㊓ ∗ HONEYCOMB

Beliefs 𓆩✿𓆪 First flower ; Lotus

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The lotus flower represents spirituality in many cultures and beliefs: its life cycle is a symbol of purity and enlightenment as it starts in muddy waters and ends after blooming on the surface.

𓇢𓆸 | Beliefs ⬡

Whenever an argument on religion is brought up, one may feel detached from the matter, observing it from afar without necessarily rejecting it. As I grew into adulthood and came across current news that discussed politics, I often noticed the use of religion as a scapegoat to justify controversial political positions. That did not sit right with me, but I then realized that the problem lies in the institutions and their weaponization of the doctrines.

Religion, as it was meant, is the belief in and worship of one or more gods. And while it is believed that religion and science cannot coexist, I never once thought that one should exclude the other. Science is the subject that explains unknown phenomena; when science cannot explain, religion comes in. "To believe" implies that there is a doubt: to believe means "to feel sure that something is true." Therefore, you are not demonstrating that the subject of your argument is inherently factual, but you feel like it could be.

I consider religions and many philosophies to be different sides of the dice: if we strip them to their core, we obtain some entity, concept, or energy that flows and regulates every or most aspects of living and non-living beings and has been given different names. These similarities fascinate me as people from all over the world have tried to sum up the best ways of living and approaching the world, passing this knowledge down from generation to generation up to this day.

However, it seems far-fetched to assume that religion is not the product of human ingenuity: gods were most likely invented by primitive people to make sense of the world around them when they had no better explanation.

This applies to the concept of the afterlife: humanity is so used to the idea of existing that it cannot elaborate on the possibility that after there is nothingness. Being unable to live scares us because we have no idea what it feels like not to perceive.

In conclusion, I would not identify as a believer or a non-believer. I suppose that the closest attitude that can define my position is both omnism¹ and agnosticism² as I believe that finding an answer to existence is not possible through the sole human knowledge and means. However, I get comfort from the idea that there could be a powerful entity, another life after death, or even a reincarnation of the soul: we know truly little about our planet, the universe, and its origin. Space is such an odd and vast concept to grasp without feeling infinitesimal. Even the act of thinking in our head is something that I find almost supernatural, so I would not be surprised if the existence of the creating entity is confirmed and discovered one day. However, I suppose we are still far from the truth, and as of now, we can limit ourselves to whether to believe or not.

Based on this premise, I want to analyze my point of view more deeply. Feel free to comment and share yours without disrespecting one another.

Many religious and philosophical beliefs rely on sacred books and the word of either one god, many deities, or a prophet. These can be defined as the nectar to the followers of the doctrines: sacred books serve as a crucial foundation for the religious lifestyle, much like nectar is essential to the bees to produce honey.

The issue arises when these writings get misinterpreted, leading to confusion and misunderstandings as their wrongful translations are perpetuated. It's often the case that these incorrect meanings are caused and reinforced with malice. As I previously stated, the problem lies with the institutions that claim to represent the same beliefs they exploit.

Religious beliefs shape various cultural aspects of our lives. For example, they influence how we view intimacy, experience love, and express opinions about distinct matters. Even our perception of right and wrong is influenced, especially when ethical, social, and political progress does not coincide with individual thoughts based on immutable, misinterpreted, and ancient texts.

The beauty of religion is the personal path that each person pursues to achieve their goals through faith and hope and to fulfill their life journey with religious teachings. These usually include being kind towards others, helping the people within the community, and other moral behaviors that aim to elevate the spirit of the individual.
This beauty is marred when institutions convince people that they are entitled to belittle others' paths to feel superior as if their beliefs are somewhat more right or worthy. The Crusades³ are a prime example of enforcing and oppressing one faith over another despite preaching peace and respect.

It's even more damaging when a religion, which is highly subjective and individual, is employed to make political decisions that should satisfy a collectivity.

Before adding anything else to this essay, I would like to hear your opinions, questions, and arguments. After receiving your feedback, I'm going to update this chapter with my answers and rebuttals.

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¹ Omnism is the respect of or belief in all religions with their gods or lack thereof.
² Agnosticism is the view or belief that the existence of a god, of the divine, or the supernatural is unknown or unknowable.
³ The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and often directed by the Christian Latin Church in the medieval period in response to centuries of Muslim wars of expansion.