(To know more about Blog Your Blessings Sunday, click here, and to view the blog roll click here. If you participate and your name is not on the roll, just leave a comment and your name will be added as soon as possible. If you do not participate yet, it’s never too late to start. Just Blog Your Blessings.)One thing that pervades all aspects of a person’s life is religion. A person is born into a religion and before he can decide and choose for himself, he becomes a part of many rituals and beliefs due to the influence of his parents and close relatives. More often than not, these beliefs get ingrained in him and stay with him during the entire course of his life.
Religion, to me, is just a way to live my life. If a man has to take all the decisions about life on his own, he is sure to go mad with all the thinking it would involve. Religion steps in to help. It provides a basic framework and set of rules around which one can base one’s life. It helps one decide right from wrong, which otherwise are very relative terms and just thinking about what is right and what is wrong can drive a person crazy.
Every religion has its own epics, stories and moral tales. These stories, in addition to being interesting, have a message hidden in them. They can inspire and motivate a person to do great things and to do them in a righteous manner. Also, they can be a standard against which one can measure one’s life and actions.
Lately, religion has been used by vested interests to promote their own agenda. This is bringing about a bad name to certain religions and their followers. But, what has to be remembered is that no religion in the world asks men to hate their fellow humans, or gives a license for men to kill other men. Also, no religion is a watertight compartment. It is always to possible to follow one religion, but incorporate good things from other religions into your actions.
Out of the many good and bad things that have been handed down by men from one generation to another, Religion is definitely one of the greatest blessings. Wishing everyone a great week ahead.
9 comments:
Interesting. NPR did a broadcast (npr.org) today about the new monastics, people who accept there are many legitimate forms of spirituality and who wish to live their faith through good works, etc.
Happy BYB Sunday!
Happy BYB Sunday - Have a great week
I used to be a "religious" person. In fact, in my post today I mention the many years I spent as a church musician.
No more. I gave up organized religion and consider myself a refugee from the institutional church. I prefer to think of myself now as a spiritual person with my own beliefs, but I do not judge other persons or belief systems because no one has a lock on the truth.
Hope you're having a wonderful Sunday!
Happy BYB Sunday!
Religion is a blessing and a curse.
Have a wonderful week, Neo.
I believe anything that causes people to stop and think about the big picture is a blessing. The place where I think organized religion gets into trouble is when it tries to get people to stop thinking and just believe what someone else wants them to.
Sandy: Doing good things are an essential part of being religious, I feel.
Have a great week!
Msdemmie: You have a great week too!
Janie: In some ways I am a "religious" person and in other ways I am not. But I agree with you when you say that no one has a lock on the truth.
Kuanyin: Happy BYB Sunday to you too!
Cybercelt: True!
Have a great rest of the week!
Whatever: I couldn't agree with you more.
Hope you have a great rest of the week!
Blessings from your neighbor in China....
OMBW
It seems like religion and school are the mental boot camps for humans...
As George Carlin says "I was Catholic until the age of reason." ;)
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