The mystery of human origin will forever surround us. It is said by Roman Catholic theologians that God is a mystery that can never be uncovered, "Divine Mystery." Humans, however, are always seeking to know more and more. The mystery behind human origin has lead to various different religions and many different explanations and theories. From these religions came a deity and a set of believed guidelines to life.
As uplifting as modern-day religions are meant to be, they bring an incredible amount of negativity to the world. This comes from gang mentality that comes with modern day religions; the idea that "my ideas are better than yours" combined with the sacredness people hold to these ideas only causes conflict.
Organized religion does not let humans live to their full potential. We are capable of thinking and doing far past the boundaries of most religions; however most religions will lead us to believe that the answer to our most complicated questions is God.
Now, this is not to knock religion or religious people - some are able to live a long and happy life following these lifestyles. This does not mean we should shun away the possibility that there are other reasons for why we are here or how we should be living our lives. For Instance, Catholicism says that if you do not repent for all the sins you commit, you will go to Hell. Some people take that to the extreme and even shun good people for not following the same religious views as them; so that if Johnny Sinner does not repent for what is viewed as sin by Catholicism, he is doomed to Hell and should be avoided.
I could go on about the ins and outs of popular religions, but here is a view that I have taken on and has made my life a lot better:
For starters, yes I believe in a God - but not as an old man in the sky, not as a humanoid figure always watching over us. What God is to me aligns somewhat with the Catholic view; God is a mystery. Whatever brought us humans into existence is a power far past our fathomability; however, we all seem to have an innate understanding of right and wrong. However we came to be, we were given the ability to be good to ourselves and other people. We should always strive towards happiness. There are elements of organized religion that truly lead people to sadness, and no order or law should do that to a life. In some sense, organized religion goes against our natural being. I believe it is better to keep your mind wide open with the intent of bringing as much happiness to yourself and the world. When good deeds are done, people generally feel positive and when negative acts are committed, (most of the time) one's innate conscience kicks in and we learn from mistakes. It is all about how we advance as humans, how we grow as a species. We only have one chance to grow, and no law should go against that.
