Sample Reflection Essay on Religion: A Perspective on Gods

There are more or less 10,000 religions in the world, with a dozen acting as the main religions. I grew up believing in one of them and believed that an invisible man in the sky was watching over me; I believed that he was aware of our every move, every decision, and every thought we made; I had faith in him for so long–never questioned his existence and never wondered why my Muslim classmates referred to him as Allah and not God. That was until I started reading the bible with critical eyes and realized the  ideas that our parents and teachers imposed us to believe .

Questioning The Existence of a Deity

I began to ask questions and wondered: “If God knew everything, why did he have to test Abraham and ask him to kill his only child? If he was omnipresent, why did he allow the serpent to tempt Eve to eat the forbidden fruit? If he was all-powerful, why did he have to sacrifice his only son so he can forgive the sins of men? If he was a loving God, why did he have to commit genocide to cleanse the world of evil?” These were the questions that ran through my mind while I was reading the bible, free from the influences of a Christian teacher who would try to rationalize senseless genocide. I wanted to learn more and so I read through the old and new testaments; questioned every story, every parable, and every verse. 

When I started questioning the existence of God, I harbored a wave of anger. This was from the realization that my parents and teachers taught me to believe a thousand-year-old text filled with nonsense and fairytales. I felt betrayed as if I discovered a long-time friend has been lying to me the whole time. How can I believe in a God that commands his faithful to murder his children? How can I cherish a supposedly loving father if he made a bet with the devil and let the latter murder the wife and children of his follower? How can I look forward to heaven when the man who raped my sister can go down on his knees, beg for forgiveness, and then be allowed to enter the kingdom of God? I was filled with these types of questions in my head, all of them coming to me like a flood. I was trying so hard not to drown and to make sense of my beliefs.

Learning More About Religions

I spent some of my college days talking with like-minded individuals from different religions. We would talk about the similarities of certain stories present in many religious texts. I would take my time listening to their insights and reflecting on the ideas that they presented to me. I also talked to more religious students, peeking inside their minds, trying to figure out how they can remain faithful to an invisible man in the sky–I was a man with a mission. At first, I was trying to convert others. I was telling them about the inaccuracies in the bible and how absurd it is to believe all those stories. I told them that religion is fanaticism that the church covers in lavishness. They just gave me a nod or smiled at me with a confused look. I thought that the idea of God not existing was too foreign for them and they cannot imagine a life without religion. Still, I kept on convincing others about my ideas, which in retrospect, maybe my attempt to convince myself about my new ideology.

In one of our Christian Education classes, I listened to our professor talking about theological ideas and using sources outside the bible. It made me realize that religion was evolving as time passed by. Religious scholars would come up with new ideas and interpretations of the bible. They are trying to fit religion into the modern world by incorporating religious philosophy into modern issues. A good example of this is Pope Francis’ acceptance of gay relationships. Religious apologists prosecute gay couples since it is a “sin in the eyes of the Lord” as the bible states. Pope Francis, however, accepts gay union and believes that as long as they seek a relationship with God, people should not judge them.

Understanding Faith

Learning more about religions, faith, and other ideologies allowed me to find peace. The more I learned about the beliefs of others and the unique religious journeys certain individuals experienced, the more I understood the viewpoints of those who remain faithful to their beliefs. I began to see Pope Francis as a wise religious leader for not following a thousand-year-old book by the letter; I welcomed the peaceful spiritual ways of Buddhism by reading about the philosophies of Siddharta Gautama; I understood the passionate faith that Muslims show; I gained wisdom from the stories of Greek and Roman Gods; Egyptian mythology taught me the humble beginnings of the first civilization. The feeling of betrayal in my heart faded and turned into understanding. The hatred that wanted me to change the ideas of others turned into contentment. I grew wiser and more open-minded; I understood the importance of belief for others.

I understood that to some, the existence of a God is what gives their lives meaning. It is the pursuit of the kingdom of heaven that leads their everyday decisions. Their fear of burning in an eternal flame of punishment stops them from committing harm to others. Attempting to take this away from them could cause them to stray away from a life of righteousness. Though I can differentiate right from wrong through my moral compass, some individuals need the motivation of heaven and hell. This was a luxury that I had that most believers do not possess.

In the past, I used to identify myself as an atheist–a person who does not believe in any God . But as I grow wiser and older, I learned humility. I understood that my beliefs or nonbeliefs should be mine alone. Though we know that beyond the vastness of our skies lies an endless void of space, we are still unsure what lies beyond that void. Perhaps there is nothing beyond but more space or maybe that is where the Gods occupy themselves away from their creations. 

A New Perspective

Gods for me now are not holy figures that judge whether I go to a paradise or suffer in hell. They are not saviors that will carry me away in their chariot when the end comes. To me, they are a tool to guide people into a righteous and more humane path. Not many are lucky to have a strong moral compass that lets them know what is right and wrong. I am not even sure if my moral compass is accurate. All I know is that I should refrain from harming others so that I can live a peaceful and worry-free life.

Conclusion

For others, the teachings of their Gods determine what is good and what is bad. A holy book can tell a person to commit mass murder in honor of their deity; It can counsel a person to accept his prodigal son with welcoming arms. The Gods and religions are necessary tools to keep peace and order among men. They have good effects that benefit everyone yet they also have horrible teachings that can result in others’ suffering. This is why having religious figures like the Pope is an important aspect of most religions. They can act as a conduit between new religious ideas and old-age beliefs. Learning to accept this gave me a unique perspective that allowed me to find peace–that Gods and religions symbolize the human need for meaning and the longing to follow a powerful figure.

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