religion

[desi baba]

What religion means to me!

*According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary religion is defined as

• The service and worship of God or the supernatural,

• Commitment or devotion to a religious faith

• A personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, rules, beliefs, and practices.

Quote from- http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book...amp;va=religion

To me religion is a lot more then the above definition, personally I think that religion can be the most powerful, liberating and special thing in the universe however it can also be a great tool for power, manipulation, enslavement, greed, control and money.

In a recent conversation with a friend we discussed the notion that over 80% of wars that take place in the world can be traced down to religion and most of the worlds most dangerous terrorist groups use religion as their motivation. It’s these groups that claim to be true believers and devout fundamentalists of the one true religion. (The one true religion whose followers will go to a sacred heavenly place after death, while all non-believers will go to hell) It is these true believers that lie, deceive and kill the innocent by hijacking planes and blowing up buildings.

To me this is NOT religion. I think that this behaviour is rooted deep in the misunderstanding of religion and religious rules and dogmas. It’s when religion is taken literally and at face value without deeper analysis and critical thinking that it can become dangerous. Many religious texts were written hundreds of years ago, so are these texts really reliable and relevant in today’s day and age? Because the meanings of words and language have changed throughout time. So do those texts mean the same as they did then as they do now and should they be taken at literal face value? It is simple questions like these many so called religious people should ask them selves as introspection and the questioning of ones own beliefs and faith can help you evolve as an individual. So do you think we really blame religious fanatics for their actions? They simply lack the capability to look inwards and see that God is not something or someone up in the sky, but God is actually here with us, in us and around us. My faiths elders taught me that if you cannot see God in all things and people, you cannot see God at all.

I think that religion should not dictate how you act and behave instead it should be used as guide to help become a better person. Lack of critical thinking and questioning of religion can lead to ritual practises. I know this because I can speak from experience of what I have seen. I personally choose to wake up in the morning and tie a turban and read holy Sikh scriptures, but I do this not out of ritual or false practice, but out of love and devotion. I believe that the reading and analysing of these Holy Scriptures helps me to become a better person and live my life with more zest and purpose. By doing this I may be seen by others to be very religious but I don’t see myself as a religious person, I simply see myself as a human being making my way in life same as everybody else.

To me religion is not just following dogmas of a certain faith, to me religion is more then going to the church or mosque, it is more then wearing a turban or a hijab to me true religion is love and compassion. Rather then religion I believe in love, a universal loving path that consists of many paths where we may come together with love and respect and learn from one another.

Personally I see religion as giant walls keeping us apart. It is through religion that some people see themselves as purer then others to feed ones own ego. It is these types of behaviour that lead to religious friction and hatred and once you are in this mode of thought it is extremely hard to get out. This type of behaviour leads to following religion blindly.

I conclude by saying live your life with love, and allow that to be the religion that unites us all.

[challenge_everything]

AKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!!!!!

[Dynamic_Banda]

religion is like the skin which coveres something greater inside, the skin may wither and become all old and wrinkly and sooner or later it begins to die off shed and in its place comes new skin, different areas have different purposes like the skin around ur feet needs to be rough to fufil its purpose and the skin around ur lips is different pigment to that around ur nose.

Whats most beautiful is that beneath the skin, it is with that substance we must all fall in love so when the skin withers away the true beauty still remains.