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In my religion I find a connection to God, a community, a philosophy, and a way of living that moves me in the direction I need to be going. I believe that by living according to Torah, I am a better man and I am living my life they way I am meant to.
This single word is the most important in ones determination of religion in their life. Belief vs Faith is a topic all by itself, but my interpretation differs to that of the dictionary.
I think subconsciously (or directly), belief and faith within religious boundaries are intertwined. Yet, I myself separate belief and faith as two entirely different ideologies.
Faith on the one hand is a direct connection to religion. I realize in the dictionary faith is belief, but in its purist form, faith is ones connection to their God. Belief on the other hand when, again by my interpretation, is somewhat a doubtful acceptance of something. Those who use the science over religion argument tend to think science has more concrete evidence to support its explanation of the universe's beginnings and don't believe as much as just think science is the truth. But belief is the hook in following God being the creator and one's direct following of religion.
I don't believe enough in religion to have it be of great importance to me. Whether my own judgement is clouded or not, history leans towards religion being a major factor in so many wars, past and present. I look at the conflict of religion and cannot believe how that can be good for me. Yet, I cannot define my own inner strengths origin. I want to believe my inner strength has nothing to do with God or religion, but is just my ability to get inside myself as a human and find what exists within my chemical makeup.
I think an aspect that is often neglected (the OP kind of hinted at it) is that some people are just "drawn" towards a religion while others are not. Whatever the reason, those who are drawn need it to live a happy life and to feel at peace. Others do not. And, no, this does not necessarily have something to do with the fear of death that people love to point out.
This is true no matter if and with what religion you were raised in. But, I really do not see the big deal. If people want to always eat kosher, fine. If my neighbor finds peace in believing in Jesus, fine.
As long as nobody else is bothered or threatened with "hell" etc. if you don't believe like they do, it is all good to me. Of course, sadly, this is often not the case and I am always baffled when people try too shove their religion down my throat. But as to why certain people are drawn to certain religions (or not) is a mystery that I'd like some scientist to figure out.
Life's a Moderator cut: bleep and then you die. That's probably why much of the world is still religious. False hope is a powerful drug.
Who says the hope is always false? In Judaism we have a prayer that roughly goes like this (apparently by Rabbi/poet Alvin I. Fine, from the Temple Bethel, St. Petersburg, FL website [link]):
Birth is a beginning
And death a destination.
And life is a journey:
From childhood to maturity
And youth to age;
From innocence to awareness
And ignorance to knowing;
From foolishness to discretion
And then, perhaps, to wisdom;
From weakness to strength
Or strength to weakness –
And, often, back again;
From health to sickness
And back, we pray, to health again
From offense to forgiveness,
From loneliness to love,
From joy to gratitude,
From pain to compassion,
And grief to understanding –
From fear to faith;
From defeat to defeat to defeat –
Until, looking backward or ahead,
We see that victory lies
Not at some high place along the way,
But in having made the journey,
stage by stage,
A sacred pilgrimage.
Birth is a beginning
And death a destination.
And life is a journey,
A sacred pilgrimage –
Made stage by stage
From birth to death
To life everlasting.
Thus I do not believe that religion's hope is "false."
all the power all the talent all the times i should have failed or died, and didnt i owe to god.
if you say its bek i am lucky that does not hold water, anybody that lucky that won against such odds should have cleaned out the casinos years ago.
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