Religion is an integral part of human life. With it, life takes on meaning, becomes ordered, begins to obey certain rules, and acquires a rhythm. The single stream of history has long been divided into two streams: a history consisting of a list of conspiracies, seizures of power, wars, uprisings, and overthrows, and a sacred history, the content of which is the relationship between God and man. Religion has a profound effect on people and certainly on me.
Whether one believes in God, otherworldly forces, or something else, what matters is that one does so sincerely. To believe in something is to live it, to follow the path that one’s religion directs one to follow. Every faith preaches morality and love for others, speaks of compassion, and helps establish harmony with the world and become harmonious. It is wrong not to love everyone who professes another religion and to consider them enemies because God is one and the common father to all. Religion in human life and society is a tool that can be used in many different ways. It depends not so much on what people use but on how they use it. This is not only true of religion; there are many examples of how the same thing can be used in different ways, where, on the one hand, it will bring good and, on the other, suffering.
I believe in the existence of God, which greatly influences my behavior and outlook. The Bible says, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev 19,18), and I try to stick to that. When someone does wrong, they immediately label them as a bad person, and when they do wrong, they make excuses. Everyone is entitled to mistakes and forgiveness. I am used to showing kindness to everyone, even those who are not very friendly to me. This is the main factor that influences my life. I do not waste my energy being angry at anyone. It is much more important to radiate positivity to those around me.
I can give an example of a situation that caused me to have someone very dear to me. When I was in junior high school, there was a person in my environment that everyone hated. It was because of one unpleasant situation that happened to him. Everyone thought he was a bad person who could not be a friend. I decided to avoid prejudice and not judge him by one thing he did. One day, after school, I suggested he go for a walk and socialize. He turned out to be a very nice and friendly young man. Since we have had a very warm relationship, there is no more understanding and loyal friend in my environment. This proves once again that one action cannot fully characterize a person. Prejudice is an inability to recognize that one’s opinion is wrong.
The next aspect of religion that has affected me is giving up bad habits. At my age, many people use alcohol or drugs and smoke cigarettes. I think that a person’s mind should be clean at all times. Religion may not be the main reason I lead such a lifestyle, but it has its influence. Not giving in to these temptations is why I developed such a necessary quality in life as intransigence. I am very difficult to influence and change my worldview. This refers to principles that are formed for me, which I adhere to throughout my life. I developed this trait after realizing that outsiders do not always try to change my opinion with good intentions. Many may do so in order to harm me in some way.
Religion is necessary for man as the spiritual element that enables him to rise above the mundane and common interests and concerns. Faith enables man to develop the best qualities of his soul because the injunctions of religion, such as the commandments of Jesus Christ, restrain man’s vices and guide him in the path of life. It saves humanity from his greatest fear of death and the emptiness of the unknown by offering him the idea of eternal life as a reward for earthly trials. Moreover, a man walks on the path of spiritual self-improvement propelled by this underlying hope. Without faith, man finds himself utterly alone and defenseless before his fears and the vastness of the universe; he has nothing to hold on to at the edge of such a terrible abyss, and his fears overwhelm him.
Thus, religion, for me, is something that greatly influences my behavior, lifestyle, and outlook. I am not a bigot, but I take some lessons from the Bible and stick to them. I build my environment so that I have people who share my views. Religion can be a salvation for people because it can direct a person to the right path. Today’s world is drowning in horrific events; society needs salvation (Baldwin, 2008). It is faith that gives people this support that helps them to continue to live life to the fullest and be happy. The choice of religion should be free and conscious for each person because no matter how different religions are, they are simply different forms of elevation of the human spirit.
References
Baldwin, J. (2008). A talk to teachers. In Handbook of Research on Teacher Education (pp. 202-207). Routledge. Web.
English Standard Version Bible, 2001, Lev 19,18