Straight to Religion

Find me a Christian who believes in Santa Claus; one who legitimately has faith in a man in a red suit slinking down their chimney and leaving presents every year on a day that, for all intents and purposes, was made to replace a pagan ritual. Simpler, I’m sure, to find one who believes in the almighty being, the creator, God, et al. But just as ridiculous. The same applies to those of every belief, be it Judaism, Islam, Hindu, Wicca, or any of the other multitude of religions that I’ve not even heard of. When viewed from an objective view point the beliefs seem utterly ridiculous. So why, then, do so many hold them so strongly? Because religion makes them feel safe.

The security blanket of religion is a powerful shield from the horrors of the world. Like Linus, people are scared, clutching at anything that makes them feel safer. I believe it comes from a time when the world was darker, when we couldn't explain the shadows or the stars. It was used to explain the things that couldn't be explained any other way. When death was common by the age of forty, thirty, and even younger. It gave hope that there was some reason to the terrible things that were common, that there was a greater purpose to working and to life than to die.

But we can explain those things now. I'm not saying all the explanations we have now are correct, but to me they're better than a 'because God made it so.' One just has to work to find them, to understand them. And therein lies the problem, I think. Religion is easy. If you make a mistake, you ask forgiveness, and, more times than not, you are granted that redemption. In the real world, it's not that easy. Bonds that are broken do not repair themselves because you say thirty Hail Mary's, disease is not cured by prayer and heaven doesn't justify the death of an innocent child. But I think it's time that we, as a culture and as a people of the world, stopped needing religion.

The cures to disease will come in time, as the science becomes more and more advanced. I think it's time that we do right simply because it is right, not because a burning bush told an old Jew to. I think it's time that we come together, not as Americans, British, Russian, German, or Iraqi; not as Christians, Jews, Muslims or Atheists, but as homo sapiens.