The Power of Belief (How Will You Choose to Use it?)- An essay

I will judge your faith not on which book you follow, but on what you do with what you've read.

As thinking creatures, we humans always have to have an answer... an answer for everything. The biggest questions always seem to be: "Why are we here? How did we come to be? Who created us? Or were we even created? Is their life after death? What is itlike? What should I believe in? Where can I find the answers to these burning questions?" I know you've asked yourself most, if not all, of these things. I know because you are a person who is here, reading. If you are reading, I suppose you are capable of thought.

 

It's hard to admit when you don't know the answer to a question. No one wants to be the one the teacher calls on in class, as a child, when you don't know the answer. Most will fake it. If they say, "I don't know," they know others may laugh, and the teacher will give them that angry, displeased look. School, however, is not the only place where the condemnation of not knowing the answer is feared. Adults? We avoid raising our hands as well. We do incredibly dumb things sometimes to evade the need to answer questions. When it comes to those important questions I mentioned above? Many feel like not knowing the answer condemns one to the ranks of the stupid, or perhaps even to hell. So, many evade by pretending the answer has already been laid out for them, in one fantastic book written by a prophet. Most of the "followers" of prophets dont' really believe. They just know they are supposed to. To go against the grain and take a chance of being thought dumb? What a disgrace that would be! How dare one stop, and question, and think... when the answers are all right there for you in plain English, what you should believe, who you are, why you are here, who created us... all in one magical book.

 

The fact that many pretend to believe and simply march on, "faithful" as told to be is not, in and of itself, a problem. The problem is, there are many "magical books", not just one. The answers in these Holy Books differ only slightly from one another... and yet, those books, those powerful books, have caused wars, divorces, nations to fall, and nations to rise. People live by, and die for, those sacred words they either read or hear told at a religious service. No king in earth's history has been named as the cause for a fraction as many deaths as have been taken in the name of one deity or prophet or another. Christ and Muhammad may have been friends, had they met one another. They shared many ideals. Muhammad even acknowledged the significance of Christ... and yet their followers are fighting, at this moment, killing one another simply because of the power of belief? Or is it because of the desire to save themselves from looking stupid, because they do not have the answers, at least on the part of some of those waging the battle?

 

There is nothing wrong with faith, or belief. It is meant to remind us that we are but a part of a larger universe, and that someone has to have created us, made us who and what we are. In my opinion, the particular creed of an individual is of no import- as long as they use that creed as a means to finding that they are a spiritual being, that there is a force greater than ones self, and that life really does have meaning- so therefore, life is precious; as are things like kindness, mercy, forgiveness, honesty, tenderness, and giving aid to your fellow man when he is down. The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have done unto you, is present in one form or another in the Holy book of every major faith. I’ve read them all, and seen it. I’ve also seen other similarities that are good, sound, solid spiritual and social wisdom.

 

I judge a man not by his beliefs, but by what he does with that power of belief.

 

Many use the power of belief as a crutch to dispel insecurity. “I am HOLY, therefore, I’m better than those who aren’t.” Beliefs become the catalyst for war because Holy Books are read and touted as truth- and then ignored as far as the content that tells one to be tolerant, and love his fellow man regardless. They are all wonderful volumes to read, to study, and to use as a tool to grow into a better human being, if the primary messages are taken in, and nurtured within one’s own mind in a loving way.

 

I find that most people who are amongst the dogmatically religious faithful condemn me to hell for not choosing their particular faith. It makes me laugh. Just like the bullies who torment in the halls of every school, these people are so insecure, as adults; they feel the need to be better, holier, purer, more “devout” than anyone else. Only they can find heaven? I refuse to believe that. We all can find heaven, and we all can make a hell for ourselves here on earth, or beyond it, if we separate ourselves from truth, from light, and from one another.

 

Beyond the classic zealot, we have the radicals, the warmongers, the fanatics. Fanaticism of any kind robs one of the power to see, an ugly form of blindness. Does God really want us to take innocent life to prove our love to him? I don’t care which God or gods you choose- none of them would wish us to murder, or pillage, or rape, or terrorize in their name, if the Holy Books are to be believed and their ideas taken as truth. Many mistake the Koran to allow such action. It does not. The Koran, in fact, parallels the Bible in many ways. If you do not know much about Islam, take the time to read about the Five Pillars of Islam. There are some beautiful things there… and most of the Moslems I have met in life are peaceful, loving, tolerant people. In fact, I encourage all to read all of the world’s major religions’ Holy Books. Understanding is the only key to stopping hatred, prejudice, and fanaticism.

 

There are many ways in which man divides into groups- by culture, by color, by nation, by creed, by ancestry, by social class and status. All of these divisions, in the mind of one who has true faith in a higher power, should become meaningless. “I am not my brother’s keeper. I AM my brother.” The division between creeds is the first division that needs to go, as it seems to cause more bloodshed and hatred than any other, drawing us all FROM our creator, rather than TO him.

 

Nations (rather, the leaders and masterminds behind nations) use the power of belief as a means to catapult patriotism into a dangerous cocktail that makes divisions because they know the way to conquer is to divide. You conquer your own people by making them hate one another, and everyone else. You can enslave with the power of belief.

 

As individuals who carry strong beliefs within us (did I ever say that I am not a believer as well?) we make the decision as to how we will utilize the power our beliefs wield within our minds and hearts, and choose what actions we allow that power to inspire. Power can be a beautiful thing. We can turn our beliefs instead into a reason to love, to give, to accept, and to lift up our fellow man. When we do so, we inspire others to do the same.

 

There is no need to be holier than the neighbors. If you love them, as most faiths teach you to do, you realize that while all are different, none are “better” or “holier” or “superior”, and then your belief becomes even more powerful, because without division- it knows no bounds.

 

Author's Note

I am more than certain that some will take this essay as blasphemy, or as a treatise AGAINST faith. If you do, you didn't read very well. I made my intention clear. I want tolerance, I want our faiths to be reasons to love one another, not catalysts for hatred. That is all.

Reviews

[Ujjwal Ankur]

I returned to the cafe after a long gap... and you rock harder than ever... :)

And you're right. man does have the tendency to bend rules and modify preachings to suit his own needs. Koran says that one should defend oneself, that has led some misguided souls to believe in the concept of kafir... i.e. defending themselves from peple of other religions bvy launching offenses at them. Christ was a simple man... lived a simple life, so did his original followers... now we have massive churches built in his name, with monumental spending and big processions.. I don't doubt the faith of people, but the extravaganza needed to support it. People say that i am a Hindu, but what does it really imply? That I should offer gold and offerings in the temples, or take part in the often gaudy displays of faith and belonging? To align my acts with the society's expectations, given my religion? I'd rather follow the Human religion than being a Hindu, Muslim or a Christian. I'd rather offer that money to that poor sweeper at my hostel than buying gold for that for the temple. Judge me all you can, but sometimes, you need to do it for yourself too.

Your post is very strong and satisfying. Thank you.

[fionnaiscool]

I love this. Your a great writter, and make a perfect point. I'm not a believer in anything, except maybe life itself, and I totally agree with this. I have nothing against anyone who believes, and think everyone should live in peace, and not kill, or hate based on religion. LOVE IT. Keep writting. You have talent, At least on my talent meter ;)

[Emily Elizabeth]

Yes, this is BRILLIANT!
Totally agree, though I have no religion and I'm a marxist.
You're so intelligent, and this is perfectly written! I tried to write an essay, but I got too angry and ended up being too sarcastic!
Thanks for sharing, this is very interesting and different to your normal themes, and it's in essay form! Is there anything you can't do? Thanks for sharing

[L.G. Knight]

This is wonderfully written and completely true!I loved it from word one. It was a very compelling story with a lot of very valid points and one giant moral encompassing the whole thing. People have talked for ages about the wars that religion has caused but this i think puts that old statement to a new perspective. Great Job!

~Frances~