A World Without Religion

  

There are seasons of hope and seasons of despair, there are times where you see significant changes in the world and other times when the overwhelming reality of what is going on make me believe that humans are destined to see and experience cruelty, poverty, violence, rejection etc. 

Just few hours ago a gentlemen ofapproximately  85 years sat on the table where I was having my breakfast and began to ask and share some of his thoughts about his perception of the world, just in few minutes he highlighted important reflections about life. Of course that I paid attention. In summary, this is what he shared:

1. He said, I am retired UK Navy. I live in India, because I can experience in India a freedom that I can’t experience in my own country. Where I live now people behave like humans. 

2. Unhappiness comes from having high expectations about politics and politicians, and experiencing the disappointment. 

3. I truly believe that this world will be much better without religion. Religion is causing most of the conflicts of this world. 

I am not saying I agree or disagree with him but I am saying that he touched on some important areas that I have been reflecting on my own. 

Here are some thoughts around some of the areas that he shared:

As much as we try to stay away from religion, and even when it sounds obvious that the lack of religion will make this a better place, having a world without religion is simply not possible. Just by being born instantaneously we adopt a set of principles and believes that affect the way we behave. Those principles and believes also help us to define our own perception or idea of what it is true. 

So it is impossible to be a human without religion. I know that some of you think, well I don’t practice any religion, then that is your religion. Your religion then becomes whatever the world offers you as a set of principles that shape your thinking and your behavior, so when we proudly say that we don’t follow a particular religion, we are actually not that different than somebody who says I follow this or that religion. 

Definition:

A religion is an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to an order of existence.[note 1] Many religions have narratives, symbols, and sacred histories that aim to explain the meaning of life, the origin of life, or the Universe. From their beliefs about the cosmos and human nature, people may derive morality, ethics, religious laws, or a preferred lifestyle.

So the challenge is how to overcome our differences in a way that will allow this world to stay away from what is causing suffering and pain around the world. 

Of course I am not suggesting that my recommendations have to be follow but I am saying that in my limited view and experience here are some of the areas that I feel we should all pay more attention:  

1. Money and power. I once heard that we ask for an increase in salary because it is easier to ask for money that to admit that we need to be recognize. So the point is that before we openly say that we want to be richer or to obtain power, let’s reflect about what is the true spiritual need that we are trying to fulfill. So in other words why do we want to be richer? 

Somebody said that the difference between the rich and the “not rich yet”, is that the rich knows that wealth is not going to make him happy, but the “not rich yet” doesn’t know that. So he pursues money just to realize that his life is gone. He spent his life with the desire to become rich as his primary focus. Now the problem is not necessarily to be rich but how and why somebody becomes rich. The danger is that in the attempt to become rich we find justification on behaviors that make this world a violent, corrupt, and sad place (drugs, politics, professionals,company owners, etc.). 

2. Diversity and tolerance. We need to understand that the world is made up of people NOT like us. In fact is likely that you don’t even represent a majority in this world. So why do we want to see others with the lenses of our own world view. We should be open and ready to meet and associate with people that have different behaviors to represent certain values. 

When I speak about this, I am talking not only about people from different countries but also about people from our own community, or even people from our own family. Tolerance and understanding play a huge role in how we interact with each other. 

3. Love. Perhaps this sounds like a very romantic item and it is but it contains a solutions to many of the problems that we have in today’s world.

There are many definitions but let’s take a look at this one:

Unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another: 

as ***brotherly concern for others

In summary and of course under my own perspective, I feel blessed with the opportunity to meet and interact with very diverse groups of people, despite the fact that we have obvious differences we have been able to put those differences a side to concentrate more on the things that we have in common. 
That brings me great joy and pleasure and perhaps that helps me to regain my hope for what I see happening in the world. 

Now please don’t take me wrong, if somebody struggles with the three items that I shared above is me. 

1. I wish more money
2. I don’t necessarily like or enjoy people even from my own family 
3. I can’t sometimes love my wife and my kids as I know I should. 

I am a broken man, striving every day to become a little better than yesterday. So I ask my friends, to please be tolerant with my faults since they are many…. Jajajajaja.