Is religion really that important? Religion is an integral part of our society. Throughout the ages religion has always been there with us. It has influenced our architecture, food, and the way we live and how we think. It has been the cause of a lot of wars; it is also our biggest success. It is our weakness and our strength; it fills some with hope and others with dread. There is nothing more controversial in the known universe. However one could say that it’s the only thing that keeps our society from falling into chaos, people are held in line by the thought of burning in hell for all eternity. Of course that’s how you train dogs, not develop people. People’s morals should come from themselves not from the belief of something greater than us.



My Uncle is a vey religious man; whenever I see him he never forgets to stress how important it is to pray five times a day. Of course this isn’t a bad thing, but sometimes I feel that it becomes too involved in his lifestyle, he doesn’t use cleaning products or other items that may contain alcohol. He only eats halal meat, so whenever he travels outside a Muslim country his choices of food become limited. Still he’s a kind man, but a bit lazy perhaps (and would it kill him to buy his nephew a gift when I visit?). Still, he is a kind and ethical man. But blind faith can be dangerous. Education about world cultures should be taught in schools to increase understanding between people from different parts of the world at an early age.



Solar and Lunar eclipses were astronomical signs that gave early man the impression that there was a God or a being that made this happen. And so developed the first religion. A misunderstanding of the world around us may appear to be what started our thoughts of God. For thousands of years people fought over religion, been discriminated against, and ultimately suffered due to conflicting beliefs. A prime example of this is the crusades, both sides were so devoted and revering of their belief they could not accept that they could be wrong.



Discrimination isn’t just about somebody’s skin color like some are led to believe. I know what you think, this is the 21st century we are civilized we don’t discriminate people, we don’t destroy things just because we cant understand them. Discrimination is a huge problem, mainly in the States. It can be about many things, a person’s culture, where they come from, their faith, in some cases even something as trivial as an accent. Mankind has so many imperfections and we try so hard to overcome them, perhaps, religion is one such imperfection? If so we must work together to become more understanding or we will not be able to progress as a species.



In conclusion, we must work to become more aware of other peoples cultures and tradition or risk halting our progression as a species. As I stated before certain geological and astronomical signs in the past have led people to believe certain things that may or may not conflict with each other, but we shouldn’t let that cloud our judgment. Rather than just following religion blindly we should take interest in other peoples lives. Try and look at the world through their eyes and you may find yourself changing your opinion. Understanding is the key to our future.