Religion and belief: The way I see it

Before you go on reading what I have to say about religion and belief, I want the reader to understand that if I offend you in any way, I am not trying to attack your religion or your beliefs. I am mearly stating my opinion and view of the world and how religion has played a part in this world.

I am not a scholar, a philosopher, a scientest or a theologist. I am just a simple human being, who has formed an opinion of the world based on what I have experienced in my life.

I grew up in a catholic community. I was born and raised catholic. When I was growing up, it was normal to me. Why? Because I knew of nothing else. I barely knew that other religions existed, that is other religions not related to Jesus Christ. I did not have a clear understanding of the world, because I only knew what I was taught in the catholic school and by my family.

I was a firm believer in God, Jesus and the holy spirit. As I grew up, I started modifying some of the beliefs that the catholic religion taught me to my own liking. Such as my views on female priests, gay marriage, divorce, etc... Even though the catholic church was cleary against any of these notions, I still followed the religion, believing that as a whole, the church was a good thing.

Why would I not leave such a religion that had some views that are against my own? Because I understood nothing else. I still shared some morale values with the catholic church at the time that I agreed with. That's why I stayed catholic.

Once I moved out of the house and started to experience the world, that's when my views of religion started to change.

You see, I believe everyone on the earth is stuck in the same situation that I was in when I was growing up. I kept on believing on the catholic religion, because that is all I knew. All I understood. Same can be said for people in other religions, such as hindus, jews, muslims, bouddists, etc...

Many of us have been blinded by religion and the true purpose behind such organizations. It is so hard to lift the blindfold off of your eyes, because these religions are promosing many glorious rewards that we all know deep down, will be most likely impossible to achieve. Such as eternal life. Do we live eternely? Well, I have not died yet, so I do not have the answer to that question.

Religion tends to promise an eternal, prospourous life. As long as you follow the rules and play along as they want you to, you will be granted a key to this holy kindgom that they promise. For these reasons, many of us in the world continue to follow religion, even though we may disagree on key humanitan issue.

This is where the problem lies. Religion was created in the world in order for the powerful to stay in power. Religion was and is still being used to control the way people act. Indeed, religion is infact a brain washing, mind manipulating machine. You may be one of those religious people who do not believe that they are sucked into the whole idea. I would say you are gravely wrong. Why? It's because you've missed the entire point. Religion was made to control others. What they are promising you, eternal life, salvation, forgiveness, etc... are all things you can have for yourself without religion.

How can this be true? It is because no one actually knows what happens when we die. I'm sorry, but a folk tale from 2000 years ago is not going to convince me that the after life actually exists. It should not convince you either. If it has convinced you, than you are most defenitly sucked in by the religion you are following and in one way or another, you are being manipulated by them to do things in your life that you may not necassarily want to do. Why? because you beleive it will bring you eternal salvation.

I find it so sad, that throughout humanity, there has been many great wars thought because of others religious beliefs. The leaders of these wars, do they actually believe in what they preach? They probably have their doubts as everyone else, but they go along with it, because it brings them more power.

Religious wars still go on today. The only way that this vicious cycle of hatred will stop, is when a majority of the earth takes a stand against religion and it's ways. You can say that you can seperate religion from state, but that can only be done to a certain point, considering the person who runs a country is usually religious.

Now throughout my whole argument, I have not tried to disprove the idea of a God, or an afterlife. The reason for that being, is because I honestly do not have the knowledge of these things. I cannot make a statement as to whether or not either or exist, because infact it would be impossible to prove.

I believe in the power of self. The power that I have inside of myself, as a human being, to do good in this world. I firmly believe that everyone in this world, has the power to rise above the influence, so to speak. I believe, it is time that everyone should start believing themselves, therefore, empowering themselves. Rather than empowering an invisble being that has never revealed themselves to you before. Once people start believing in their own power to change the world, that is in fact, when the world will change.

Written By: Nathan Wall