MichaelStrickland’s article on ‘Why Religion Matters’ really helped me understand why people are religious. I used to think that they became ‘religious’ because ‘God told me to’. But now I understand that it’s because it’s an easier route to find out who one is and what one believes in. By following preset rules and morals, people are set on the right path for discovering what they are capable of and what their rules and morals are. Isn’t that why there are vast assortments of religion? Because people might have different rules? Or some might say they are guidelines. If you are Mormon, and you gamble, are you not Mormon anymore?? Then people go on to say ‘he is strict Mormon, because he follows every rule’ but ‘she is not strict Mormon, because she gambles’. So back to the guideline dealie.

But, according to my friends, I could be a Mormon by my morals and how I play them. I don’t drink, gamble, cheat, and etc. Then after that, what distinguishes a religious person from a non-religious person when they might have the exact same morals? Is a non-religious person someone who doesn’t need the help of others to get through tough times? Is a religious person someone who ‘has seen the light’ and needs to know that there are people there for help? Or am I being completely stereotypical?

I understand that being around the same people in church is a great experience and I’m not disrespecting that, but are religious people religious because there is a stable community to be around? Or because they know that the guidelines of that religion are what they believe in? Or that they have seen God and want to experience it all over again?

What do you think about religion? (open to all)

This topic is completely debatable, is just a stream of consciousness, and one of my favorite topics to discuss because there are so many different views!