OPINION & EDITORIAL
Religion: Does it benefit society?
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Also by Bassey Etim:
- Religion: Does it benefit society? (November 29, 2007)
- Do Democrats take minority votes for granted? (November 15, 2007)
- It's the media, stupid: Political coverage misleads (November 8, 2007)
Related Stories:
- Catholic Church in dire straits (April 25, 2002)
- A revolutionary papacy (April 4, 2005)
- UW to fund discrimination (April 20, 2007)
- Religious education offers values, not indoctrination (November 28, 2007)
- Hoff: Does a pope's death warrant flag lowering? (April 11, 2005)
by Bassey Etim
Thursday, November 29, 2007
I am a Catholic.
Well, I was a Catholic. No, it wasn't the Church's stance on gays or the pope's infallibility that got me down — it was memories from my youth. As an acolyte or "altar boy" in fourth grade, I had finally worked up the courage to carry the cross in my parish's opening ceremony. I was nervous and weak, and the cross swayed in my arms. After the service, adults mocked me. I ignored that memory for years and continued to find comfort in the knowledge that my faith had given me high moral standards. After attending public high school and meeting countless people like me who were polite and moral, but were raised without religion, the question sparked by my childhood tormentors became obvious, and the answer even more so: Does religion necessarily make a person any more or less moral? While I certainly appreciate what my Catholic K-8 education did for me, it has become clear that organized religion is a fine community-building tool, but human beings will act in what they believe to be their self-interest and distort religious doctrine to fit their aims.
Whether religion is a net gain, or loss, for human society is an unanswerable question when we consider the impact of religious-based charities and weigh them against religious-based terrorists. Would either these charities or the killers exist without the faith-based community under whose banner they meet? Logic would dictate that if one would, the other must as well. If you have an answer to the ultimate question about whether religion is still worth the time of our species, shoot me an e-mail.
Still, there are questions we can attempt to answer, such as what the holy books and doctrines we believe in say about our species, the way we approach our political dilemmas and whether we have outgrown them. The fact that increasing numbers of pious individuals refuse an entirely literal reading of the Bible is evidence of progress in itself — that religion does not necessarily retard the moral and political growth of our society.
Doing unto others
Religion at its core corresponds to the material factional needs of humankind. Terrorists have so effectively marshaled an army willing to die for their cause due to their manipulation of the Quran and its dictum to submit to faith. However, they also claim a political mandate due to their desire to control Middle Eastern oil reserves and force Americans to abandon military bases in the region. In this sense, Islam has become a tool of our opposition, but no more than nationalism was a tool for the Japanese government to inspire its kamikaze fighters.
Islam and religion as a whole cannot take primary blame for unrest in the Middle East. From the disastrous effects of the colonial period, the arbitrary borders drawn thereafter to internal political strife, religion has been used by powerbrokers as a tool. While it does have an impact on events, religion operates in the margins (wide margins, I must admit) of the path of "natural" human conflict without spiritual motivations.
Most of human history has played out in such horrific conditions that simply believing in one another isn't a palatable option. Acknowledgement that our fate lies in the hands of a violent self-interested mob may well discourage people from finding ways to persevere. In this sense, faith itself may be a survival mechanism.
It also serves to validate collective survival instincts and mass political upheaval. Noah's Ark is a perfect example: As God himself becomes so disgusted with the filth he created and the beauty most of the population seems to see in its lifestyle that he drowns them all alive. The ones who do survive have one great leader — the only one God chooses to speak to — to thank for their salvation. This revolutionary theme has been repeated countless times throughout history.
Until morale improves…
This week, a number of writers have shared their thoughts on our nation's religious controversies, and did a tremendous job fleshing out the myriad of underlying conflicts. The extent to which religious implications are inserted into common factionalism, and vice-versa, is a striking aspect of the issues they address. We as a species struggle with the implications of competing faiths that, by their very nature, can never find true unity with the rest. We seem hopelessly divided — destined to gain influence and oppress, or cry foul at perceived mistreatment.
Therefore, it seems that if our species is to continue evolving socially and institutionally, we must reach an age beyond religion.
…the beatings will continue
When I clung to the Catholic Church in my first few months of public high school a good friend asked, "Do you need an invisible man to tell you that it's good to help out your species from time to time? Do you dedicate your life to finding some way to avoid burning in the earth’s magma until the dimension of time disappears?”
The answer is no.
But in an age where brutality persists throughout most of the world and hope often dangles by a thin thread, religion remains necessary. And those who advocate belief in secular reason won't have an easy time convincing the vast majority of the world to abandon their one true hope. As we continue to chase our destiny, the atheists must be aware that pulling too hard on those who embrace religion will cause all of us to stumble and fall and the reactionaries will surely win that day. The energies of those who want to rid society of religion will be wasted unless it's spent on empathy and charity for the downtrodden majority of our planet.
Bassey Etim (betim@badgerherald.com) is a senior majoring in political science and journalism.
Anonymous (November 29, 2007 @ 3:07am):
pretentious.
Anonymous (November 29, 2007 @ 5:02am):
That was great Bassey. Who the fuck does 3:07 think he is anyways?
Anonymous (November 29, 2007 @ 5:09am):
maybe pretnetious but def thought provoking. Bassey do you think religion plays a part in hating thy neighbor and self hate? discussion scheduled later today at onedialog.com all religions waying in on religion. am going to mention your piece and see what folks think.
Anonymous (November 29, 2007 @ 7:09am):
Nice article. I did not find this pretentious in the least
Anonymous (November 29, 2007 @ 7:39am):
It's very, very easy to control groups of people who perceive eternity to be at stake.
Anonymous (November 29, 2007 @ 8:34am):
Enjoy your stay in Hell.
Anonymous (November 29, 2007 @ 9:25am):
Bassey, the Catholic perspective of God and the world is skewed to make you subservient to mortals, not God himself. That's the head game the Catholic Church has been playing since they started 1900 years ago.
Wake up from that horrible dream and get on with your life. The pope must die. The Church must die. The Church is the great harlot that shall ride the Beast. She is desolate. Shun her. Burn her with fire. She is an apostate of Hell.
Anonymous (November 29, 2007 @ 9:58am):
How can you be subservient to God without being subservient to mortals, as Christ was subservient by example?
Anonymous (November 29, 2007 @ 4:03pm):
What theists and atheists alike must realize is that religion is a tool--it can be used for good or for bad; just like science, just like any other system of understanding. Atheism has been used to justify terror and horror and so has religion. But, good can come from both of them. In the end, we need to allow individuals to understand things through the lens they choose while ensuring that everyone has that opportunity. This isn't about "truth," its about using the tools we have in a way that allows all to pursue what they desire.
Anonymous (November 29, 2007 @ 4:53pm):
Division. That is any religions fallacy. When you so strongly believe in something that is radically different from what someone else so strongly believes in, you cannot understand or sympathize with them. When your faith and purpose for being are so different than someone else's, all that can be seen are the differences. It is this division, created by religion, that catalyzes hate and violence. Perhaps it is time we stop counting our diffences and instead notice our similarities; open our eyes to the collective divinity of the human spirit. If you want to believe in something greater than yourself, look around you. It is the collective, sympathetic understanding of mankind that fuels goodness in the world. Do good with what you're given now, because the truth is, no matter how different you think you might be from someone, you're not.
Anonymous (November 29, 2007 @ 5:04pm):
"[T]he Catholic perspective of God and the world is skewed to make you subservient to mortals, not God himself."
What?
Listen, just because you can spout jargon and throw in some inflammatory words doesn't make your argument any less unfounded. It's shameful that you think that this phrase makes you a profound thinker, revealing some truth that humanity has been too blind to see.
The Christian, not just Catholic, 'perspective' is to serve others, for IN serving others we are serving God.
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