I’ve struggled a lot with religion. Trying to figure out who I am, what’s important to me, and who and what I believe in has been an ongoing process. Tragic events, bad information, and horrible mistakes have all made the road to peace incredibly difficult and, at times, seemingly impossible. Further complicating my quest is the fact that the topic of religion is such a touchy one. It seems almost an unspoken rule: don’t talk about religion. As if it’s a bad thing. God forbid (pun intended) you ask somebody what their religion is or talk to them about yours. You might offend someone. These feelings, these perceptions, in a society that puts a bleep in place of the word “God” but allows “damn” to be said on TV. Who are we afraid of hurting?
Not everyone feels the same way, of course, but there seem to be some common opinions regarding religion as a general topic. You can’t talk about religion without getting into an argument. You can’t talk about it without offending someone. If you talk about what you believe in, you’re a “Bible thumper” if you’re Christian, or if you’re not, you’re still trying to shove your beliefs down someone’s throat. There’s no such thing as having an open, friendly conversation about religion, spirituality, and beliefs. Another common opinion is that there is only one right religion, and anyone who doesn’t follow the right one is going to hell, or wherever it is that you believe “bad” people go. I think that’s completely ridiculous, and I’ll tell you why.
Everyone has to believe in something. I used to be suicidal. I felt I had no reason to live, nor did I have any interest in living because I thought life was as bad as it could get. It was the worst time of my life. It’s no coincidence that this was when I was farthest away from believing in a higher power. When a person doesn’t believe in anything, they have no reason to get out of bed, to live. Religion gives us a reason to keep going even under the worst circumstances. Even atheists believe in something. They believe that there is no God, but that in itself is a belief that keeps them going and gives their lives purpose.
Before I continue, let me give you my definition of religion. I don’t see religion as being a network that has a god or leader, a place to worship, and some storyline about the characters involved. It’s more than that, but it’s very simple. Religion is relative to each person. Religion is whatever gives life meaning. That’s different for everybody, even amongst people of the same denomination. Religion is a very diverse thing, and it should be. No two people are alike, so why should religion be a “one god fits all” type of thing? In a way, it is, in that the Christian God exists for and supports all who believe in Him. But God isn’t exactly the same for all Christians, nor is any god the same for all those who follow and worship him/her/it. That’s why there are so many branches of Christianity, so many different churches and synagogues and temples. Religion should be a source of stability for its followers, but there needs to be some flexibility, too. Think of your parents or, if you have children, think of what kind of parent you are. Did your parents treat you and your sibling(s) exactly the same way? Do you treat your children exactly the same way? I’m guessing the answer is no. You treat them fairly, but different people need different things from their parents, teachers, spouses, and so it is with gods.
I have a theory, and it’s highly controversial but very logical. All religions are the same and all gods are the same person/being/deity. Well, at least most. I am most definitely not an expert on religion, but let’s look at the basics. Christians believe that there is God, who created everything. There is His son, Jesus, who saved everyone from their sins. Then there are angels, demons, and, of course, Satan, the source and leader of all evil. Now look at the basic setup of other religions. Most religions have very similar beliefs; it’s just that their leaders, deities, and other involved beings go by different names. The stories are different, sometimes even the species are different, but the similarities seem to be more than just coincidence.
If you subscribe an Adam-and-Eve type creation of the universe, the numerous different religions can easily be attributed to the time when people were exploring and settling down in different parts of the earth, developing different languages, and separating into different cultures. One religion split into two as new languages developed, stories changed a little bit more each time they were told, and ideas were lost in translation. It may seem far-fetched, but change, innovation, and adaptation is not a new concept. Things change over time. That is just the way it is.
Society seems to almost enjoy nitpicking about and condemning others for the differences between individuals, groups, races, religions, and so much more. Even after all the changes we’ve made to work toward racial and gender equality, people are still so argumentative and defensive when it comes to religion. We shouldn’t fight over religion. We shouldn’t argue about whose god is bigger and better. If there really is only one “right” god, there’s really no way to know for a fact, beyond a shadow of a doubt, which one it is. Unless your religion condones hurting people or participating in some kind of truly horrible thing, we should all just be happy to have found something to believe in. Each of us needs to choose the religion that suits us as individuals, the one that gives us hope, makes us feel good, gives our lives meaning. That’s the whole purpose of religion, and that, if nothing else, is something everybody should be able to agree on.
Posted by PandorazBox80 
