Religion in Today’s Society
I believe that religion is a path of discipline that provides people with the ability to return on the smooth track towards the right and to steer away from the unstable road of the wrong. It provides us with a way to respect each other and cleanse our souls in order to find and love God. In today’s North American society people are in a state of constant activity and it is hard to find time for one’s self let alone a higher power. I believe that if you take the time to truly know one’s self, that is where you will find God. Although I consider myself a secular human being whose religion is the love of mankind and all of God’s creations, I have a very high regard for the importance of religion.
People are steering farther away from religion in the pursuit of dedication to their job and being successful. Today a person’s career could easily be considered a new form of worship. Supporting yourself or providing for your family is truly a noble endeavour but we must be conscious of the fact that we do not lose our morals and integrity along the way. The role of religion is to bring us to an awareness of life. Religion can be a way to provide a moral code with a set of values to live by. Religion does not have to be a negative thing. It can be a way of fulfilling a space in your life that may have been missing.
The function of religion is essentially to explain to people what their origins are, the nature and aims of life and the reason for life itself. Religion has been used as a way to control or achieve order in society and share responsibilities. The “Ten Commandments” given to Moses by God, are a set of behavioural rules that would bring order and harmony to the society and provide a stabilizing effect in an organized and systematic way. Religion may dictate a set of acceptable standards for its members to live by that cannot be adhered to fully in our fast paced society (In Islam, time must be taken every day for five formal prayers). For those who cannot adhere to the guidelines of their religion, they either practice their faith on rare occasions or give up their religion entirely. But as one part of our lives makes it easier to give up on religion, another part can make it essential.
We are becoming increasingly aware of terrorist actions around the world and environmental disasters like floods, cyclones, and earthquakes that have made us all apprehensive about the world we live in. In times like these it becomes easier to look to religion to find comfort in the irrational and unpredictable nature of these events. We have seen that religion can affect the world positively and negatively and be a powerful tool for good or evil. Religion impacts on the way nearly every individual lives their life in many different ways, but if we come together as a true family and support one another in times of need, we can lift the world on our shoulders and make it a better place.
Abuse of Religion for Political Gain
Throughout history we have seen the use and abuse of religions for political gain. The Nazi party in Germany gained power partly through exploiting anti-Semitic beliefs from Adolf Hitler that led to World War II. The war lasted from 1939 to 1945 with over one hundred million military personnel involved in the most destructive conflict mankind has ever seen. Over sixty million people were killed many of which were civilians, with the cost estimated at one trillion U.S dollars in 1944’s currency exchange rate. Although religion was part of many catalysts for the war we see the power that it can have when abused by the wrong people. A fortunate result from the war was the creation of The United Nations, which aims are to facilitate cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues and most importantly to stop wars between nations providing a platform for dialogue. I am proud to have created Omni Search Services Ltd., which is a member of the United Nations development business program.
More recently the events of September 11th 2001, which saw the World Trade Centre buildings and the Pentagon attacked by members of al-Qaeda reminded us of what can happen when religion is exploited. The attacks were consistent with the overall mission statement of al-Qaeda and their leader Osama bin Laden that declares that it is the "duty of every Muslim” to "kill Americans anywhere”. These acts of religious extremism contort the true views of Islam to manipulate people into doing the bidding of one man or group of people and not of a higher power. Top Muslim organizations in the United States were swift to condemn the attacks on September 11th and launched blood drives, provided medical assistance, food, and residence for victims. Following the attacks there were numerous attacks on mosques including a firebombing of a Hindu temple within the United States as well as harassment and hate crimes directed at Middle Easterners. The impact of exploiting the religion of Islam resulted in the negative treatment and view of Muslims.
As a result of the attacks, George W. Bush declared war on terrorism with the motive to bring al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden to justice and to end the spread of terrorism everywhere. But on March 20th 2003 under these guidelines, President Bush decided to invade Iraq in an effort to disarm Saddam Hussein of his weapons of mass destruction. We now know that although Saddam Hussein has committed many unforgiveable acts, he did not have weapons of mass destruction or have anything to do with the September 11th attacks. The sectarian violence in Iraq between the Sunni and the Shi’a Muslims has escalated since the invasion and removal of Saddam Hussein. Iraq is a more dangerous place than it was before the invasion began with the civilian casualty rate reaching over an estimated ninety thousand killed through war related violence. We’ve seen the ripple effect of religious extremism that started long before September 11th to the ongoing war in Iraq and the paths of both good and evil that religion can take based on their use. Although religion has been exploited by some I still believe that the positive impacts of religion on the world outweighs the negatives and that the good in people will always outshine the evil.
Similarity in Religions
I believe that no matter what your religion may be, we are all brothers and sisters who worship the same God. Four of the most practiced religions in the world include Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. The common theme among these religions is worship of a higher power and a love of one another. No matter what your religion may or may not be I believe we all share the same fundamental pursuit of lifting mankind through making a better world.
Hinduism
Hinduism originated about 3000B.C.E and is the world’s third largest religion with approximately 1 billion members worldwide. Hindus recognise one God, Brahman, the eternal origin who is the cause and foundation of all existence. The gods of the Hindu faith represent different expressions of Brahman. Different Hindu communities may have their own divinities whom they worship, but these are simply different ways of approaching the Ultimate. The three principle gods are Brahma(creator of the universe), Vishnu(who preserves the universe), and Shiva(who destroys the universe). Hindus believe that the soul passes through a cycle of successive lives (samsara) and its next incarnation is always dependent on how the previous life was lived (karma). In a lifetime people build up both good and bad karma based on their actions within that lifetime. They believe that they are held responsible for their actions within this lifetime and the next where reincarnation into a higher place in life represents living a good life and the opposite for living a bad life.
Judaism, Christianity, Islam
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all originated with a covenant between the God of the ancient Israelites and Abraham around 2000 B.C.E. The next leader of the Israelites, Moses, led his people out of captivity in Egypt and received the Law from God founding Judaism. Judaism is over 3500 years old and is practiced by about 12 million people worldwide. Jews believe that there is a single God who not only created the universe, but with whom every Jewish person can have an individual and personal relationship. The Jewish relationship with God is a covenant that Jews will keep God’s laws and seek to bring holiness into every aspect of their lives in exchange for the good deeds God does and has done for them. Judaism is a faith of action and Jews believe people should be judged not so much by the intellectual content of their beliefs, but by the way they live their faith and by how much they contribute to the overall well being of the world.
Christianity
Christianity is the world's largest religion, with about 2.1 billion followers worldwide. It is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ who lived in the Holy Land 2,000 years ago. Christians believe that Jesus was the Messiah promised in the Old Testament of the Bible. Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who was sent to earth to save humanity from its sins. One of the most important concepts in Christianity is that Jesus gave his life on the Cross (the Crucifixion) and rose from the dead after the third day (the Resurrection) to cleanse the world of its sins. Also important to Christians is the concept of the holy trinity made up of God the father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit which are all part of one God. Christians follow the Ten Commandments of the Old Testament as well as the Two Great Commandments of Jesus Christ which preach to love God with your entire being and that you should love your neighbour as yourself.
Islam
Islam is the second largest religion in the world with over one billion followers worldwide. It was founded in 622 C.E by Muhammad the Prophet in Mecca. Muslims believe in one God of the same faith taught by the prophets Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. They believe that the teachings of these prophets were misinterpreted and that it was the role of Muhammad as the last prophet/messenger of God to clarify the faith and purify it by removing ideas which were added in error. The two sacred texts of Islam are the Qur'an, which are the words of Allah 'the One True God' as given to Muhammad, and the Hadith, which is a collection of Muhammad's sayings. The five pillars or obligations of every Muslim are the declaration of faith, praying five times a day, giving money to charity, fasting and a once in a lifetime pilgrimage to Mecca. Alcohol, drugs, and gambling are avoided by Muslims with a strict following of the teachings of Muhammad.
Conclusion
The world is an unpredictable place with changes coming in many forms every second, minute and hour. Whether you practice in any of the number of religions in the world or not, you have to respect the power the Earth we live on has over us. As we all share the same Earth, I believe we all share the same, one God. The names, race, traditions and cultures may be different but ultimately I believe that we are all praying and communicating to the same higher being. That is why it troubles me when I see the many conflicts that have developed between people in the name of religion and the tensions created over the question of; Which God is the true God? Ultimately we are here for an unpredictable amount of time and I believe that it is best served appreciating the life we have with our loved ones rather than focusing on the negative aspects of the differences we find between us. We all share the obligation of making the world a better place in any way we can. No matter what religion we may or may not belong to, we all must share this world and find a way to coexist for the greater good of mankind.