Religion is liberal

Religion is a hot topic these days. No, that is not my merit, but can be attributed entirely to Islam and the reaction to it. Especially now that some nitwit wants to set up an Islamic party with the introduction of Sharia as an end goal and separate public transport as an intermediate step. It certainly was necessary the editorial staff of De Tijd to a remarkable conclusion:

The comeback of religion in Wetstraat is paradoxical, because the churches have emptied. And it doesn't look like that will change any time soon. Liberal values ​​such as the right to self-determination or equality between men and women have become deeply rooted in Flanders in a relatively short time.

Initially: hurray that those values ​​have finally become deeply rooted. Let us hope that the roots go so deep that everyone is willing to stand up for it. Without preambles to constitutions that no one reads, but as acquired rights for which we want to fight in a way that would make Braveheart jealous.

But where does the contradiction in this quote come from? It is not literally there, but I read it as if it means that those liberal values ​​cannot be found in religion. Dear media, stop thinking that the only two religions in the world are the Roman Catholic Church and Islam. There is so much more to discover, if you would just make the effort.

Anyone who studies the figure of Christ and follows His teachings will quickly find that His gospel has a number of solid values; feel free to call them doctrines. Mormons teach them very clearly: free choice (= self-determination) and equality of man and woman as eternal partners in a unique unity.

The fact that we, as children of Heavenly Parents, were sent to earth to learn on our own is the best proof of self-determination. After all, God could, with a snap of his fingers, ensure that everything runs smoothly in our lives, but it is clear that He does not do that. As a result, many people claim that there is no God, even smart people like Etienne Vermeersch. However, it is the way He shows His love, by letting us go. Even though our choices often cause Him great sorrow.

Crucial to His plan is also that we learn to live in unity and the basic unit of society is the family. A family in which men and women are equal, which means something other than being equal, because fortunately we are not. We each have qualities and characteristics that make us much stronger together. However, if we think that one link in the chain is weaker than the other, we weaken the entire chain, which is only as strong as the weakest link.

So it's really not all religions  retarded when it comes to these values. There is therefore no reason to necessarily put them all in the spotlight. On the contrary, take them out of the darkness and learn from them and, conversely, let them also learn from the Enlightenment.

However, if politicians and media always continue to show a fear reaction, then you turn a religion into nothing less than the monster under your bed that scared you as a child.