Themes of the Humanities: Religion

Religion as we know it is as diverse as the people, wildlife, and every single object in this world we may come across on. Religion serves as a daily purpose and especially even a guide to life for any culture. Some might even say having no religion is a religion because your belief is what dictates fact or fiction in your own opinion. It may not be recognized by the majority, but as long as it serves you a purpose all we can do is respect your decision no matter how much it defies someone else’s. Religion has such an impact on our lives that it can determine how we critically think, speak, act, and what we can or cannot eat. As stated. “Religion is presented here as a phenomenon found in all cultures and all periods of time, as a recognition of the need to believe in higher order, and as an investigation into various pathways to divinity.” (315–316.10.6) When it comes to religion it often refers to a higher order such as a God or holy being that cannot be compared to man. In the earliest forms of religion polytheism, the belief in many Gods was mainly practiced, especially in Egyptian, Greek, and Asian cultures. There was practically a God to define almost everything such as love, life, destruction, and even weather. These Gods had to be continually appeased or else their services would not be given or may even cause misfortune in your life. As for monotheism, the belief in one God was found in more western cultures such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. As far as practices go, they all differ, but they claim to worship the same God. Whether it is referred to as God, Yahweh, or Allah they all date back to Abraham through his son Issac. Personally as a Christian man myself, I do deny the fact that there may be any other God in existence other than one all mighty. People often ask where the proof is or how we can trust the sources we have that have been kept sacred and passed on throughout history. To prove God’s existence, Aquinas proves so by giving the five proofs which are: Argument of Motion, Argument of Causation, Argument of Being, Argument of Gradation, and Argument of Design. This is why In Genesis 1: 1–3 it is said as stated by the author,

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth

And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness

Was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God

Moved upon the face of the waters.

And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”(336.10.5)

The concept of faith definitely takes effort, so those who do not see such effort is needed falls into the category of antagonists, pragmatists, and atheists. These non-believers choose to carry out their lives until the inevitable death comes to put them six feet under. Some go as far as to disprove the existence and purpose of believing in a God. As stated by the author, “… atheists challenge believers, especially those who use logic to prove God’s existence.” (346.10.1) This challenge just basically down right disrespects all religious foundations in every way. But my question to them is how is your logic any different from my logic? The evidence on both sides almost cancels each other out because we both strongly believe in our own ideals that such words from another standpoint just comes off as nothing but nonsense. Religion has been known to cause war, bring about change, act as a muse for art, and even create unity for humanity. Religion is such a touchy topic that people oftentimes feel uncomfortable when it is brought up because others often view you differently because of what you believe in. At the end of the day it is our freedom of will that guides us to decide on what account we stand on and no matter what it is, all we can do is strengthen our faith in our decision so life can become clearer for ourselves.

Janaro, R. P., & Althshuler, T. C. (2013). The art of being human: The humanities as a technique for living. Pearson Learning Solutions.

Religious Affiliation Impacts Language Use on Facebook. (2017, August 22). Retrieved from https://spsp.org/news-center/press-releases/religious-affiliation-impacts-language

Pin on Faith. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/425379127297333769/