real gripe for most seems to be the hypocrisy of a large swath of supposed religious people. In ideal circumstance, religion has probably always seemed like a form of therapy before psychology was a thing. I feel it’s good for that. It’s community involvement. It lets you look at social and personal issues. It can be like a guidance counselor for making decisions. It can help resolve conflict. There is much potential for good from something like church and religion.
It’s as fallible as any other institution though, and much like we’re seeing with government, the groups pushing forgiveness, compromise, and egality tend to get steamrolled by those who just don’t give a damn.
So while I don’t hold any personal beliefs, I find a person’s overall character doesn’t vary if they’re religious or not. For the bad people, religion is just another means to an end, and it won’t be the only avenue they’re trying to exploit.