Most of our modern evolution is a result of acceleration from religion. No matter what or where, any religion ever founded was intended to benefit mankind. At least, that was the idea when the religion was created. Because of religion, people from all over came together for the greater good. Innovations were made because people came together. People felt a sense of belonging since our hunter-gatherer times. When we were hunter-gatherers, it was not advisable to be alone, and humans were always in social groups.
Since our development into agriculture and a less nomadic lifestyle meant we were drifting apart into small huts, we lost that sense of belonging. That’s where religion came to our rescue. Religion taught us to have faith, or faith taught us to have religion. It’s debatable, but we cannot deny that our growth as a civilization has greatly profited from religion.
Even though it started to dominate and control every aspect of human life in later years, the initial period of any religion was to guide humans and teach us the ways to live a simple and peaceful life. It did its part. People believed in a higher power and gave some of that power to religious leaders to make decisions for the collective good and take humanity to prosperity and the steps of heaven.
But in this 21st century, what is the meaning of religion? Is it even about God or faith, or just about something we were compelled to believe because our ancestors did? The best and worst of our time now is that we ask for scientific proof for anything and everything, and that’s when religion breaks down. Because religion, anywhere around the world, was built on faith, which later turned to fear in some cases.
So, when we ask for proof of God, we usually get an answer from religious leaders and groups that God should be felt and should not be sought in human terms. Then, what if a few people feel something they decide is God and expect everyone to feel the same to experience God? How can two people feel about something the same way when we don’t know what it is that we are feeling?
This is the result of our society’s advancement. We started asking for proof, and in that way, we lost our belief in hope. We lost our ability to know what we can control and what we cannot. Earlier, we used to believe in God and leaders; now, we question everyone and everything. Maybe that is advancement, or maybe that is downfall. Believing only what science can prove and excluding everything beyond is itself the death of science. Religions, even though they have brought hatred and groupism, have also brought people together in times of need. They gave us a reason to believe in one another and to have an eye open for hope. Maybe that’s what we are missing now. Maybe we need a new religion, just so we start to believe in one another and collectively move forward to have a place where there is still hope and faith, not in God, but in ourselves.
