For decades, religion has been a part of our societies. It has helped build various communities, cultures, identities, laws, and many more. However, as humans make more discoveries and the world prepares for the start of a futuristic era, it has fallen behind. A great number of people choose to abandon their beliefs and think that they might not need them after all. One of the reasons is that they think it brings more negatives than positives in a person’s life.
Religion should bring peace and order to people, helping them lead a righteous life that they believe to have been set by God. However, there are cases where religious motives lead to conflicts and chaos. One of the infamous disputes was the Crusades, a series of religious campaigns fought mainly between Christians and Muslims who sought control over Jerusalem that lasted from 1096 to 1291. During this time, violence and massacres broke out, which led to the death of many. Because of this history, there is ongoing distrust between Christians and Muslims in some areas.
Back in the day, or even up until now, religious leaders seem to manipulate believers into doing malicious acts, often lying that it was God’s will or the righteous thing to do. The phrase “drinking the Kool-Aid” has now been used as a metaphor for unquestioning and blind obedience to a dangerous leader. This came from a religious organisation called the “People’s Temple,” founded by Jim Jones. It became notorious for its involvement in the Jonestown massacre in 1978, where Jones encouraged his followers to drink cyanide-laced Kool-Aid, killing over 900 people, including himself.
Since the rise of the LGBTQ+ community, some people feel as if they are not allowed or accepted with the way they feel about their gender identity. In religions such as Catholicism, Orthodox Judaism, and Islam, homosexuality is not accepted and is considered a sin. They stick to the idea that engaging in these behaviours is an act of disobedience to their God. Therefore, some strongly disagree with this, as society should be accepting of the people who are part of the LGBTQ+ community and still treat them as equals.
On the other hand, religion teaches people how to accept and fight the struggles that come in life. Studies show that religious people are often more open-minded to certain situations than secular individuals. “ ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope’.” [Jeremiah 29:11] Verses like this within religions help followers to gain a more positive understanding of the events that may happen in life. They always have hope that good things will come as a reward for not giving up on any challenges they face.
Forgiveness is an important part of most of the world’s major religions; they have different approaches as to why it’s necessary, but the act is the same. The conversion to Christianity of an infamous serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer, sparked a lot of debate about this. Many people struggle with the idea that someone like him could be redeemed. However, according to Christian theology, anyone who truly repents will receive grace, no matter how much or what sin you have done. He has openly talked about how he understood the weight of what he had done, and he found comfort in the idea of God’s forgiveness, believing that he, too, was forgiven.
One of the things that most of their teachings focus on is the individual’s personal growth. Many have gathered the courage to confess all the wrongdoings that they have done and made an effort to fix the things that they find unpleasant within. Most people do this to carry out their beliefs and to become a better version of themselves—not only for their sake, but also for the people around them.
Given these points, the positive impact that a religion brings is greater than those that bring harm. There are many religions all around the world, each having different beliefs and rituals, but they peacefully coexist among the others. Despite the increase of non-believers, there have also been many cases where people seek refuge in religion when going through hardships. This just shows how much people can rely on this and value it very much.
About the Author
Angel Rosebelle Torayno is a 13-year-old high schooler who grew up in the Philippines and treasured the life she lived amongst her relatives and friends. In 2023, her family moved to England, and this was a big turning point for her. Everything was different from what she was accustomed to.
She likes having her free time in solitude, focusing on the things she wants to do and achieve. The things she enjoys the most are watching anime, playing video games, eating delicious food, and clinging onto the people she feels comfortable with. In school, she tries to excel in all subjects and improve her knowledge. The lessons she finds most interesting are science, psychology, religion studies, and Latin.
Her dream is to work as a lawyer in the future. Smart, intelligent, reasonable, and open-minded is the type of person she wants to be. She wants to give her family a comfortable life and repay them in her own way. She wakes up grateful for every single day, enthused about the future ahead.