Religion

My current view of Religion,

I am currently 22 years old, and by no means an expert in anything! But if there is one area where I have done the most searching for truth, it is within the confines of what we call ‘religion’. My life journey thus far has led me to experience religion and religious faith through the eyes of a believer and through the eyes of a non believer. I understand the meaning, security and purpose a religious faith gives one’s self, I also understand the irrational and somewhat bizarre beliefs that often accompany a religious faith. My experience with religion has strictly been a Christian one, the religion that is most dominant in my culture and my part of the world. My knowledge of other religions only comes through reading books and study. So the vast majority of my thoughts and ideas about religion revolve directly around my personal experience with Christianity. I do however, have a strong desire to try and understand, as best I can, other world views and religions.

When it comes to my view on God, I would currently consider myself an agnostic. I don’t like labels and would prefer to just be a person with ideas, but for the purpose of identification, the closest label my ideas fit is agnosticism. The great questions to me, so far in my life anyway, are unanswerable. It took me a while, but I have finally become content in my life with the fact that I really don’t know if there is or isn’t a “God”. It might not be a good answer, but it is the most honest one I can give. At first this position is daunting, because for whatever reason, we place so much value on the idea that we must stand firm in the belief of one position over another. I have come to a point in my life were this certainty isn’t necessary. Some may call this “fence sitting”, but I assure you it’s possible to admit uncertainty and remain committed to finding truth. If people wish to use the analogy of a “fence”, then I would simply reply the person who is sitting on the fence has a far better view than someone standing on either side. It is much easier for the “fence sitter” to take their time, look around, and weigh up the options before they decide which side to “jump off”. Or perhaps, they prefer the fence! I have formed opinions on many things. But at the end of the day when it comes to questions on the scale of ultimate meaning, truth and God, I think our answers need to be given with a big dose of humility!

Humanity as a whole does not like the unknown. We would much rather have some sort of answer than none. As a result for this longing for answers we look to holy books, we look to leaders and prophets, we pray to all types of gods and we absorb ourselves in rituals and philosophies. But I think the idea that any one person or one special book can have all the answers to life is ridiculous. None of us a born with answers and the evidence out there is the same for everyone. This fact alone forces me to be very sceptical of people that have managed to convince themselves that they are 100% certain they know the truth. Those people both frustrate and scare me, especially within the context of religion.

Perhaps one day we will all know the answers, perhaps not. But until then it is up to the individual to learn and search truth for themselves, which is what I am currently in the process of doing in my own life. So for the most part I no longer hold to a religious belief. I believe there are both positive and negative aspects to religion. I know this because I have personally experienced both. But in my own life the negative aspects to religion outweighed the positive and I was forced to abandon my religious convictions. I am however still deeply interested and remain open minded to explore and discuss some of the ideas and concepts that religion has to offer, God, spirituality, life after death etc.

Like all of us, my views on religion have come through my own personal subjective experiences. I do not think anyone with a different opinion to me is wrong. I’m simply expressing and sharing as best I can, what I have discovered about religion through my own experiences and personal search. I sincerely don’t mean to offend anyone with what I write about religion, but religion is one of those personal things that it’s almost impossible not to. We become so emotionally attached to our beliefs that the idea of someone challenging them both anger and scare us. However the whole point of this blog is to expand our minds and to learn from each other. I completely open my ideas and beliefs for anyone to challenge and if evidence and good reason is presented will happily change my mind on any issue :) That is the whole entire purpose of this blog! I only ask and that anyone wishing to enter the discussion does so with this same state of mind.