Religion : The Most Complicated Things in Human History

Religion has taken parts in human history. Most of our inventions are based on the challenge to prove the religion’s doctrines. For example, math was invented by Arabic scientist to prove the truth of the Quran. And many Buddhism or Jainism activists also found new ways of activism that were based on the Ahimsa (non-violence) principles. Because they want to prove that Buddhism or Jainism is the right way of living.

Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, a humanist activists that apply the Ahimsa or non violence principles

But as we know, the era has changed. When in the past, many scientists tried to rely their experiments on the faith of religion. Now, the scientists rely their experiments on the scientific method. In short, I could say that we already have everything regarding science and philosophy. We already have the motivation to do science, the methodology, and many more. Science is not a proof of the miracle, but science can create the true miracle and destroy the myths that religion builds.

But when we already have everything, why do we still need to have faith in religion? Especially when we’re not a person that is into philosophy so much.

The answer is because religion is a part of human tradition that can’t be replaced in a short time. Many of us may be atheist, me too. But, the path to become an atheist sometimes has many struggles. Maybe the rejection from family, society, or even the place where we work. Many people’s minds have been bound into the religion doctrines. And when the member of that community decide to go out from the doctrine, people will see him/her as the traitor. That’s why they will reject him/her. This can be one of the proof of how strong religion has taken part in human tradition, even in modern life.

Also, in many country, for example, Muslim country. Being an atheist will take you to the death. Being an atheist can be counted as blasphemy or heresy, and the punishment for heresy is death sentence. So, in short, we can say that some of us still need to have faith in religion because that’s the only way to survive.

In many Muslim country, religion become one of the requirements for you to live

And then, we still have too many laws and traditions that require us to become a people that has faith in religion or god. For example, the Chinese in many countries such as Indonesia or Malaysia, are forced to do some praying as part of their culture. Even though they may be an atheist that doesn’t believe in god anymore.

Chinese in Indonesia and Malaysia do the Ceng Beng’s Praying. Many of them are atheist or not a Buddhist anymore, but they still do this as part of culture

So, this one will become a paradox for us all. If religion teaches you to become more compassionate to others, why must you punish the others to make your faith become right? Doesn’t it mean that religion and the faith for the religion will only appear if you do the repression to others? Or does it mean that the religion has changed and we shouldn’t have the faith for religion to prevent the god’s anger? Because in many religions, especially the Semitic religion, God has a very bad temper and will be angry if you do something wrong.

And also, when the religion or praying become a part of your culture. For example, like people of Minangkabau, doesn’t it mean that religion is just a tradition and doesn’t have religious meaning at all? Or does it mean that religion only a proto-concept that our ancestors made to make us a part of the community? Doesn’t it mean that religion is only the law? If that’s right, then religion can be replaced by the law of the nation for simplicity. Why do we need to be bound into 2 different laws?

The Governor of West Sumatra said that Minang’s language is a part of Islamic culture there and cannot be used for the bible

From all questions, we can conclude that religion, in simple, is a myth that humans made to make humans bound into one and others. Because in the past, humans still didn’t have the right methodology to propose what we call as Ethics, Law, and Science. Humans use the story and many reward-punishment concepts to bound the community of they are.

So, if we already know about these concepts, we can take the religion not as seriously as before. Religion is how the people in the past propose science, law, and ethics. So, when it’s irrelevant anymore with our ethic codes, we can easily go out from religion doctrines. And when people do the same things like that, we can easily understand and receive their decision. And vice versa, when people decide to stay and have faith in religion, we can easily understand that religion maybe a part of them that can be replaced with anything.