The current climate surrounding religion has rarely been more toxic. Rightly or wrongly-I believe wrongly-many are blaming despicable acts such as terrorism or pedophilia on religions themselves. Despite the fact that my mother’s part of my family is quite religious, when I first entered this class, I was slightly suspicious of religion. Some may have believed that my religious critiques were hypocritical, as I am a Muslim. Although I do not pray five times a day or strictly follow the written rules of Islam, I do sleep most nights with the Qur’an under my pillow, I do not eat pork, and I try to fast for a few days every Ramadan. While I recognize that religion is a major component of some people’s lives as it is for my Grandmother, who is a strict Muslim, I thought that in certain cases, it restricts people from what they really want to do. I frequently wondered what society would look like in the absence of religion. Would people be kinder to each other? Would there be less conflict? Studying ‘The Problem of God’ with Professor Lamm served to dispel my preconceived misgivings over the role of religion in modern society. Through Saint Augustine Confessions, written by Saint Augustine, Laudato Si, authored by Pope Francis, and “Varieties of Religious Experience,” a short story written by John Updike, this class taught me that by giving people’s lives meaning, influencing others positively, and assisting in times of need, religion can be an overwhelmingly positive societal force.
Through Christianity, in Saint Augustine Confessions, Augustine was able to find meaning and feel content, thus proving that religion can be highly beneficial to the world. Prior to his ultimate conversion to Christianity, Augustine had failed to find fulfillment in his life. This is clear in Book VI, on page 131, where Augustine writes, “Meanwhile I was sinning more and more… I was too unhappy and too weak… I took another mistress” (A 131). The fact that Augustine was cheating on the mother of his child, had an addiction to lust, and proclaimed himself as ‘unhappy and weak’ is clear proof that he was experiencing struggles in his life. He needed a guiding hand, something that could rectify his errors and make him feel complete. Augustine’s third conversion, in which he became a Christian, made him feel content. He describes his emotions after becoming a Christian in Book VIII Chapter 12, where he writes, “All the darkness of doubt was dispelled… I no longer desired a wife or placed any hope in this world but stood firmly upon the rule of faith” (A 178). These two lines show that Christianity made Augustine feel satisfied with his life. He had been on a strenuous journey, beginning his childhood with acts of theft and then transitioning to his quest to find a belief system and spirituality with which he could truly identify. The clearest evidence that Christianity gave Augustine’s life a renewed meaning is the fact that he praises God at every opportunity throughout his work, with an example being the opening line of Book I, where Augustine states, “Can any praise be worthy of the Lord’s majesty? How magnificent his strength” (A 21)! Augustine’s conversion to Christianity in Saint Augustine Confessions gave him the satisfaction that he had so desperately been seeking and taught me that religion can be extremely beneficial by giving people a chance to turn their life around and find tranquility.
Through Laudato Si, an encyclical letter written by Pope Francis urging people to be conscious of their actions, I learned that religion can be used to make the world a better place. In Chapter One of his letter, Francis made it clear that there are major societal issues that need to be solved, ranging from income inequality to pressing environmental problems. The section of his book that intrigued me the most, however, was in paragraph 64 in Chapter Two, when he wrote, “I would like from the outset to show how faith convictions can offer Christians, and some other believers as well, ample motivation to care for nature” (LS 46). Attempting to solve urgent societal issues through the appeal for Christians to show their faith to their religion is a simple idea, yet is also ingenious. It made me reconsider my approach to religion as a whole and caused me to understand that harnessing the skills of those that are strictly religious could be an extremely novel approach to solving global problems. Not only did Laudato Si teach me how those who believe in the same religion can motivate others to make the world a better place by appealing to their faith, but it also made me understand how religion can influence those who don’t worship the same faith. This is evident in Francis’ closing prayer in Chapter 6, where he writes, “All-powerful God… Fill us with peace… Bring healing to our lives” (LS 158). This prayer, aimed at ‘Our Earth,’ is quite significant as it precedes Francis’ prayer directed at Christians, which has numerous mentions of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. By writing two separate prayers, one for Christians and one for those who don’t belong to the same faith, Pope Francis is addressing those of all religions in his call to action. The ability for a religion to not only inspire those with the same beliefs to affect change, but also to transcend boundaries and appeal to the whole world is an incredibly unique trait and it should be utilized more in modern society.
The stories of Dan and Caroline In “Varieties of Religious Experience,” a short story written by John Updike, show how religion can help people overcome and deal with struggles. The 9/11 attack was a tragedy that everyone remembers. While I cannot pretend to understand, and I hope I never do, the pain that every New Yorker felt when 2,606 people died in the World Trade Center that day, I know that it must have taken a while for the citizens of New York to recover from the event. Everyone has their own coping mechanism to deal with devastating events, and on page 95, in the aftermath of 9/11, Updike wrote that, “The great old church, a relic of post-civil ecclesiastical property, was for this occasion full” (U 95). This line epitomizes the power and importance of religion. Religious settings, such as a church, or a mosque, can act as a place where people can mourn and recover together. They give people a sense of community, and that the church was full in the aftermath of 9/11 shows that religion is a very significant tool in assisting people in their quest to cope with tragedy. Although it is true that Dan (the first story’s narrator) was, at the time, frustrated at the attempts to heal as a nation through God, in Dan’s second short story that Updike wrote, there was a “Shadowy God in him” (U 104). This is in stark contrast to Dan’s narration in the first story, in which his first thought upon seeing the collapse of the World Trade Center was, “There is no God” (U 93). The fact that Dan, a very strong Athiest prior to and in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, became slightly more religious six months after 9/11 is a testament to the ability of religion to aid people’s recovery from major disasters. Another example of how important religion is to people in dealing with grave issues is prevalent in Caroline’s short story, in which her last thought was, “Mercy… Dear Lord, have mercy” (U 103). While her thought may seem short, as it only consists of four words, it is very significant, as it shows that the last thing people really think about in times of grave need is God, or a higher being. I can also attest to this, as although I am not overly religious, whenever something occurs to me or those around me that makes me nervous, I close my eyes and say a short prayer to God. The reliance and faith that people all around the world have in their belief system to keep them safe and protect them from horror proves that religion can benefit society greatly, as it can help people overcome tragic events.
Some may use the tale of Mohamed in John Updike’s short story to show that religion is a negative force. It is true that Mohamed believes that he is representing God, as shown on page 98, where he writes, “The greatness of the deed help within him pressed upward like a species of nausea… as did the prophet whose name he bore… of God and His justice. For the unbelievers We have prepared fetters and chains, and a blazing Fire” (U 98). People who may have an agenda against Islam or religion as a whole use sentences like this to justify the notion that religion is used as a negative force in the world. However, in this instance, it is clear that Mohamed is not representing Islam through his despicable actions. First of all, by attending a strip club, drinking alcohol, and eating meat that is unlikely to be halal, he is disobeying basic rules of Islam. Second, and more important, Islam, and all religions in general, are founded on the belief of peace and equality, not destruction and violence. The idea that a minuscule minority of people who are committing political acts of terror under the false mirage of fighting for Islam can represent the religion as a whole is not only laughable, but it is insulting. For all the positive work that the power of religion inspires in the world, ranging from fixing societal issues to helping people find meaning in their lives, it is gravely disappointing for worldwide belief systems to be marred by accusations of their religion promoting disgusting acts such as violence or childhood molestation. Not only are these claims saddening and hurtful to those who believe in a religion that is the recipient of hate, but it is also wildly inaccurate. As I have discussed throughout this piece, this class has taught me that religion is a force for good in this world. For people to interpret the acts of those such as Mohamed as representative of their religion is extremely disappointing and plain wrong.
I do still hold some minor reservations about religion. I believe that while it can be an overwhelmingly positive force in the world, the restrictions and rules that exist in many religions, such as the yamaka in Judaism, or the hijab in Islam make me question whether people genuinely want to limit themselves from partaking in actions that they would otherwise do if it wasn’t for religion. Despite the fact that my initial misgivings concerning religion haven’t been completely dispelled, the materials covered and discussed in this class changed my view on religion significantly. Through Saint Augustine Confessions, I learned how having faith in a belief system can change people’s lives for the better. After reading Augustine’s memoir, I started to make connections with modern society. I read up on famous celebrities stories of overcoming internal issues by turning to religion, such as Manny Pacquiao and Dwayne Johnson. While Pacquiao and Johnson live in a completely different era to Augustine, they share common issues concerning mental health and an addiction to lust. The role of Christianity in changing Augustine’s life cannot be ignored and it speaks to religion’s capability to simply improve the overall quality of people’s lives. By reading Laudato Si, I understood that by appealing to fellow members’ faith, religion can assist in the solution of global issues. Again, after thinking about how Pope Francis used Christianity to appeal to Christians to care for the world, I drew a parallel with how places of worship such as mosques, churches, and synagogues often host food drives and other methods of obtaining basic needs so that they can provide essential services to the community, thus proving that religion is a force for the good. In “Varieties of Religious Experience,” my understanding of how having a strong faith can help people cope through adverse situations was reinforced. As previously stated, whenever I need help or assistance, my natural instinct is to turn to God. This enabled me to connect personally with Caroline and Dan’s story as told by John Updike. Updike’s short story, however, made me think about an action that had always occurred subconsciously. That I, and many others, such as Caroline and the society depicted in Dan’s first story, turn to a higher being for assistance when experiencing hardship proves the vital role that religion holds in aiding people. The three texts led to my understanding of religion’s capacity to turn people’s lives around, assist in solving local and global issues, and help those in need. This proves that it religion can be an extremely positive societal force, despite the inaccurate claims purported by those with an agenda.
Works Cited
Augustine, Saint. Saint Augustine Confessions. Oxford University Press, 1991.
Francis, Pope. On Care for Our Common Home. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2015.
Updike, John. “Varieties of Religious Experience.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, Nov. 2002, www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2002/11/varieties-of-religious-experience/302630/.