It's been opined more than once that faith in Jesus is a crutch, something for the weak of spirit who can't deal with the pressures of life. True believers, it's said, just need something to look forward to when they die because they are so unfulfilled with their current lives. There may be some truth in that, yet when I look around at the cultural icons whose faces show up on t-shirts and posters, so many of them took their own lives (directly or indirectly) that it becomes obvious they could have used some crutches of their own. Just consider this short list:
Marilyn Monroe
Kurt Cobain
Jimi Hendrix
Elvis Presley
Jim Morrison
These are just the iconic ones; the ones most revered by our culture. There are literally hundreds of other celebrities who committed suicide because they couldn't deal with life. And of course, there are thousands of 'regular' people who try to kill themselves every year and millions more who are addicted to something that helps them get through the day - drugs, alcohol, food, sex, shopping.
So for anyone who says religion is for those who need a crutch my only answer is yes, you are probably right. But I'll take my Jesus as a crutch any day over a crutch that leaves me with a bullet in my head or a stomach full of sleeping pills.
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