Religion is a hot topic in Sicily and I avoid to get into the discussions for two reasons: 1) Italians has two options in school, study catholicism or no religion at all. In Sweden we got an overview of the offers available. 2) Media only publish nice things about the church, not much scandals that we can read about in other countries media. This also limits many people because few speaks english and get news only in Italian. So they get just one side of the story.
To avoid discussions especially with women, as they are those who goes to church here, I said before that we are Protestants in Sweden, just as we wore before. But I have stopped to say it, to say things as they are, that we are a secular country but have a basic knowledge of different religions. And got better results as the news shocks many people and I rarely get more questions. I also answer today that I am an anti-theologist but I believe in a universal force, which I mean in a scientific way.
What I feel irritation over is that people try to push their believes on me. Send their kids to invite me to church as I have kindly explained that I will never ever adapt that organisation and why. Then when I have some questions about catholicism no one wants to answer. When I lived in Ragusa a priest kindly explained to me many the things church does and also said that many things they do in church are traditions and not always according to Bible teachings. And that was that. He did not try to blame me nor to convert me, he was also happy to be able to explain how things work. And I was happy to understand a bit more about the society.
What few people know is that I have been brought up in strict christianity and have actually read the bible several times and know exactly what the book says and seen so many verses going against eachother that the messages in the scriptures do not keep the so called truth intact. I can also compare what the priest says and what the Bible says. Strange thing is also that I have until this day never met a person here who actually reads the bible. I will remember the bible for the rest of my life even if I do not believe in it. People get surpriced when I pick up bible verses to answer their accusations.
To live in Sicily as a non believer works well, as there are many atheists here, they all do not say it officially and most atheists I meet are actually men.
For me religion is a political tool to keep people ignorant, but that is an opinion I keep to myself here. I never say it. I do respect believers, but why is it always so provocative when e.g. I do not believe? It is not about you…
Svenska
Religion ?r ett hett ?mne p? Sicilien och jag undviker att hamna i diskussionerna av tv? sk?l: 1) italienarna har tv? alternativ i skolan, studera katolism eller ingen religion alls. I Sverige fick vi en ?versikt ?ver de erbjudanden som finns tillg?ngliga. 2) Media publicerar bara trevliga saker om kyrkan, inte mycket skandaler som vi kan l?sa om i andra l?nders media. Detta begr?nsar ocks? m?nga m?nniskor eftersom f? talar engelska och f?r nyheter bara p? italienska. S? de f?r bara en sida av historien.
F?r att undvika diskussioner speciellt med kvinnor, eftersom de ?r de som g?r till kyrkan h?r, sa jag innan att vi ?r protestanter i Sverige, precis som vi var tidigare. Men jag har slutat att s?ga det, och s?ger som det ?r, att vi ?r ett sekul?rt land men har en grundl?ggande kunskap om olika religioner. Och fick b?ttre resultat d? nyheten chockar m?nga m?nniskor och jag f?r s?llan fler fr?gor. Jag svarar ocks? i dag att jag ?r en anti–teolog men jag tror p? en universell kraft, vilket jag menar p? ett vetenskapligt s?tt.
Vad jag k?nner irritation ?ver ?r att folk f?rs?ker trycka sin tro p? mig. Skickar sina barn att bjuda in mig till kyrkan, fast jag v?nligt f?rklarat att jag aldrig n?gonsin kommer att ta mig an organisationen och varf?r. Sedan n?r jag har n?gra fr?gor om katolismen vill ingen vill svara. N?r jag bodde i Ragusa f?rklarade en pr?st v?nligt f?r mig m?nga av sakerna kyrkan g?r och sa ocks? att m?nga saker de g?r i kyrkan ?r tradition och inte alltid enligt Bibelns l?ror. Och det var det. Han f?rs?kte inte att klandra mig eller att konvertera mig, han var ocks? glad ?ver att kunna f?rklara hur saker och ting fungerar. Och jag var glad att f?rst? lite mer om samh?llet.
Vad f? vet ?r att jag har vuxit upp i strikt kristendom och har faktiskt l?st Bibeln flera g?nger och vet exakt vad boken s?ger och sett s? m?nga verser som g?r emot varandra att meddelandena i skrifterna inte kan h?lla den s.k. sanningen intakt. Jag kan ocks? j?mf?ra vad pr?sten s?ger och vad Bibeln s?ger. Konstigt ?r ocks? att jag har tills denna dag aldrig tr?ffat en person h?r som faktiskt l?ser bibeln. Jag kommer ih?g Bibeln f?r resten av mitt liv ?ven om jag inte tror p? den. Folk blir f?rv?nade n?r jag plockar upp bibelverser f?r att svara p? deras anklagelser.
Att leva p? Sicilien som en icke troende fungerar bra, eftersom det finns m?nga ateister h?r, alla s?ger inte det officiellt och de flesta ateister jag tr?ffar ?r faktiskt m?n.
F?r mig ?r religionen ett politiskt verktyg f?r att h?lla folk okunniga, men det ?r en ?sikt jag h?ller f?r mig sj?lv h?r. Jag s?ger aldrig det. Jag respekterar troende, men varf?r ?r det alltid s? provocerande n?r t.ex. jag inte ?r troende? Det handlar inte om dig…
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