Notes on religion 1.

What is religion? Do you consider yourself a religious person? What does that look like?

These questions are taboo, especially if being asked around religious circles. We are not supposed to ask them as if they are supposed to be obvious. But no. The absence of clarity results to ignorance of reality. If your religion is enshrouded in mystery with no liberty to ask questions; well, I dare say, reconsider.

So I consulted my dictionary on this matter and this is how it describes religion:

The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.

Religion suggests the existence of a Power above and beyond us, this being not just a force like gravity but an actual person behind that power. For Christians it’s God, Muslims its Allah, some have gods etc… But that’s not my point today. My point is, so what?

So there’s a Person(s) with ultimate power somewhere, then what? Sounds bizarre to ask, right? But you see that’s where most of us leave it at. And it’s as crazy as it sounds. You ask people and they say, “I’m not religious, but yes, I know God is real.” What?! How can that leave you indifferent? How can you live indifferent to the fact that there’s Someone with absolute power, who can prosper or annihilate you? That’s crazy to me and frankly there can be no difference between that person and an atheist.

Now a historian called Lord Acton said: Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. And given our immediate context of the existence of One with ultimate power, this should send our minds racing.

If religion is to be true and significant, the question is not merely in the existence of a powerful being, but is He good?.. If this Being is under Lord Acton’s school of thought, then we’re in trouble, if not then that’s the best news to fall on mortal ear.

Dear reader, are you religious? Do you believe in the existence of a literal, personal, powerful Being and Is He good?