>>12696428>relinquishing responsibility also absolves them of any blame when things go wrong in their livesPainting all religious people with the brush of relinquishing responsibilities is bad practice. In Christianity, for example, the ideal Christian is constantly repenting, self-examining and asking if they're living their life in accordance with higher moral principles (viz. the will of God), and then, ultimately, believing that their station in the next life is the consequence of their choices in this one. The Buddhist literally believes that everything that befalls him is his fault due to Karma, and lives his life trying to attain enlightenment and therefore Nirvana. If a life of self-examination and preparing for death is one without responsibility then what qualifies as taking responsibility?
>have a few Old Men, who claim to 'speak to God', tell me how to live my life.Honestly this statement makes you sound kind of ignorant. It is true that religious organizations often derive authority from tradition, and that this manifests as old men, and that many people are brought up religious by compulsion. However, all those who stay religious choose and constantly re-affirm their faith. Religion is communal and young and interactive; it's personal and in practice it is much more often the case that religious teaching happens when the follower reaches out to the religious authority for advice and guidance, instead of the authority imposing itself on its followers. Talk to a local priest, go to a service, open your heart and mind to the possibility of religion: as it stands you are missing out on an important part of human experience and existence. God bless you anon.
