travors:
People who are members of organised religions, let’s say Christianity, live with such spectacularly, obviously blinkered vision*, that I just can’t fathom how they never notice. It’s like there’s a truck hurtling at them from the side at 120 miles an hour, flashing it’s lights, roaring it’s engines, beeping it’s horn, ripping up trees and sending thrash cans flying through windows but they think “Well I can’t see it directly on front of me, so I’m just going to ignore that and continue standing rooted to this spot.”
Here’s a case in point.
According to Wikipedia, 94.6% of Thais are Buddhists. With a population of roughly 61 million people, this means that in Thailand there are approximately 57,706,000 Buddhists (these figures are very rough, Thailand’s last census was in 2000, but that doesn’t make any difference to my point).
What is the main reason there are 57,706,000 Buddhists living in Thailand? (*Hint* It’s not because 57 million Thais educated themselves in all religions and decided Oh hell yeah Buddhism! That’s the one for me! Bring on the Saṃsāra baby!). The main reason 51 million Thais are Buddhists is because they were born in Thailand.
That same reason can be applied everywhere. Look at Ireland. The main reason I was a “catholic kid” is because I was born in Ireland, to catholic parents, as was most likely because 92% of Irish are Catholic.
So let’s get hypothetical here. Say you took a random Irish catholic man (the personality, the individual) and instead of him being born in Ireland fixed it so he was born in Thailand, to a Thai family. Do you think he would have been a Catholic? Of course not, it just wouldn’t have happened, he’d have been Buddhist.
I don’t get it. I don’t get how, say, an American Christian could hear that 57 million Thais are Buddhists and think “Hmm. That’s a bit odd. 57 million of them huh? Well the 57 million of them must be wrong. Why? Well they’re wrong because my God saw fit to have ‘em born over there in Thailand. I don’t know why, he’s just a mysterious fucker like that. Sucks for them though, whatareyagonnado? Lucky me I’m American so I got the right one; zap me up Jesus!”
I think about this every time I meet a priest, or a nun or just a plain old Christian or Jew. I want to say: You know why you’re the religion you are don’t you? It’s because you were born where you we born. You know if you’d been born in Yemen you’d be have been Muslim right? Does that not set off an alarm in your head? Does that not make you think? **
I think it’s probable that most religious people just don’t think about it. Or ignore it. They slap on the religious blinkers and stare half blind ahead. Me personally I think I’ll get myself a bumper sticker made up that reads “Safe driver! Fear not! I’ve got freedom of vision because I’ve taken off the Jesus blinkers!”
*Blinkered vision: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/blinkered
** Before you say it: Yes I know some people switch religions. But the percentage is so small that it makes no difference to my point.
(Edit to add: Blinkers are also known as blinders or winkers)
