Why I Believe In God but Not Religion
God created man, and gave man the gift of self-awareness, so that man could shape the world as he saw fit. Man created religion, a system of beliefs, to bring people closer to God, and teach people how to live in a world full of chaos. The earliest forms of religion were probably meant to lead people away from the pitfalls of life, and show the way to prosperity. Many of the religions we find in today’s society still teach these fundamentals, and still help people find their way when they are lost. As people started to ask more questions, religion started to take on different shapes and forms, and suddenly there were many different answers to the same questions. This diversity in beliefs should’ve been a good thing, but it became the reason why bloody wars were fought, why people were murdered, and why so many people turn away from God today.
I am a believer in God and not a believer in Religion, to many people this might sound contradictory, but to me it’s the only thing that makes sense. God created me, and gave me the ability to think for myself. I do not believe he gave me this gift to blindly follow the path others have set before me, but to set my own path and find my own way in this world. Now, this doesn’t mean I don’t think religion has something valuable to offer me. Religion has taught me many valuable lessons, the only reason I don’t choose to follow a religious path is because I don’t believe there’s one religion that has all the answers. I believe every religion has something valuable to offer. From the discipline of Buddhism to the inspiration of Christianity, each religion has something I can take from it, and I believe God wants it this way. I don’t believe it was God’s intent for his children to fight bloody wars in his name, for his children to shun their brothers and sisters because they couldn’t agree on things.
Religious diversity is a blessing, but too many people use it as an excuse to hate others. One of the biggest fundamental beliefs every religion teaches is tolerance, but this lesson seems to be the first thing forgotten when men decide to lead crusades against other men. For this reason, I will choose to believe in God and not Religion.
