Religion

Starting afresh, I decided it was time I wrote something of interest to myself, and hopefully to others; however, in my experience blog ramblings are rarely written for those who read them!

In a week where the Catholic church has come under heavy scrutiny over allegations of child abuse, I decided to explore my own feelings about religion.

As a child, I was christened and brought up going to Sunday School at our local Church of Scotland, something I curtailed as soon as the decision was mine to make. My problem was not with the principle of the Church, but rather with a seven year-old boy giving up his Sunday mornings to a Church he felt no connection with, when Football Italia was on Channel 4, a worthy adversary (and some would argue, an apt companion) of the Church.

This lead me to consider the relevance of religion in my life, more importantly, society.
My view: I believe there is something or someone that is greater than me. I have been well-versed in the Bible, I do not claim to know it all, nor do I claim to understand it all; however, I do think that we all need something or someone to believe in. I do, however, feel that believing in something bigger helps maintain perspective, and it drives me to seek knowledge of the World and its cultures, rather than looking to the heavens.

Of course, religion has a resounding impact on all our lives, whether we wish it to or not. Events on the Christian calendar such as Easter and Christmas are, in most cases, obligatory holidays, and given the choice, few would elect to work during these times. I speak from an almost purely Christian perspective, however I'm currently unaware of any enclave of the World which has not been touched by the influential hand of religion.
I feel that living in an environment where religion is a part of society, but one we can delve into at our leisure, has allowed me to gain a certain level of perspective that life in other, more religiously zealous regimes would not have.

We are surrounded by references to religion:
Statements like "Oh my god," are now banded around with rare attention to the deity to which we refer. Whether exclaimed in despair or pain, or excitement or sexual ecstasy, the phrase is often preceded or followed by an expletive. These utterances would no doubt have clergy members and aficionados of the Church alike echoing a chorus of "Don't take the Lord's name in vain." However, c'est la vie; blasphemy and swearing are now recognised parts of our language, the two often going hand-in-hand, without hesitation.

My query is not over the support for religion, rather with the relevance of belief in religion. As mentioned, I feel that people need something to believe in. Areas of the World hardest hit by poverty, natural disaster, disease and war, are often those with the strongest religious support, and I believe that these often become intertwined. For example, religion offers two things that people in dire straits often require; a feeling of belonging and hope. Neither of these are bad things, and I believe that the purpose religious serves is intrinsically good. However, the values it often represents or that came come as a by-product, can often be found in criminal activity.

In Scotland, we suffer heavily from bigotry, or at least our reputation does. Much of this stems from the founding of Catholic and Protestant football teams. Being home to Scotland’s big two, Glasgow has seen its fair share of action. Violence, although not as common as it once was, remains an issue, flaring up between the supporters of the teams, with much of it taking a religious slant. As with many large post-industrial cities, has an element of poverty. This, coupled with a two football teams which maintain a resonating feeling of "us versus them" mentality, leads to obvious issues. To me, many people follow the teams blindly, using religion, in Celtic's case Catholicism and Rangers' Protestantism, as an excuse for a fight.
- Shortly after the terrorist attack on Glasgow Airport, the Scottish comedian, Frankie Boyle made a comment, which I feel encapsulates the mentality of the "Auld Firm": "I see Al Qaeda are trying to bring religious warfare to Glasgow. Sorry, but you're 200 years too late. You haven't even got a football team yet."

As for the claims of child abuse. This has been a rumour surrounding the Catholic Church in for decades, and I would not be surprised if there were some elements of truth to the allegations.

On a more global tact, wars have been fought, populations have been displaced and entire cultures have been wiped out, all in the name of religion. Do I believe religion to be evil? No, however I do believe that its blind, and often extremist following is flawed to the same extent as Hitler's followers being taken in by Nazi propaganda and disinformation. A more recent example of this is Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Il and his deceased father, the Eternal Leader, Kim Il-Sung's kleptocratic "running" of North Korea, using myths, propaganda and in some cases, hilarious lies.

Luckily, I have never been lived in squalor, in the midst of great natural disaster, faced with suffering from fatal disease or caught up in a war. As a result, I do not feel that my faith requires any kind of mortal theme; ie. What will happen to me when I die? Will what's next be better than this?

In life, we are all touched by excitement, love, joy, sadness, anger and tragedy, and I think that it is in these moments when we feel the urge to turn to religion for help, especially when the going gets tough.

I'm well aware that we all die and that it could come at any time; however, faith to me is not something that should dictate one's life. I refuse to live by the rules of any religion because I personally do not feel they are relevant to me and my life. Instead, I feel that my believe lies in those I spend my time in; my family, my friends/colleagues and partners. To me, the relevance and logic of this seems quite apparent. In times of need, I turn to the love of those around me, who have been, and remain of great importance in my life.

Religion, I believe is there for those who need it, as it should be. However, as the World's economy grows (albeit slowly at present), will there come a time when religion loses all relevance and becomes defunct?

My answer:
I doubt it. However, I can see the trends that I have felt in my life beginning to sway religious belief toward the realms of functionality rather than necessity.