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- Modern day religion is the #1 source of war. Historically, this may also be true.
- Religious beliefs create separation between people who would otherwise be friends.
- Many religions instill fear and hate, rather than love and compassion, but this is perhaps through the ‘human’ part of teaching, rather than the religion itself.
- My entire life I’ve been an ‘outsider’ in my community. I was born Muslim, raised by a mother who is Roman Catholic and a father who is muslim, but neither one practices (at least in the traditional sense).
- At various points in my life, I’ve studied all religions of the world, including but not limited to: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and new-ageism.
- I have friends of many religious and non-religious backgrounds. I may also be one of the only people with an arabic name and background to have ever joined a Jewish fraternity in college.
So, I think it suffices to say I don’t have a bias in one direction or another. I accept you, regardless of your religious belief, and I honor you. Today’s discussion is not about choosing one religion over another, or none, for that matter. Instead, it’s about taking a step back, and thinking about your role in life, and how there might be more here than what we can see. It’s about re-defining our relationship with God, so we don’t feel alone, and we feel hope, instead.
For argument’s sake, let’s say you are God; and let’s say you created all of mankind, this planet, and everything around and beyond us. Would you want the world — i.e. your children — to suffer? Or would everything be based upon a higher good that may not be obvious to every ‘ant on the farm’? Would you choose to punish people for eternity for mistakes they make that start inside of the minds you created? Or would you understand and have compassion for the mind and how it works in strange ways at times?
How about from an evolutionary standpoint? If ‘source’ is God, then God splits into a gazillion pieces, and that would mean we are ‘all’ God. Is there any reason one person, his/her beliefs, or anything else about him/her should be inferior or superior to another? If so, it would only be for the purposes of evolution, which means the whole is only as strong as a sum of its parts.
Now, let’s visit the idea of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ with one religion vs another. Regardless of the ‘real’ truth, if there is one, doesn’t it make sense that everyone is trying their best? Does it also make sense that someone in the middle of the Amazon — without internet, education, or reading/writing skills — wouldn’t be condemned since they never had a chance to learn about your religion?
Or, let’s talk about ‘extremism’. Would you agree that organizations who kill by the masses ‘in the name of religion’ are dishonoring any message of God that could have ever existed? Is it even possible the people who follow and lead these organizations do so out of ignorance and human error, rather than God’s will?
Finally, let’s discuss the concept of ‘Universe’. Universe is powerful, but with the attrition of religion in modern times (due to hate crimes, illegitimate priests who abused innocent children, and other “religious leaders” who persecuted and condemned out of human error), it’s become a substitute for the word ‘God’. People who believe in “Universe” generally do as a way of denying other religions for their validity (even if they are 90% correct and 10% human error), or because it doesn’t make sense to them that God would be a man or woman, in specific. Instead, the belief is more that “God/Universe” is all around us, like the stuff we can’t see in the air we breathe, and the galaxies and stars that extend well beyond planet Earth, etc. Again, how different is this belief, really?
In the end, we’re all talking about the same thing: treat each other well, honor something greater than ourselves, and be loving. Do the best you can in life, establish your highest possible state of mind, bond with your spirit, and teach others your wisdom so we can evolve, together. If we are ‘good enough’ in our lives, we may be able to see purity again in its greatest form: God/Universe.
Now, for atheism and agnosticism. Generally speaking, people who deny God or Universe outright have a past experience that leads to this outcome. It may be several generations back, or it may be during this lifetime. However, one question seems to be the guiding principle that leads to this belief: if no religion feels right — or has shown proof to me — then how can I know there is absolutely a God?
Do you understand that each person — regardless of their beliefs — is trying their best? Does it make sense to you that no one wants to be judged for their thoughts as being ‘bad’ or ‘good’, and everyone would love to have a simple answer to life? Are you willing to accept that your beliefs could be right or wrong, and it doesn’t matter? Perhaps what matters more is that you choose to believe and follow your passion.
Sent to you with love and compassion,
