This topic has been on my mind for a long time now. Since I started blogging and reading blogs, very often I have come across bloggers and commentators refer to religious people as Sheep. It is very often said with a great deal of animosity and derision.That was written on Friday, April18, 2005.
There is the connotation that such people are mindless cattle as opposed to the people who have decided that religion does not offer them the answers they seek.
There is also the connotation that religious people are unoriginal in that they form part of a general Flock whereas the unreligious people are Individuals who have broken out of the fold.
The points I would like to put on the table are:
1) Just because a person has embraced religion doesn't mean that it was not an informed decision based on a lot of internal struggle, questioning, seeking and analysis.
2) Just because a person is unreligious doesn't mean that they are not also part of a general Herd of like-minded individuals. In fact, I'm pretty sure that globally they form the bigger Herd, as opposed to the Flock of truly religious people.
Having said that, I do think that in both "camps" there are individuals who follow the path they follow merely out of convenience; the true Sheep and Cows.
What I need to figure out now is which of these are the most harmful to society, and why. Meanwhile, I would love to learn others' opinion on this matter.
On Sheep, Cows, Flocks and Herds
By: Gigi
