Why Believe in Religion?
Uploaded by hilarios604 on Jul 10, 2002
Firmly rooted to a Christian faith, I often ponder the meaning of a “proper” Catholic. I ask myself how one should act, what to say, think and most importantly FEEL. What does being a Christian mean for me? How closely does it tie in to my personal beliefs and ethical morals? Do I apply this religious knowledge on my everyday life, or is it actually another domain in my vast mass of principles altogether? These are redundant questions I ask myself everyday - not in the sense that I doubt my faith, but serves to evaluate my true feelings and changing attitude towards Christianity.
So why is religion important to me? Simply because I believe it to be TRUE. It teaches us something vital about ourselves and serves as the ground for our hope in eternal life. You wouldn’t want to turn to religion merely for comfort, security or peace of mind. Because if religion isn’t true, then these desires will not be fulfilled anyways. If the religion accepted is not entirely true, then you can expect that the longing for truth will inevitably initiate one to pursue the evidence continually, wherever it may end.
If God is God, it cannot be impossible for him to have given sufficient evidence to come to where he wants us to be. Looking for that evidence is the greatest mystery of life and the glorious journey that I believe we must undertake. In a world like the one we live in today, pure honesty is one of the most hardest virtues to locate and can only be experienced by others if the trait sparks fiercely enough in one’s heart.
The state of honestly believing in God wholly and entirely partakes in that crescendo of peace that is so rarely felt in a lifetime. I believe that the strength of a Christian comes from the faith one possesses. It is the strong trust in God that helps and guides in hours of need.
It is often considered a necessity to belong to a religious institution. This is because we are creatures made for the interaction in a community. The weaknesses of real communities force us to brave the difficulties and savor the joys of these organizations. There is no other reason for counting yourself religious, except that is says something about your place in the world.
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