Religion – in A Nutshell

 

The ideal should be one human being to another. Religion, instead of uniting us, is dividing us, not because of its core, but because we're unwilling to look beyond our petty differences. Religion offers false comfort rather than a deeper understanding of things in an ever-changing and ever-evolving world. People commit horrific acts in its name, not because religion itself teaches hate, but because of our own ignorance and gross misinterpretation. That's on us.

 

in the absence of simple answers, we try to invent our own from our respective comfort zones, unwilling to look beyond, pulling verses from so-called "sacred texts." in other words, a novel, really. And a novel, no matter how profound, cannot cover the vastness of life. Life is far more vast and complex than any single narrative a story tries to express. Life consists of an infinite number of narratives; a novel is but a fragment of it.

 

Take Dune, for instance. It’s just a novel, and yet, one could just as easily build a religion from its pages. That is the danger: people lose themselves in a story because of the comfort it offers. But life is not one story or a singular narrative. It inhabits countless stories throughout all existence with an infinite number of narratives.

 

Once upon a time, we'd look up at the night sky and wonder. it was a time full of uncertainties, and it must have been scary to live through the unknown. Religion emerged to give us a sense of comfort. Even if it was a false one, it served its purpose, offering stability and comfort until better explanations came along. We do not have all the answers yet, but we're way past that point of absolute uncertainty. We have a better understanding of the world around us, and we have better explanations. And yet, many choose to remain stuck in their comfort zones, unwilling to look beyond, afraid of what they might find.

 

And here we are, human beings, trying to make sense of our strange little existence on this planet. As Carl Sagan once said, "Knowledge is preferable to ignorance. Better by far to embrace the hard truth, rather than a reassuring fable." it is not easy, nothing on this planet has ever been. But we can try. Trying is the most human thing we can do. Please gather some courage to explore and try to look beyond yourself, for it will be worth it. Understanding is liberating. The more you understand, the more you see, all the more alive you become.

 

For the love of living deep…

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Sources:

– image by Starboy on Unsplash

 

Until Next Time... ✌️

 

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