I feel like I’m hearing the same conversations and the same arguments about the same things lately. I’ve gotten ear fulls. And it’s always about the same two things. The two things that have been making me sick are: religion and politics. Needless to say, I’ve been pretty cynical lately. Then, I heard some quotes from founding father, Thomas Paine, over the radio today that only spurred me on further.

Thomas Paine on Politics:

Society in every state is a blessing, but government, even in its best stage, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one.

Thomas Paine on Religion:

All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit.

So, I’ve come to these two conclusions: 1) religion and politics just don’t work and 2) there’s not much difference between the two.

They’re both about conviction, power, control and being right. Both involve pushing forward a certain dogma of beliefs and practices. The problem with both is that they’re all too human and easy to define. They both seem to boil down to “what we can do.” And the more I follow after Christ, I find out that life has less and less to do about me. It’s not about power or control, but giving those things up. The more I walk, the more I find myself being farther and farther from those two things. So I could care less about religion and politics, thank you very much.