NOTE (1/12/18): We’re all learning and growing.  Some of the stuff I’ve written in these old posts may no longer be exactly what I believe or think, or at least may not be articulated the way I’d do it nowadays.  I preserve them in an attempt it to be transparent about my journey, and in the hopes that readers may still glean some insight from the core ideas found here.  Thanks for journeying with me!

“Whoa there sonny.  I don’t do that religion stuff.  You’re barking up the wrong tree if you think you can accuse me of THAT.”

I’ve heard that before, or something along those lines.  But, being in a university where the idea of religion gets tossed around like a beanbag, I would indeed like to make a case for everyone being religious.  This is not an exasperated statement, nor is it a triumphant one – it’s simply a fact of life, in my way of thinking – the same as how we could say “everyone has two nostrils” or “everyone wishes they had my beard” (ok, maybe not that).

So what is religion, anyway?  Many of my friends define it as something that takes on the form of God but misses His power.  This is interesting and helpful in avoiding certain connotations (such as religious people being judgmental, boring, etc), but I think the majority of the world might find this confusing, and the Bible doesn’t describe religion as that anyways.  So, since we believe everything that pops up on Google, let’s take their definition:

religion:  /riˈlijən/     The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, esp. a personal God or gods.

I’d say this is pretty close to what people I’ve talked to lately would describe religion as, which is exactly where I want to make my point: all you have to do to be “religious” is to believe in a superhuman controlling power.  Think about it.

Do you believe in gravity?  Yes.  I see it in action when stuff falls.  Do you believe in electricity?  Yes.  My fridge is running.  Do you believe in the sun?  Yes.  Even if it’s dark and I don’t see it for awhile, then it dawns on me.

Funny.  These are all powers, and they all control stuff.  One could even classify them as superhuman, I mean…Johnny Thunder and Magneto are fairly super.

“So…where are you going with this article exactly?”

Well, think about this.  What makes you get out of bed in the morning?  What do you strive to live by?  What burns on your heart?  Is it democracy?  Is it gay rights?  Is it saving the hungry?  Is it serving the love of your life?  Is it combining art music with Shakespeare sonnets?  Providing for your children?  Do you believe in serving another person above yourself?  Or that everyone should have equality regardless of race and gender?

I’d like to suggest that you cannot separate facts and science from beliefs.  And that everyone believes in something.  And that everything you do comes out of what you believe.  Science is merely an extension of beliefs, based upon research and experiments.  How would we know if, in a hundred years, half of what we learned in science class turns out to be wrong?  (The earth is flat, anyone?)  I’m not saying ignore science today.  I’m just saying, science requires faith.  History requires faith, too – faith that what’s written in the books is accurate.  Politics require faith – moral faith (or lack thereof).

What I’m saying is that everyone has a god or gods, they just may not call it that.  And I think that people need to stop putting those who believe in Jesus as singularly being religious, as if the rest of the world doesn’t believe in anything.  I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t believe in anything (everyone’s got at least one movie quote that they like), and if they did, they would likely become deceased shortly thereafter…It’s hard to live when you don’t believe in breathing.

I’ve observed this firsthand since starting university, where everyone supposedly doesn’t discriminate based on “religion”.  Because you know, I’ve heard ALL of my professors, at one time or another, preach their beliefs to us.  They tell us things such as “never to talk to strangers” (so we don’t get murdered).  This seems innocent enough, but think about it.  What if I want to talk to strangers?  Every man dies, not every man really lives.  What if part of what I believe is to share with the homeless and hurting?  I’ve been writing down these little sermon tidbits as I hear them; here’s some more examples: “The truth hurts, that’s how you know it’s the truth,” “people don’t change,” “Mendelssohn was converted from his Jewish heritage to Christianity…so there was that dark underbelly to his life,” “perhaps the universe is telling us to not study this subject,” and, “love doesn’t last forever.”  Whoa now, thought I had to go to church to get preached at!

I’m not complaining, I’m trying to make a point.  What I’d like to encourage you is to stop trying to run from the idea of “religion” (at least the way Google defines it), because you’ve already got one, like it or not – whether it’s atheism or scientism or whatever.  Everyone’s brainwashed into something.  THERE IS NO ESCAPE.  So let’s all admit we’re in the same boat and actually think for ourselves.  Might I add, not just think.  I think I’ve seen enough of intellectualism ruling people’s lives, and I don’t believe our brains alone hold the answer.  Look for a relationship.  That’s my religion.