This is our only shot at existence. No matter what faith or religion, deity or maxim you follow, the only concrete idea we can hold on to is that this life is all we have. I think we forget that all the time. I think we deny our own mortality.

I’ve always found believing in religion to be somewhat selfish. I don’t buy into the argument that good deeds should be rewarded with everlasting salvation.

Good deeds should beget more good deeds, nothing more. Kindness, generosity and compassion should be reflected in all of us not because there’s some glorious destiny awaiting us after this life, but simply because our existence relies upon each other.

I don’t think religions are inherently bad, evil or wrong.

I just think we’ve managed to manipulate them into tools to be used for something other than the betterment of our lives.

I don’t want to tie every bad occurrence in say, Christianity, to the entire population of Christians in the world, but I feel it’s brought on more harm than good.

The Spanish Inquisition, the Crusades, the “civilizing” of the heathen Native Americans and the indigenous peoples of Central and South America, essentially the purging of an entire race. These are only a few instances, and only one religion.

I don’t even want to touch on the topic of Christians vs. Muslims vs. Jews. Honestly, would God pick out one spot in the world, divvy up people into separate religions and say ‘fight it out?’

Would there be no more fighting amongst ourselves if we could simply agree that eternal salvation isn’t worth sacrificing this opportunity we have here and now?

I know I don’t look at people with scorn if they’re not one religion or another. I simply don’t care. I find it hard not to accept someone for who they are, provided they aren’t completely close-minded.

We’ve only populated this earth a scant few thousand years, but in that time we’ve developed what could be the universe’s only shot at sentience and civilization. What we’ve accomplished is nothing short of astounding. But I feel our mutual existence has been greatly threatened and that it’s not going to last too much longer.

Victor Hugo described religion best in “Les Misérables.” He described religion as a crutch by which humanity could escape from barbarism and into a civilized, moral existence. Once reaching that goal, the crutch could be cast aside, having no longer need of it. This is where I believe we stand today.

I pray, yes, I said I pray, that humanity can survive through these times and that the foretold apocalypse, of which nearly every major religion describes, will not come.

I hope we can all realize our value to one another, and live in peace, harmony, and all that hippie crap.

 

Richard Sisson is a senior  journalism and political science major from Calhoun and serves as a news editor for The Tech Talk. E-mail comments to rgs008@latech.edu.