Religious Robots

There are so many religions in the world; they are everywhere in every corner of the world. Whether it's Catholicism, Judaism, Islam, the Eastern religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, etc.), or even cults – there are tons of devout followers who are either raised with the religion already a part of the family or convert to it later in life. This article will be more so about Christianity.

As I said before, many people are raised with their religion already concretely set for them. This is because their parents – who were raised with the religion – want for them to believe exactly what they believe. Thus, the children are raised with no knowledge of any religion other than their parents’. Often, other beliefs are forced into the child’s head by their parents. For example, in Christianity and many other religions, homosexuality is condemned and called a sin. Being taught this at a young age will affect the child’s tolerance later in life. Of course, the child won’t be blatantly told that if they love someone of the same sex they will be damned to hell. They’ll more than likely be told that God created a man and a woman, and men and women love each other very much.

And what happens if the children believe something other than what they’re taught? They’ll probably be overwrought with the thought that their parents won’t love them anymore, and they’ll be disowned. If their parents are extremely devout to their religion there is a possibility that they will not accept their children – whether the child finds another religion or figures out that they’re attracted to both genders, or the same gender. However, this is not always the case. Anne Hathaway, an award-winning actress, has a brother that is homosexual, and when he came out to his Catholic family, they decided to no longer follow that religion because they didn’t want to follow anything that didn’t support their son.

Furthermore, with steadfast followers come strong leaders, such as priests and ministers. These leaders are praised and admired by many. Many people take everything these leaders say to heart. But…while these leaders are telling you all about “God’s Word”, they can easily slip in personal beliefs – and like robots, people go along with it. Instead of a priest telling you that homosexuality is a sin and you should pray for homosexuals so they can achieve eternal salvation, he can switch it around a little, add in a few extra words. No big deal, right? It seems that way; but that peaceful statement your priest can tell you that homosexuality is a sin and homosexuals should all die like the dirty sodomites they are.

This happened with Westboro Baptist Church, because of their leader: Fred Phelps. He created a religious cult of people who follow precisely what they believe is “God’s Word”. They’re firm, unshakeable believers in crackpot theories that – when generalized – say that every natural disaster or bad thing is God’s wrath.

Moreover, with religion comes religious intolerance. All over the world, countless wars are caused by religion in some way. I could go so far as to say that all wars are caused by religious beliefs in some way. If not an influence, religion adds to the metaphorical fire that war causes within a country. For example, for a period of time in Ireland – called “The Troubles” – there was violence between the Catholic and Protestant community.

But while religion has its downsides, it also has beautiful aspects. With religion, there is a sense of protection because no matter what happens, God or whoever you believe in will be a reassurance that you’re never alone and He will help you through hardships. Plus, the fact that you share similar beliefs with a community of people makes you feel like you belong to something. And if you’re a Christian, you’ll have constant reassurance that you’ll be admitted into Heaven: a place of eternal salvation.