Questioning Faith: A Journey Beyond Belief
"Free will is an illusion. People always choose the perceived path of greatest pleasure."
- Scott Adams
"Your minds influence the key activity of the brain, which then influences everything; perception, cognition, thoughts and feelings, personal relationships; they’re all a projection of you."
- Deepak Chopra
The Crusades were a tumultuous era marked by conflicts and clashes of beliefs. War, a constant companion in human history, is often perceived as a negative force causing harm to both sides involved. However, is there a time in history when war served as a positive force for all parties involved?
Raised in a Baptist household, I found myself navigating the intricate landscape of faith and beliefs. Despite the Christian foundation, my family embraced openness to other religious ideologies and scientific conversations. I pondered whether this open-mindedness stemmed from their upbringing or the wisdom gained throughout their worldly experiences — a delicate interplay of nature and nurture.
Growing up surrounded by Baptist beliefs, I naturally adopted them as my own. Yet, encounters with diverse people and exposure to various films opened my eyes to a spectrum of beliefs. As I matured, I began questioning my faith, particularly when a pastor used a sermon to judge and condemn other religions and communities, contradicting the very principles of acceptance preached in the Bible.
My quest for understanding led me to explore different beliefs and ideologies, not necessarily seeking a new religion but unraveling the origins of these diverse worldviews. Films, where authors crafted religions for fictional worlds, prompted a revelation — could religion itself be a construct of man? The title of a book, "So Man Created God In His Own Image" by Romain Gagnon, further fueled my contemplation. What if the religions we follow are outdated, created at a time when our understanding of the universe was limited?
The belief that we were created in God's image, akin to the historical notion that we were the center of the universe, raised questions of entitlement. These reflections led me to ponder the origins of religion and the concept of God. Was it merely a mechanism for control, as suggested by Lucius Annaeus Seneca: "Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful."
This intricate web of thoughts reflects the complex relationship between faith, reason, and power, shaping the role of religion in our societies. As I embarked on this journey of questioning, I discovered that unraveling the mysteries of belief is not just an exploration of faith but a profound exploration of self.
March 22, 2024