Mahnaz Zardoust-Ahari
December 12, 2005
iranian.com

The other day I was sitting at lunch with a friend and she had brought one of her friends as well. Of course I knew her, she was a very devout Christian woman. You know the ones; they can't stop talking about how if you don't convert and accept Jesus Christ you'll go to hell.

So here I sit... Now I'm not religious by any means though I do believe some power did put us here, and she starts to lecture me about how I should come to church with her and how I should accept Jesus Chris as my savior. At first I just really tried to listen and be polite but it came to a point I just could not take any more. I finished my lunch and excused myself politely and left.

This conversation was a true incident that did not happen too long ago. You would think in a society where we are supposed to be politically correct, people would think twice about what they say to you about your choice in religion. As it shows, they don't nor do they seem to care. I choose to believe the way I believe.

Every day it seems, though not literally, I am inundated with the idea that if you do not have a religion then you are not normal. Well, I guess I'm not normal. Growing up the way I did, I had a viewpoint from both sides. My mother is an American woman and my father is Iranian. I learned about both Christianity from my mother and Islam from my father, but to be honest I never saw the difference between the two.

I have asked people of both faiths to explain to me the differences and I have yet to find one person to give me a clear-cut difference. Now maybe I asked the wrong people or maybe I didn't ask the right questions. The one thing I did find on my endless quest, was that every religious person is the same. I'm not saying this as a bad thing; I'm saying it as a fact. They all are strong in their convictions and they are always determined to explain to you how you are wrong in what you believe.

All this aside, I am not one to judge anyone in their belief or lack of belief. I just do not want to be judged in mine. I mean, do they really think that they can change a person's mind when they come to a point in their life and have found everything they need? I would never consider myself religious. I consider myself open to the idea there is a God because I see Him everyday in my children's smiles. I saw Him the day I gave birth to each of my children. I know He does exist. I just cannot believe in religion. Something I once heard someone say: religion was created to keep women, children, and old men busy. As I have grown older I do believe this. I don't mean there are not religious men out there I just mean that the majority of people in religious places are women, children, and old men.

Religion has always been there in one form or another for people to have to 'lean on', to 'guide' them through tough choices, or even to 'judge' by. Does this mean every person has to be religious? I say no. I think we make conscious choices in everything we do and I believe we should rely on what IS right and wrong not some IDEA of what is right and wrong. Yes we do need guidance in some things but to rely on another human being to tell you what should be done and what should not be done is, well to me, illogical. How can you expect another human to honestly tell you what to do? They can help you but to honestly tell you what to do is impossible.

If you are religious -- which I am sure a great many are that will read this -- do not rely on someone else to tell you how to live. If you do believe in God, Allah, whatever you may call Him, read his book for yourself and learn. The Holy Bible, The Koran they are very simple to read. We as humans make them more than they are. God I am pretty sure did not want only specific people to know exactly what His book says. He wanted everyone to know. So go read for yourself and then you decide what to do.

As for me, I know what I am. I am a simple person who tries to live life without harming anyone. I'm sure I have but it was mostly unintentional. Those I did hurt knowingly, well I'll deal with it in the end, as we all will. But till that day I will live the way I do now.