So many Gods, So Little Time: Contemplating Religion :: Religious Religion Biblical God Essays

So many Gods, So Little Time: Contemplating Religion The man watched with a blank gaze out the window of the plane. The scenery below passed him by; buildings and streets mostly. But they were remarkably close to the plane; much closer than they should be. This man had previously been sitting in the passenger section of the plane, but he now sits in the pilot seat. The real pilot lay on the floor with his throat splayed open by a box-cutting knife. His bloody gurgles had long since ceased as his eyes fixed on the ceiling with a stare only death can bring. He was of no matter; only one of many deaths that would come today. The other men in the cockpit chanted prayers silently to themselves. Prayers to a wrathful and unsympathetic God. A God that had sent them on this ‘holy’ quest. A building comes into view, and the plane begins heading straight for it. It lands home, searing concrete from metal, flesh from bone, disintegrating bone to dust. People die, and others rejoice in it. People die, and other s thank God for their homicidal salvation. People die, and the survivors ask God ‘why?’ I ask God not ‘why did this happen’, because no God had a hand in this. No person was on a quest from God. Fanatics who had handed themselves the will of God did this. I ask God ‘why do we end lives over pointless arguments about you?’ Religion can be a funny thing. It can cause many events to happen, good and evil. Many people have found a sense of peace through religion while others have found a reason to kill people and cause war. What is this creature called religion that can cause two such completely opposite things to happen? What is it about religion that is appealing to any human being? Why do people give up so much to follow the ways of religion? Because, in the end, religion is designed to force its followers into a form of submission in which the follower gives up his or her most basic of urges for the greater good of society and themselves.