the recent suicides due to bullying in the public eye

The recent suicides in the gay community that have happened due to the individuals being bullied, shows how intolerant individuals can be towards individuals that are different than them, especially when the difference is something like sexual preference. Our society has shown through the use of written language that homosexuality has been around for thousands of years and that it wasn't liked even then. the problem is that people are using such texts to justify attacking and sometimes killing individuals that identify themselves as gay, even though some of the texts also say that attacking and killing goes against the belief systems

when it comes to beliefs, we as a society have to live up to those beliefs that we are capable of living up to rather than picking and choosing which beliefs to live up to.

Christmas

I grew up celebrating Christmas due to growing up Catholic. In my lifetime which has span just 36 short years I have noticed that even though it is a religious holiday, it has become commercialized to the point that in some areas it doesn't even resemble a religious holiday at all.

I believe in the religious event that Christmas symbolizes yet don't like what it has become for many who actually believe in it. What I cannot agree with is others who supposedly believe in the holiday, using the symbolism of the holiday to push materialism and vanity rather than the faith behind the holiday.

I grew up Catholic and still call myself Catholic even though I don't regularly practice my religion by going to church regularly. I do however keep as true as I can to what I was taught and feel like Christmas one of the most revered of all Christian Holidays has been turned into something that Christianity in general strives against.

The commercialism of Christmas has caused it to go from a religious holiday to a holiday of indulgence with some of it being self indulgence. Everyone who intentionally feeds into the commercialism is taking the name of the lord in vain by showing that giving materialistic gifts out of guilt is more important than living up to the faith of the holiday.

giving gifts is suppose to show that you care about others not about how much you can spend on those gifts or on a specific individual.

the hypocrisy of religion

How can you tell people that you haven't lost your faith in religion or a belief system?

How do you tell people that you have faith in religion but have lost faith in the people who practice the religion?

How do you show the hypocrisy that people have when it comes to living up to the doctrine while they are preaching the doctrine at the same time?

How do you not feed into the hypocrisy that now has hold of segments of religion?