Posted by
Tim Busovsky on Tuesday, April 10, 2007 7:44:17 PM
Existing as a member of the youngest generation of
individuals generally is not a good place to be. Young people have the widest, and usually
most radical, viewpoints. Many are
idealists and see corruption in every aspect of their lives. I see idealists heading to Washington
with a glimmer of hope that they, with their ideology, vigor, and resolve, can
change not only American politics, but the world as well. Every day that I go to school and observe
things that my peers are doing and saying, I see this spark of idealism in
today’s youth. Granted, this isn’t such
a bad thing, but often times, reality takes a back seat to their construed
views of life.
One of the most evident indicators of young idealism is the
general view of religion. People my age
tend to be at least skeptical of religion and rightfully so, as some of the
most heinous crimes in history have been committed in the name of religion. But, because someone can manipulate and
transform an idea into something entirely different does not defunct the whole
premise of religion and faith. To me,
being religious or being spiritual is partially about the truths of the
universe, but it centers more around attunement; reaching balances and
understanding one’s place in every possible aspect of life. I’ve come to this conclusion over years of
pondering the general questions surrounding the existence and nature of God.
I was raised Catholic, according to my mother’s wishes,
along with all of my siblings. I had a
strong foundation of religion until I reached the age whenever change is no
longer a word but an accepted way of life.
I fell out of my views and saw them as fickle and often, simply
incoherent and illogical. I could not
rationalize Catholicism or Christianity.
Therefore, I distanced myself from it.
I now believe in the existence and presence of God for several
reasons. The years of pondering the
greatest questions in life lead me right back to where I began; the feelings of
being incomplete and unsatisfied with both the simplicities and complexities of
life. But, in the vastness and
complexity of real issues that face everyone on the face of the planet, what
role does religion truly play?
The use of religion can be divided into two categories:
those who genuinely seek truth and peace through a greater power and those who
exploit the variations of religion to further personal agendas. We hear little about the unknown farmer in
the American Bread Belt who attends church every Sunday and is a good, law
abiding citizen. When religion is in the
forefront of the news, it is related with weapons and hatred. This concept brings up an interesting and
revealing point. Religion is
interpretive. Religion in itself is pure
and incorruptible when it seeks to answer the mysteries of the universe and to
provide moral high ground for its followers.
However, it becomes distorted and perverted by those who take the
teachings and create something entirely different out of them. I know many good people of all different
faiths. Their faith isn’t the source of violence
in the modern world. If religion truly
was the foundation and instigation of the wrongdoings of all people around the
globe, then every religious believer would reach harmony through the political
and social domination by their respective religion, rather than reaching a
state of peace.
For all the people around the world who want to condemn
religion for all the problems that have been caused by it, I would like for
them to understand the good that comes out of it as well. Believing that something greater than myself
exists doesn’t make me want to bomb a bus or hold a movie theater full of
innocent civilians hostage. Rather, it
gives me a greater understanding of my place, as well as the places of others,
within our world. In times of great
change, it is natural to feel smaller than perhaps you ever did. The first time I truly felt this type of
change, I came to terms as to my role in the grand scheme of the world. And without an appreciation for that which I
can never understand; the grander planes of our existence, I could not reach
any sort of peace.
Therefore, for all of my peers and those who believe in
religion’s lack of value need to observe the differences between the people
that commit atrocities in the name of religion and those who achieve
selflessness and love through the same faith.
In short, religion can be evil as well as divine. It is the individual, not the faith, which
differentiates actions that are good from those that are not.