Rethinking Religion

Questions

By: Kelci Rayl

So, here we are again. The Holiday Season. A time of family and friends, good tidings and cheer. Or is it a time for sorrow and loss, debt and selfishness. I suppose it is what you make of it, or what life seems to have thrown at you.

As we all know, originally Thanksgiving was founded by the Pilgrims who gave thanks to God for their blessings in their new land. Christmas was a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ who is said to be God’s Son come to earth. But now, what is it? I would venture to say that along with some who still consider them Holidays celebrated to honor the Judeo Christian God of the Bible, some have decided that it’s just a good time to have a break from the grind and get back to what matters…friends and family.

The conflict here causes me to question what must go on in all of us that causes us to view specific concepts and traditions in different ways. Why do humans continue to reinvent the way they choose to live, celebrate, educate and cohabitate? Why must we continue to take something that seems to be clear and make it foggy? What is it within us that drives us to question, to think, to demand something more or even just different from what we’ve always had?

Is it good to be this way? I suppose it is what you make of it. It can be wonderfully fulfilling to live in a way that causes you to evolve while striving for more, but it can also be destructive. Why is there always a paradox? Good and Evil, Positive and Negative, Yes and No. Wouldn’t it be better if everything was just good and positive? But then again, why do we even care? What fuels the need for resolution of this paradox?

We are all searching. Searching in our own way. We have to question, we have to want more, we have to crave, or we begin to fade. Although this is a trend in humanity and each person takes it to their own level, we all ask the same question. “WHY?” What’s the purpose? What’s the point? Some decide that they will believe in a god and therefore look to religion for their answers. Others decide that the whole “god” thing is a load of bull and we should look to ourselves for these answers. Again, there’s conflict and craving. Does it even make sense that we know to question these things? Is it possible that it is an innate part of our being? What happened that we all came out wondering and wanting to know? Why don’t we all just get along?

Maybe it all means nothing. Maybe there is no big picture and there’s no need to question. Maybe it is up to us and it simply is what we make of it. But then why DO we persist?

Or, maybe it’s possible that there is a God, and that He is personal and unique and much bigger than any of us. Maybe we were created by God and that’s why we need more, have our own opinions, and live to find answers. Maybe there is more to life than any of us have ever come up with and having a relationship with God would give us answers to our questions. What if it was possible to KNOW God?

Suggested Reading: Soul Cravings by Erwin McManus

Kelci Rayl is a resident of Summit, New Jersey. She welcomes your comments at krayl@thealternativepress.com.