Is there a problem with religion? Yes, less people are going to synagogue or church with any regularity. Yes, even fewer are affiliated with religious institutions or denominations. But is the problem with religion itself or is there something deeper occurring in our world today that is giving religion a bad rap?
On a daily basis, I spend time with people who seek meaning in their lives. Whether it be those who are grieving over the loss of a loved one, those battling illness, those surrounded by loneliness or torment or those simply bored by the routines of the day – whatever it be, so many seek something purposeful and meaningful in their lives, they seek some kind of grounding that helps to give them order.
Religion has long provided the structure for this search for meaning in our lives – allowing us to ask questions and to wonder and to consider. Religion has long been the means by which we have come to appreciate our world and connect to it and embrace all that it has to offer.
On a daily basis, I hear about people’s moral concerns – how the world around them is failing to live up to its obligations, how neighbors are full of hate and indifference, how schools are breeding grounds for bullies, how governments are taking away rights and not protecting the vulnerable.
Religion has long provided necessary critique of our world, helping us to understand where we’ve fallen short and inspiring us to do better. Religion has sought to ensure that we care about one another and that we act in the interests of a broader community and not just ourselves.
Like many parts of our world today, religion has been misunderstood. People assume that to be religious means that one must have a dogmatic view of God, that everything must be black and white without nuance and that those who disagree with us are somehow not worth anything – This view of religion is an extension of a widespread problem we have trusting one another – we are constantly worried about being taken advantage of and we have come to view religion as nothing more than another scam to take us for what we have. Religion has become a symbol for all that we hold wrong with our society rather than a means by which we better understand one another and the world we live in.
Religion is not dogma nor social conservatism nor rigid rejection – to be religious is something much more profound than the ways in which we in the modern world have limited it.
The very word religion comes from the Latin root religare meaning connected to – it is a word meant to express our desire to not simply float alone in space – but rather, to be connected and grounded to this world, to be connected and grounded to one another and to be a part of something much bigger and larger than ourselves.
The problem is not with religion but rather a world which has rejected its most positive attributes.
