Religion

Religion

The criteria by which most people in the world today choose their religion is not really a matter of choice. They come into their religion by being born into it. It is the religion that their parents, grandparents and generations before have belonged to.

From the time they are young, there are indoctrinated into that religion, being taught all of the intricacies and beliefs of that religion. The natural tendency of human nature is to want to believe that we are always right, and therefore, there is a tendency toward believing that the religion one follows must also, therefore, be right. After all, everyone wants to believe that their parents, grandparents, teachers and religious leaders would not ever steer them wrong.

This in turn poses a problem. Followers of all religions want to believe that their "chosen" religion is the right path, which by default, infers that the others must therefore be wrong. Such beliefs serve only to divide mankind rather than unite. Such divisions have, throughout the history of mankind, led to many conflicts, disagreements, and arguments, not to mention some of the planets most devastating wars. Ironically, these divisions and conflicts run contrary to the core teachings of most, if not all, religions; teachings include things like love thy fellow man, or love thy neighbour. How can anyone love their neighbour at the same time as entering into conflict and war over whose religion is right or wrong?

Further complicating the matter is religious leaders, in an attempt to deepen their understanding of their own religion, undertake to learn about other religions. More often than not, they do not enter this undertaking with an open mind. They are not there to truly attempt to understand the other religion, but rather to seek out its flaws, and anything that runs contrary to their own beliefs, so that they can in turn pass on that information to their followers. Rarely if ever, does one look at their own religion with the same critical eye. Rather than trying to understand any flaws or conflicts within their own "chosen" path, it becomes easier to treat them as simply a matter of "faith".

Examining other religions with a totally open mind, and a valid attempt to understand what they are about, especially when examining the deepest core beliefs, rather than man's interpretations of the teachings, can show a very different picture than what is painted by a religious leader trying to point out fault. Rather than trying to find fault with other religions, why not look for what they have in common? Most major religions are in agreement over many things; that there is more to man than meets the eye, that there is a greater power behind the creation of all things, that we need to love and respect our fellow man, that we should all live by a code of ethics, and that we must all take responsibility for our own thoughts, ideas, and actions.

When we live our life in accordance to all that is common to these religions, we begin to see and understand that embracing the commonality of religions, while still respecting the differences in methodology, can serve to unite mankind. Only when we unite as a race of beings, embracing our similarities and respecting our differences, will we ever be able to truly move into a world of peace that we all seek.

Michael L. Fournier