Religious people are actually not that much into god.
There’s something else…
Disclaimer: This is a personal opinion and is not at all vilifying any particular religion or the general concept of a religion. You do not have to agree with me or let me know that you do so. I find it sad that I had think about my safety before starting to write this article.
I express a hypothesis here that I have constructed from pure thought and my thoughts are backed by some research. You’re welcome to verify by going to the links at the bottom of this article.
I think religion is much more about the labels/values that come packaged with it than it is about a supreme entity. I think most of us have moved past the argument of literal truth in the religious texts. We’re discussing the morality, the metaphors in the texts. I think this is a positive sign.
Our eyes are set at becoming better humans. There are a few things that are generally associated with religion that gives you a quicker belief of having become better or having a head-start.
The Religion Starter Pack Items:
1. Humility
You pretty much instantly get a thing to point to when thinking about your humility. You can easily ‘prove’ that you’re a humble person by pointing to the fact that you’re religious which implies that you have bowed down to a supreme entity which, in turn, gives you a certificate of humility.
2. Gratitude
Again, this label comes along with religion in a way similar to humility. As you accredit your deity with giving you everything you have, you get stamped with the tag of being a grateful person.
3. Generosity & Kindness
Tithe, chadhava, or any other form of religious donation gives you two receipts — The one the organization gives you, and the one that says ‘you are a generous and kind person because you made a donation’. It eliminates your doubt in your own kindness and generosity.
4. A sense of stability
Questions disrupt. They make you change your position on something. They sometimes prove you wrong. If there are no questions, and only answers that are seemingly so elaborate that you seldom feel like challenging them, you will rarely have to shift from your current beliefs. This provides stability in a way. This is way easier than dynamically changing your beliefs. I think the fact that old people tend to be religious is a major endorsement for this point.
5. Community
This is more of a social phenomenon than a personal one. It is helped by the large number of people that identify as religious. It gives you a community to be a part of. The entry barrier to this circle is fairly low, you have to say that you believe in/actually believe in some principles and rituals. Once that happens, you get access to this tremendously big number of people who relate to you in some sense. You’re not an outcast or a weird guy anymore, you’re ‘one of them’.
It sort of ensures a good ‘post-death treatment’. Meaning that you’ll be respected even after you’re no more. I think this fact deeply resonates with a lot of people. Because a world that doesn’t care about you or one that isn’t bothered much by your death feels like an enemy.
It also gives you ‘something to fight for’. Otherwise you’ll have to invest time and processing power to figure out your own thing to fight for.
Conclusion
The above-list isn’t complete. There are many more positive feelings or beneficial labels that come with being a part of a religion.
Also, if you aren’t a part of a religion you don’t get the pre-packaged labels. You’ll actually have to work hard and inculcate humility, and gratefulness. You’ll need other proofs for terming yourself as a kind person. You’ll also have to have a dynamic mindset and give up the habit of having an unchanging thought process.
Think of atheists as the kind of people who go to restaurants that offer ‘make your own <insert dish name>’ options. They like to pick and choose their qualities and beliefs. It is hard work, especially if you consider the resistance they face for not believing in a creator.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter if you pick and choose the components yourself or you directly import them from a religion. What matters is that you have them inside you.
I’d like to leave the reader with a message of kindness. It really doesn’t matter if someone believes in god or not, the qualities that collectively makes us a happier, more satisfied society are more important. It’s up to the individual to choose from where he seeks these qualities.
