Could religion just be the answer to our problems?
By Anoushka Tak – 9C
The first thing that comes to my mind when thinking about culture and religion is really just a burst of different colours, different patterns that I’ve seen while travelling and researching, just anything bright and energetic. I’m putting action into the idea of researching and learning about various religions after I saw this one article online about various people practicing their different religions in the same country. The textbook definition of religion would be “the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.” What really is religion though? The truth is, no one has the answer to this because the answer varies.
I will never be able to say that I know everything about every single religion but I would like to know as much as I can. To do this I seek help from the people around me and from the internet at large. To be able to learn about the broad diversity of the world is a privilege that is often overlooked and taken advantage of. There’s all this talk about everyone being the same which is true, no doubt, especially if you take a step back and look at it both scientifically and in terms of beliefs.
The common misconception is that religion and religious beliefs cannot be debated without being offensive. What is needed to be done is quite literally the opposite. I urge everyone reading this post to debate about this topic, to discuss it with friends and even family. But first, take your time to learn about your own beliefs whether it be theism or atheism, Judaism or Buddhism. Research about where your faith lies and then debate and discuss this topic. Just remember, debating requires you to be respectful.
You may be wondering why I am so stuck on the thought of talking about all the different heritages, cultures and religions. It’s because this not only allows us to learn about the world, ourselves, and other people, it promotes working together and creates a sense of community that will over time grow larger and larger. Now, why should I care about all this? Learning about others shows how we all are the same, we all have beliefs, opinions and faith.
Learning that we are all equal just promotes equality in all forms. This on its own can do wonders for the world. Imagine what the human race could have achieved if everyone was working together instead of against each other. Issues like poverty, global warming and mass hunting could be resolved. This is why I strongly urge everyone reading this to learn about yourself, use your voice and talk about things that may seem controversial.