Religion Today

Religion 

It's Effects on Society

Let me preface this post that this was an assignment for my intro to religion class so it is in a different format than my usual posts.

                Religion to me is a miracle, humanities overarching perception of something divine. It can be argued that faith is a defect or a blessing from on high, a tweak in our genetic code. Religion can be belief in anything, be it nature, spirits, or the Judeo-Christian God. It formed over millennia and in a sense “grew up” with civilization.

               When humans were beginning to form the first cultures, humans for the first time could take a break from the daily grind of trying to survive. This newfound free time led to questions about the way things are and the way things came to be. Religion came into the equation to fill the gaps that these people could not understand, believing in something divine.

               Even today science cannot answer all of humanities questions. Some things, like human suffering and our common sense of morality as human beings, cannot be answered by quantitative means. Enlightened by centuries of scientific study, science is yet to disprove God.

               In fact, in the eyes of somebody who is religious like myself, these discoveries just show the beauty and mastery of an omniscient creator. The way particles align in chemistry and react with each other, or the fact that the earth is just the right distance from the Sun to be conducive to life, is more than a coincidence in my eyes. There are so many things we can observe in nature that inspire faith in the supernatural.

               I wish to show that believers are not ignorant. Being an engineer, I believe in science and the laws of nature. Laws set down by a grand designer or watchmaker as I like to think. Lord Kelvin once said, “A little science drives one away from God, a lot of science brings them back to Him.” Again, the findings of science are seen, at least in my Catholic eyes, as part of the grand design by the so called, “big man upstairs.”

               Many in our country, especially those of different Christian backgrounds, don’t believe science and religion cannot coexist. This line of thinking, in my opinion is irrational. Let us look at the differences in the interpretation of Genesis. In the evangelical tradition, so it is written, so it is and that is that. From my Catholic perspective, this is not so. Genesis, like other books in the bible is not meant to be taken literally. It is a creation myth that contains important religious truths, like God created all that is and that we were made in his image.

               On the other hand, a group called American Atheists puts up billboards belittling the central beliefs of Christianity amongst other faiths. Many people were upset by these advertisements and American Atheists ended up taking them down. The point is, no matter what your religion is from Hindu to Atheism, to live in a peaceful society, we must respect one another’s beliefs. Making fun of others way of life is extremely sophomoric.

               Religion is a huge point of debate in American society. It permeates our everyday lives as well as national politics. Talking about religion is inescapable to any concerned citizen. So it is detrimental to our whole country when instead of talking about the Federal Budget Deficit, the national media is taking pot shots at a candidates beliefs. As a country we need to rethink our interpretation of religion as it relates to politics.

               No matter what set of beliefs you have, humanity shares a common morality that is innate to our very being. Since everyone has these same morals, we all share in common values that promote the common good. World religions have a lot more in common than most let on. All religions try to answer the same questions that concern us as mortal human beings. Every person in the world is afraid of their own mortality. The nobility of religion comes from its ability to soothe these terrifying thoughts of darkness after death. The belief in an afterlife, in my estimation, allows us to lay down our fears and truly enjoy life.

               Religion to me is a belief that at the end of the day, we have to answer to somebody for our actions.  A “review” of one’s life, if you will.  It is a form a Supernatural Justice that rewards those who uphold wholesome values that benefit all mankind, and punishes those who would harm it.  It forces us to look in the mirror at the end of every day and question our own actions.

               Looking back at history, one can interpret religion any way they choose, as beneficial or harmful. This is especially true with the Roman Catholic Church. Many critics see an institution that is often corrupt and has promoted war and domestic terrorism. Unfortunately many of these are actual occurrences. But, so is the case for all organizations because they are ran by human beings who are corrupt, or depraved, if you will.

               However, I also see an institution with many Grand Achievements. The Church preserved Classical Literature throughout the long turmoil of the Dark Ages that still survives today. I see an organization that started the first hospitals which care for the ill and wounded when they could have easily been left to die. Or one of its most terrific achievements, the formation of the Western world’s first Universities, many of which still survive to this day.   

               The History of organized religion is a mixed bag, which cannot be argued. But to argue that religion has had no positive effects on humanity is shallow at best. Whether you perceive divinity in beauty of everyday life, or think that faith is a hoax, it’s hard to argue that religion is not a miracle of evolution.  A miracle that is alive and well even in today’s society that belittles believers and denies anything that cannot be measured or tested. 


Copyright 2012