Religion has been around for centuries. There are over 4200 different religions in the world. Religion is defined as the belief in and worship of an entity with superhuman powers. The entity is usually described as the omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient. Religion provides a moral compass. For example, in Christianity (and a few other religions) there are The Ten Commandments. It prohibits murder, theft, and dishonesty to name a few. Our laws were influenced by those Commandments, as murder, perjury, and theft is illegal. These laws protect our society. For more information on theology and law, click here.
However religion is meant for personal comfort. It is to show the path of righteousness, so that the worshiper may gain access to a reward from God. It gives them a peace of mind about how the universe came to be and why. It gives them a sense of purpose and meaning in life.
The reason I focus on the positives related to religion is because of the story I wish to tell.
A few weeks ago, a man came into the store where I work. He was the only customer in the store, so I was able to strike up a conversation with the man. After some time, he started telling me about his friend. When he was younger he was a troubled man. He had participated in illegal activities, and was just a bad person. He didn’t have much or any respect for the people around him. He then got arrested. His friend had found God while in prison and had changed himself because he realized how meaninglessly he had been living his life. Now he was only telling me this story so I would come to an event at his church. But essentially the moral that I took away from his story is that some people can find comfort in religion.
Disagree? Comments? Questions? Leave your opinions down in the comments section below.
McConville, J. G. (1984). Law and Theology in Deuteronomy. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press.
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