It's nice to, at least sometimes, know what to expect

Today went mostly according to plan, considering I didn't really have much of a plan. Church was great; I haven't gone in a long time due to sleepiness/vacation, so I'm glad I got to go one last time before the school year starts. Then I came home and literally did nothing the rest of the day. Hung out with my mom, Annabelle, Dennis, and Patrick. Ate way too much food, in general, and played a half-hearted game of monopoly, where I was owning everyone. (No matter what Dennis says to the contrary.)

Molly made (makes? I mean, the comment is still there...) an interesting point about the similarities between the greek system and religion. And, dang, but going through and replacing the words in the paragraph she picked out is eerie.

I thought about it a bit, and I realized that the greek system makes me laugh because it can become a religion that doesn't really have a base to speak of: why is everyone so excited about being in frats and sororities, and why do they believe in the traditions that they continue through the generations? Probably because doing so makes them feel like they're part of something larger than themselves, and that they have a community they can count on. (Not coming from a greek background myself, this is all hearsay of the worst degree, you understand) But that is all their traditions are based on: the traditions of their community.

And that, at their simplest levels, is what some religions are based on, but from what I've gathered about the world's religions, that is not how they were designed to function. As far as my personal faith is concerned, it's not a bunch of traditions that I simply perform because someone who went before me told me they were a good idea. Nor is it a detailed list of appearances I have to keep up in order to make the world think a certain way about me. My faith is based not in the Christians around me or my relationship to them, and it's not necessarily at its strongest when I'm supported by them.

I'm a Christian because I believe in God, that He created the world and has a plan for me in it. Not only because the Bible tells me so, but because I've seen the hand of a higher power in my own life, and I feel that, after creating me and saving my life countless times, I owe such a higher power my allegiance. My parents and other Christian mentors don't dictate for me how I should live my Christian life--God does, though often times through such people. I have a personal relationship with God that I cannot get anywhere else, as well as a community of like believers who can support me in ways that any strong community supports its members. It's the pair of these that make up my faith, which is probably not true of any sorority I could join.

Maybe, like with rushing a sorority or frat, I chose God for one reason or another, and I could be living a roughly similar life had I chosen a different deity to follow. But, since I actually believe in God and don't just think of him as an abstract idea or analogy, I believe that that's not the case at all. I did voluntarily choose him, but my life would be drastically different if He weren't in the picture.

But yes, organized religion and many of its mindless followers can be a cult-like, confusing turn-off. And I don't understand that anymore than I do greek life and traditions.

It is also true that the greeks aren't the only ones with lavaliering-like traditions. People at my school do the same thing, except they call it Pearling, and I think it's equally ridiculous. I think it's ridiculous because I don't agree with the conventions of their relationships, but, yes, that's just my opinion.

I also realize that this was a bit of a lecture, and that Molly doesn't really care about any of it. I appreciate her calling me out on my hypocrisy, though, because I needed to do a little soul searching to get a response, and that's never a bad thing.

I feel weird addressing her in the third person, as she's one of five people who read this thing.

Hey Molly. You're cool. Stay in school, don't do drugs, and text me sometimes or something...like you have been...just...yeah. 2good2be4gotten.

Now I just look dumb.

Tomorrow = final day of packing. Woo...ugh. Almost done.

<3 spadeALLcross