43 reads

Religion is what we turn to when we have lost Faith.

Creation stories of various cultures by in large describe the perfection of the Universe and the discordant inadequacy of Man: a scourge upon Earth!

We berate ourselves, emphasizing our sense of unworthiness, our hyper-perception of plucked-chicken nakedness... not feeling at all like children of the cosmos, but like self-made frauds. Would we live in a different world if we affectionately viewed our own kind as the evolutionary infants that we apparently are? Tots needing gentle scolding and firm redirection to be respectful and mindful, to keep our hands clean and to ourselves, to play safe and fair, to pick up our toys, and share?

Broadly speaking, religion means an organization of beliefs and practices. The word religion itself has been analyzed into parts and retraced to various related root terms. Re, the prefix, means a return to. The word ligare is considered as one related root; it means to bond. Another possible derivation is legere, meaning to read. Or, religio, meaning taboo or restraint. Clearly all of these words have their obvious manifestations in our history. Religion devises prohibitions; Religion delivers authoritative sermons/ readings; and Religion can be seen as a form of mental and physical bondage/entrapment. These are negatives. At the same time, in a positive light, Religion can be said to encourage people to bond to each other and the universe; to contemplate common human themes through shared texts; and to practice self-restraint.

Yet underlying this all is a deep sense of inferiority... a foreboding of being summoned/ summoning one's self to judgement, with an inherent disbelief/ unwillingness to accept, on Faith, that Creation was good—us inclusive. We struggle with this feeling of lack and disconnect... we feel a need to "return to..."

Religion is what we turn to when we have lost Faith in ourselves.

#WhatDoesReligionMean? #Challenge