Unpopular Opinion

I have been actively trying not to write this post, but it has been niggling in my mind so regularly that I needed to write it down.  This is written with the awareness that this post might be triggering and disheartening to some of my family, but still needs to be said.

I try not to engage in religious discussions with people as I know it hits to to the core of a person's beliefs, but it is ironic that while I am dismissive of religion, I have to tread lightly in the real world, while those that believe in a specific faith are free to share their opinions even in the face of outlandish and shameful incidents throughout history.  Yet this is still allowed and encouraged.

I spent the last year working hard to become stronger after my stomach surgery, and when I posted about how hard I worked, some of the comments that came back were "praise God".  I worked my ass off over the last year, and the credit goes to God.  I find this an example of how humanity now seems to distance themselves from owning their choices.  By blaming God, you take away the responsibility and ownership of actions.  It's God's will.  Things happen for a reason.  Well, this logic stuns those people that don't believe in God, or at least that version of God.  Should I not be held responsible for my mistakes and actions, and by proxy get to own my victories?   I know when I make a mistake, I don't think "God let me down", so why would I think to say "Praise God" when I succeed. 

Thoughts and prayers seem to be the go to for mass shootings in the US, while the pope makes his way across Canada on his tour of apologies across Canada for the death of thousands of children under the protection of the Catholic church.  And to add insult to injury, my family now works for, and their lives revolve around this entity that has caused so much hurt and suffering in the name of doing good.  Yet, to speak out vocally on this topic is frowned upon.  Another layer of offending the easily offended and the easily led.

I  believe in almost all of the pillars of most major religions, but I have learned to pull the best out of the ones I like and to throw the rest back.  No one said it was a requirement to choose from a list.  And if religions were truly altruistic and genuine, would they not want people to just generally be better, rather than adhering to their particular brand of religion?  Particularly ones with disturbingly dark histories.