Why Do You Care About Religion So Much?
I’m a sophomore in high school, and I spend my free time learning about religion. I’m a Christian and have been raised Christian, but a couple of years ago I realized that I was very uneducated on my own beliefs, and I knew almost nothing about other belief systems. So, I started going deeper into the evidence and theology behind Christianity, and I also started to look at other religions. Through working to understand religion, I’ve noticed changes in the way I view others, history, existence, and myself.
Reason #1: Understanding People
Religion is such a significant part of so many people’s lives. Eighty-five percent of the world affiliates with a religion, which is 6.5 billion people! And for many of these 6.5 billion people, religion is a major key to their life experience. In order to truly understand humans, it is necessary to understand what they believe in, hope in, and live for. Religion isn’t only at the center of many individuals’ lives, but it is at the center of family units, organizations, government powers, and it is the driving force of many things in the world.
Conversations about religion come up all the time, even amongst a group of teenagers. Usually religious discussions are very personal and can become hateful and unproductive, but I’ve been able to have conversations with people with whom I completely disagree where we both walk out of the conversation feeling like we learned something. This is really the key to understanding others: listening to them and learning something from them, rather than simply shoving our own beliefs down their throats.
Reason #2: Understanding History
It’s impossible to look at the history of the world without looking at religion. Religion has been the cause of many historical events since the beginning of time. From the Crusades to the holocaust (11 million people were murdered), to the ongoing conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians, it’s clear that religion is a huge part of history. Learning about history is an essential part of understanding the world.
“History is important because it teaches us about the past. And by learning about the past, you come to understand the present, so that you may make educated decisions about the future.”
Richelle Mead
History teaches us about the past, and religion often reveals the motivation behind the events of the past. For example, the drive to abolish slavery in the US in the 1800’s was led largely by Christian leaders, who were trying to squelch the introduction of Islamic beliefs brought to the country by African slaves. History is especially important for teenagers to understand, because we are the ones that are going to be in charge and there is so much to learn from history to make the future better and not repeat the mistakes of the past.
Reason #3: Understanding the Purpose of Existence
A fascinating aspect of religion is that it seeks to understand the purpose of existence. Arguably the most important thing for us as humans is to understand not just why we exist, but the purpose of existence itself. The purpose of existence is something for which every religion has an explanation, though they often arrive at different conclusions. As humans, we are all on our own search for the truth, and religion can show us all of the different explanations other humans have found for existence, which can better lead us to come to our own conclusions. This has been the most valuable part about religion in my life, because my beliefs are what I base everything off of and the way I see the purpose of my life impacts the way I see the world. My and many others’ experiences with religion reveals what religion does best, which is to give its followers a reason for existence, a like-minded community, and a life mission.
Reason #4: Understanding Yourself
I’ll admit, sometimes it’s hard to care about the religions of people in the world I’ll never meet. It can also be hard to care about historical events, because I’m always so wrapped up in the present. And even though the purpose of my life should be something I think about constantly, it is shockingly easy to forget about it. For many teenagers, and adults as well, it can be really easy to not care about religion and feel that it's irrelevant in our lives. That is one reason why Gen Z is shifting away from religion. But the thing is, religion is embedded in all of our lives much more than we realize.
As is stated in Reason #2, religion reveals the motivation behind many historical events, and this carries into our lives today. Take the US: The United States wasn’t directly founded on Christianity, but it was shaped by Christian beliefs and has been dominated by Christianity since its founding. Because of this, many American values that we assume are normal secular beliefs, come from Christianity.
This is also true in other countries and with other religions. Go to the Middle East and you will see conservative Muslim women wearing burkas covering their entire face. But even a woman who is not Muslim is generally expected to wear some sort of head covering. A University of Michigan study surveyed people in seven Middle Eastern countries and found almost half believe all women should wear a hijab (covering the head and neck) at a minimum as a display of modesty. When I traveled to Dubai, I was extra modest in my clothing choices just to be sure I fit in and was respectful of their cultural values (which are based on religion). All this impacts us a lot more than we think, and understanding the role of religion in our lives and cultures can have a positive impact.
Why Does This Matter?
Understanding religion is urgent. Today, the world is incredibly divided. With every day that passes, people are becoming less accepting of those that disagree with them. This is especially the case with my generation, the people growing up in a world of hate because of the internet. Every time I go onto social media, I see strangers and people I know saying hateful things about those who have different beliefs, and usually they don’t even know what they’re talking about. Understanding religion can work to bridge the gap between people with different beliefs, and the world really needs that right now. And this doesn’t mean just understanding your own religion or beliefs, although this is incredibly important, but understanding other beliefs, especially those with which you most disagree.
Not only can understanding religion bring people together, but it can help the individual. Understanding religion can help you connect with others, with history, with the world, and may help you answer the questions that are in the back of your mind about your existence. In my life, this has rung true. Through learning about religion, I’ve developed a better understanding of the world around me. I’ve also found a lot of peace and joy in my own religious beliefs, and I've been able to have insightful and beneficial conversations with friends and family that I disagree with because I understand other perspectives and find value in all different viewpoints.
