You get into a bus or a train, and
the next thing you hear is someone preaching to you and telling you that your
religion or denomination is useless, and that theirs is the best ordained by
God. I am not against preaching to anybody, but when you castigate other people’s
beliefs, then you are ignorant. You know what I do? I just turn on my
headphones and blast my music. But these reoccurring scenarios made me ask, “What’s
in a religion”, “Which religion is right” and “Is religion really necessary”?
When you ask
a Christian, he or she will tell you that Christianity is the only recognized
religion by God, and that those in different religions are wasting their time. Same
will be said by a Muslim, Jew, Buddhist, or any other person from the numerous
religions that exist. But with all these religions, there is absolutely no evidence
to prove that any of them is legit. A Christian would site books from the holy
bible as evidence to prove their point, but let us face the fact, the bible was
written by human beings just like us. Christians obey what the bible instructs
but have we ever sat down to think about the origin of its contents. Yes, we
have been made to understand that the books were instructions directly from
God, but let us be sincere; there is no evidence to prove that, because we were
not there. Whatever is written in the bible has a realistic probability that is
either true or untrue. We as Christians believe that God parted the red sea
according to the book of exodus, and that Jesus Christ is the son of God and
once lived among us, but we were not there when all of these supposedly
happened, so we cannot be 100% sure of it. But we believe even when we did not
witness it, so we have no right saying our religion is the best.
Islam too is
just like Christianity and you can agree that they are similar in some ways.
But just like the latter, Muslims believe that their religion is the correct
one, but there is no evidence to prove that because nobody was alive when
Mohammed, who is believed to be a messenger and prophet from God, walked on
earth. The Holy Quran used by Muslims, just like the Holy Bible, was compiled
by humans too, and there is no visual evidence to prove its contents, but we
all chose to believe them.
Other
religions are the same, absolutely no evidence to prove them, but why do we
keep castigating each other’s beliefs. The Christians are always against the
Muslims, and Muslims, against Christians, while everyone seem to be against the
Jews. Other religions are not left out too, and Pagans are considered as
outcasts. This is not right because everyone should respect the decisions made
by others. We all blame terrorism on Muslims, and some have even said that
Islam supports killing innocent people. But there is no place in the Quran that
says anything about its support towards killing people, or anything about 7
virgins. This is clearly made up by the ignorant people and also the press who
want to discredit Islam. If you look back in history, at a point, Christian
leaders killed innocent people who did not believe or did not accept their
religion from 345 CE. Unbelievers had to run away in order to save their lives,
but The Bible does not preach or promote killing. Yet today, Christians accuse
the Moslems of the same thing. Sad indeed!!!
If we are looking
for a religion that has been castigated the most, then it is certainly Judaism.
This is, according to history, one of the oldest religions ever, and the oldest
to survive into the present day, spanning over 3000 years. For reasons I don’t understand,
they have been ridiculed. They believe that they are legit too because their
religion is older than Christianity and Islam too.
All these
talk about religion made me ask, “Will the world have been any better without
religion?” More than half of the world’s problem is based on religion.
Terrorist groups hide under the disguise of Islam to carry out their attacks on
innocent people, when Islam clearly does not support it. Joseph Kony, the head
of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a Ugandan guerrilla group, who claim to be
fighting for the Ten Commandments, carries out his numerous bloody attacks
under the umbrella of Christianity. In Nigeria and parts of West Africa,
religion separates a vast majority of people, and religion also caused the
break-up of Sudan into North and South Sudan. Many other things occur because
of religion. If religion had not existed, at least half of the world’s problem
might have been solved.
Don’t get me
wrong, I am a devoted Roman Catholic, but I still do not understand why the
Holy Father, the Pope, sits on a gold chair, while people all over the world
cannot afford a meal. I am not against people worshipping God, or whoever they
want to. But let us get our facts right before we take decisions. The truth is
that no one knows which religion is right or wrong and no one knows the right
way to worship, but if we all respected each other’s views, the world would be
a better place to live in, and there would be no religious problems. Let us all
do what we feel is right. Clearly, nobody is right, and nobody is wrong.
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to explain the origin of life or the universe. They tend to derive morality, ethics, religious laws or a preferred lifestyle from their ideas about the cosmos and human nature. Your idea of the world being a better place without religion is to say the world should exist without any belief. What one belief is entirely ones problem. That somebody believes he will get to paradise by stealing from the rich doesn’t make religion wrong, it makes his wrong. The world has a common law of natural concept which we call conscience. Let me hold this point here for now…
ReplyDeleteThe world is made up of people with different beliefs; even the atheists have belief of “no God “but still don’t live any better. In a place where there a many kinds of specie there always tends to be one that is superior. In the contest of beliefs there arises this argument which you say perturbs you. Not like I support the critical castigation of any religion but we can’t deny for certainty that some beliefs are without doubt very questionable (couldn’t find a better adjective).
It is easy to condemn than to comprehend something or person, we all have a part to play in making the world a better place. Do you blame religion for the bombs, greed, politics and so what not. Wake up man, we are the cause not religion. At least I speak for mine, that anybody who practices and holds the same belief as mine and still causes harm to his brothers (humanity) and the community at large is an infidel. Any religion that does not preach peace and love is a bad egg. Unless all religion preaches otherwise that I will hold this concept of yours. As there is light and darkness, there are truths and lies as well as false and true(get my drift).
On the Pope, you can blame him for sitting on a gold chair for you care, that makes you no different from others who you say castigate other religion. What have you done for the poor yourself? How have you contributed to the growth of your society? You said you are Christian (Christ-like), how much of Christ’s example have you lived out. Its easy for you to sit and judge another, do yours and they will follow suit.
Watch and Pray my brother. There is so much to write but am not permitted to write them now.
Hold firm to your faith and live it out.
Religion is indirectly the cause in the sense that people hide under the cover of religion to cause havoc. Religion is a clear way to commit crime by all denominations. There is a massive division between people because of religion. If everyone respect each other, and each others belief, then the world will be a better place. We have absolutely no right to make out one religion as being the correct or bad religion.
ReplyDeleteYes my bro, It is easier to criticize. I absolutely agree with you. Trust me, my faith is not decreased at all. We all know what is right.
Thanks for your positive contribution and i am happy that you understand me.
Religion and people's stupid belief is one of the major cause (if not the major cause) of every single war that has happened throughout the centuries. I can't believe people follow blindly. Like Christians believe so much in the bible that they would take give everything they own, even their life just to satisfy their religious need. Take a look at the book of Revelations, it has been proven that Peter, the author was alone in the wilderness when he wrote that book. ALONE and WILDERNESS(a.k.a bad land a.k.a desert a.k.a a place were nothing grows and its hot like 300 saunas and there are mirages too!!) being the key word. Did it ever occur to anyone that Peter might have been hallucinating and probably developed mental problems when he claimed God showed him a vision(I'm not saying God does not exist though for anyone who might misinterpret my point). I'm not trying to bash anyone religion but I think everyone should take a close look at what others invent before accepting it wholeheartedly. Finally I end with a great saying from a great man: "WE ALL NEED SOMETHING TO BELIEVE IN."
ReplyDeleteThat last statement sums up the whole article, we all need something to believe in and that is what is happening today. We werent there when these holy books were written, and they were believed to have been written by men and women like us. We should not fight and kill ourselves proving what religion is the right one, rather the lesson is we should worship the way we believe is best.
ReplyDeleteNice comment and thanks for your understanding.
Religious leaders claim that their religion preaches peace. I can attest for mine. So when someone goes contrary to peace in the name of my religion let him/her be anathema. Science is good but when someone uses it for something evil, does that make science evil? We can neglect the great good religion has done in our world. Blame the extremist, ignorant and misinformed for the evil they propagate in the name of religion.
ReplyDelete