Religion is the most complex idea in all of human history. It has been the driving force for everything since humans walked this earth. I myself have spent countless hours trying to wrap my mind around it all to no avail. I know this is an extremely touchy subject, and I am known to push some buttons, but not here. I am merely examining the many aspects of religion and trying to take hold of it all mentally.

I am not a religious person in the slightest. I wouldn't classify myself as an Atheist. I also would not hitch my wagon to the Agnostic way of thinking. I tend to believe there is a higher power up there, I just have no idea what it is. That's the big question mark on everybody's head, which is why I find religion so fascinating. There are so many ways to look at it that it can drive one mad trying to piece to together in one coherent puzzle.

The hardest aspect for most to accept about religion is that there is no way to know the right or wrong of it. We as humans have no way of knowing that a god of any religion exists. However, there is no way of knowing that there isn't a God either. Our entire life is lead entirely by speculation and belief with almost no concrete answer. What adds on to the complexity is the amount of religions out there. Having a certain religion negates another. Hypothetically, what if the Hindu religion was the one that panned out in the end? Would all other people who believed in other religion's be screwed because they "chose poorly?" If that's the case, having faith is a real gamble.

Religion has also had a negative effect on our culture. People have killed and died over their religious beliefs. There are people who don't associate with other people because they carry a different belief system. There are some Atheists who love to stir the pot to get under the skin of religious folk. There are religious people offending other cultures and thought processes to prop their religion up. To me, this is problematic and it's pretty obvious to see why.

I personally have never felt the touch of God. It's not something I seek out personally because other people need it far more than I do. There are people out there who say they have felt God's touch, and I'm not one of those people who call them liars. They felt what they felt; there is no way for me to know if it's true or not, and it's not really my place to take issue with it. Which brings me to my bigger point. All the negativity around religion really hurts all the good that comes with it. Since there is no way to know for sure which religion is THE religion, we should all believe in what we believe in and let others be. I think the idea that religion is the source of all things awful in the world is wrong. Look at all the positives that come with it. Religion can be a person's fuel that keeps them going through the day. Religion can give someone purpose or motive to get their life back on track. Religion gives some people comfort in a world that offers very little in the means of comfort. These reasons are too good to not have in the world and it greatly outweighs the cons.

I may not have the answers to the big question that is religion. Nobody does, and that is a question that gets answered the second we leave this earth. However, I do know that I am glad religion is around. The power religion processes is really grand and can bring out the very best in people, and at the end of the day, we need more people at their best. In my opinion, I don't think any religion is wrong. I think that if there is a higher power out there, that entity will gladly accept you to wherever we end. The power of belief is too great to let simmer here. Basically, everything Kevin Smith was talking about in the movie, "Dogma." Even Atheists, who believe heavily in some component in religion, in that there is no religion, could have a place afterward. So, believe in what you believe in. Live and let live on our way to what happens next.