Blessed is the one who Trusts in the Lord whose Confidence is in Him.
Jeremiah 17:17
I am so happy that when I go to a hotel or a motel and pull the drawer, I still see the book of God. Not only it comforts me that an omen of protection is always by my bedside, it also reminds me that
there are still people who believe in God. When I think about the new groups who have formed in Europe and North America against religion, I wonder what God has planned for their punishment.
Religion has been monumental in the development of our society and advancement of mankind. Our book of God is the key to fundamental beliefs, ethics and interactions amongst ourselves. We need the Bible to learn what is right and what is wrong. We need the religious classes to remind us as adults and teach our children about ethics and morals. We need to remember that Jesus suffered and died for our sins when we were unable to save ourselves.
When I hear people tell me that they no longer believe in God and in religion, I ask them how do you know if an action you commit is a sin or not if you don’t have faith? Who do you turn to when you have pain and suffering. Who do you talk to when you are in trouble? Who do you thank for the food on your table?
People should remember that religion has been around as long as Adam set foot on Earth. Mankind and society would collapse without it. Without faith we are all sinners and unethical. Religion teaches us to help and love each other and be charitable. If we don’t believe in it, we become selfish and only think of ourselves and will start taking advantage of each other.A person who doesn’t believe in faith and in God would not be able to believe in any ethical actions and will damage the society. A society deprived of the structure provided to it by religion will become dysfunctional. People will no longer fear God and will abuse each other for their own benefits and wars will start.
Religion is critical to the way we lead our lives. It encourages us to be civilized and friendly because we all need to lead better lives and afterlives. We all know that the Almighty is watching over us, to protect us and to hold us responsible for every action we commit. Since we are being observed and everything is recorded, we know that we will be held accountable for every action and we will be punished for our mistakes and sins. This will force us to commit good deeds and refrain from bad ones. The fear of God is necessary to keep our society clean and ruled by moral values.
In addition we need religion because we need to give purpose to our lives. We need to know our creator and be thankful for this bountiful earth we live on. We need to know that our father made the heavens and the earth for a reason. Without religion and our purpose on earth, why would we wake up each morning to go to work for example? We do this because we believe God has created us and has placed us here to work hard and make the world a better place. Religion provides hope for the future, a goal for people to better themselves. It is the foundation of the universal truth. In an unsettled world that we live in, at least there is religion and God to turn to when you feel that all else is failing.
Besides, when two people get married to start a family, who will be witnessing their matrimony if they don’t believe in God? How do they commit to each other when they don’t have a set of rules of moral to follow? It’s lack of religion and religious faith that makes people have short term relationships and walk away from each other so easily. Certainly they damage their children’s lives with their lack of faith and ethics.
I always wonder how an atheist explains to his or her children about nature and animals and how they survived on Noah’s Ark. Children are so innocent and are like a blank canvas, they need guidance and faith from religious leaders and the Sunday classes to learn the way of living. They need to learn each aspect of being a good person in the society through the teachings of the Bible. They need to recognize that we are all created by God and everything in nature is a creation of God. Without religion the children will be lost and will never learn the fundamentals to grow up to be moral and ethical men and women.
Religion also teaches us about healthy eating and hygiene. How do atheists eat healthy food and keep themselves clean when they don’t believe in the rules of God to know what to eat and what not to eat. Where do they find the rules, if not in the Bible on how to attend to their hygiene. This is exactly why today we have so many obese people who eat everything they like and don’t get adequate exercise because there is no fear of God.
Religion is necessary for our society because it gives us hope and a goal in life. It provides us with a set of guidelines that distinguishes good from evil. It prevents us from committing the seven sins: pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed, sloth. It helps us raise healthy children and teach them about the seven heavenly virtues: chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, forgiveness, kindness and humility. If all of us truly believe in God and read and follow our Bible, then we will be living in a safe and peaceful society and hopefully turn our world into a better one for today and for tomorrow.
