Each religion in the world has a unique set of doctrine and beliefs; yet within almost all religion, one can find the doctrine of love, and in most cases, God. Each religion uses tools specific to their belief to reach their ultimate reality. Most religions preach peace and kindness. While there are vast differences between the religions, particularly when comparing Eastern to Western, the general goal of each is the same: to break the cycle of suffering; whether it be suffering caused from sin and the separation from God, or the suffering caused from an unjust world, or even, in many cases, the suffering we bring upon ourselves. All religions desire to reach their definition of ultimate reality.
Buddhism uses tools such as mantras, hymns, meditation, and incense to reach ultimate reality, which is nirvana, or enlightenment. All of the above tools aid in freeing the mind and becoming at peace, which is necessary in order to reach nirvana. By reciting mantras and hymns, and through meditations, Buddhists’ minds become occupied on things other than trivial worries of the world. Buddhists use myth to orient themselves to nirvana as well. They relate stories of the Buddha, who lived a selfless life of service. While some sects of Buddhism regard the Buddha as a deity, he himself claimed himself to be only a man. Regardless of how one views the Buddha, though, the stories of Buddha’s life help Buddhists remember the doctrine that he taught, which was compassion. Buddhists practice ethics every day in their lives as they try to move toward a more compassionate universe. Many Buddhists extend this compassion toward the animal kingdom as well by being vegetarians. Compassion is at the core of Buddhism and is another step toward gaining enlightenment. Buddhists meet in their temple to practice mediation and to release kindness to all living creatures. Many Buddhists also meet together one or more times a year in a secluded area where they practice freeing the mind. Many of these outings include the practice of a 24 hour silence, which can help in bringing peace and clarity to the mind.
Hinduism views the god Brahman as ultimate reality. Many Hindus believe that when they become free of the cycle of rebirth, they will become one with Brahman. Hindus relate myths of their many gods that teach the differing characteristics of each god. They do this to learn what each god favors and how he can help the Hindu gain release from rebirth. Hindus do not follow a prophet, and there is no founder of Hinduism, it originated with a blending of ideas. Therefore, Hindus look to rituals and scripture instead of prophecy. To help themselves on their journey to becoming free from Samsara, or rebirth, Hindus participate in rituals in their temple such as the bathing of the gods, prayers, and, like the Buddhists, they also use incense. The focus of these rituals is to please the gods, and to do one’s duty as appropriate to whatever stage of life the person may be in. Participating in these rituals also aids in generating karma, which will be weighed after death, and will determine what type of rebirth a person receives – a lower life form, or a higher one, thus the doctrine of karma is of utmost important to Hindus.
Western religions, on the other hand, have a slightly different concept of ultimate reality. Christians, for example, view Christ as the ultimate reality. The New Testament is filled with parables and stories of Christ and his example of kindness. They also portray Jesus as performing miracles such as healing the sick and raising the dead. The most prominent myth that Christians hold most dear is the story of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. Christ overcame death, and according to Christians, so can they, provided they believe in Christ and follow his example. Following Jesus’ example means to Christians that they live by his ethics. Christ was kind to the poor and to the sick. Most Christians donate money to the poor through their church, and engage in services that will help their fellow man.
Catholics, and other Christian denominations, meet each Sunday to attend Mass or Sunday meetings. The tools that Christians use to reach ultimate reality are present in these services. Like the Eastern religions, the tools to reach God are ritualistic in nature. Baptism and sacrament, for example, are both rituals that Christians participate in in order to become closer to Christ, by remembering him with the sacrament, and by washing away sin through baptism. These types of rituals Christians perform in hopes that Christ will one day grant them salvation. Baptism is a doctrine that has existed since the New Testament, when Christ set the example and was baptized by John the Baptist. Catholics believe that everyone is born with Original Sin and therefore must be baptized to wash it away. Without washing away this sin, Catholics believe, they are not able to return to Christ. Catholics also practice the doctrine of confession. They believe that they must be clean before God and, therefore, in order to be forgiven they must confess their sin before a priest, and before God. Some Christian denominations have old and current prophets, priests, or bishops. These people are generally thought to be given divine direction from God. Many Christian denominations look to their leaders for guidance in knowing what God wants them to do.
While western religions such as Islam and Judaism don’t accept the belief that Jesus is divine, they do view God as the ultimate reality. Muslims use prayer to reach God, and to please him by worship, while Jews favor the Torah as scripture that will help them become closer to God. While these religions differ from Christianity in belief, they also have a similar goal – to become closer to God and to gain salvation. Jews believe in the stories of the prophet Moses and in his divine guidance from God as related in the Old Testament. Moses received the Ten Commandments, as well as the Torah, from God. Jews believe that Moses was able to perform many miracles in order to lead his people out of bondage from Pharaoh, such as the parting of the Red Sea. Jews have many rituals that they perform, many of them during their Saturday service at the Synagogues. Jewish men wear caps during services and some even wear them every day, as a sign of respect to God. During the service at the Synagogue, Jews remove the Torah from the case and undress it. They then walk around the room while devotees touch the Torah. It is after this ritual that Jews read from the Torah. The passing of the Torah is a way to show reverence to the book that came from the hand of God through Moses. The Torah contains over 600 commandments and doctrines that Jews still abide by today. Jews also meet in Synagogues to sing praises to God. Jews have a strict diet and specific guidelines that must be met when slaughtering an animal. Most of these guidelines come from the Old Testament, and are for the purpose of remaining clean and pure before God, as Jews believe that God still requires these commandments of them. Among these commandments are commandments pertaining to honoring the Sabbath. Thus, there are many guidelines on how much work one is allowed to do on that day. For instance, many Jews will not drive their cars, tie their shoes, or write on the Sabbath, as that entails doing more work than God allows to be done on that day.
Today, many people are predisposed to being religious. In Islam, leaving the faith is looked upon as a sin worthy of death. Also, Catholic and Mormon followers believe their religion to be the ultimate way to God, and according to them, apostates will suffer tremendously for leaving the “truth.” Oftentimes, family members and clergy of these religions heap on the guilt when one tries to leave. Because people hold their belief so strongly, many children born into the religion have little to no choice but to do as their parents do. By the time those children grow up, some will truly believe it for themselves, others will have been doing it so long as to believe it themselves, and still some are too afraid to leave a religion they may not believe in but have been taught to believe in. The strong belief in religion has created tensions and wars among people for hundreds of years. At one point in history, members of the Catholic Church actually killed people who refused to convert to their religion. Though religion has done great things for many people, which we will discuss later, it is important to look at history and ask this question: is religion really doing people good if it is forced upon them? Most religions teach the doctrine of kindness and love, but it is possible to get too caught up in a religion, and to become fanatical and misinterpret some of the doctrines. In Islam, for example, which is considered a very peaceful religion, there are many followers who misinterpret the Qu’ran when it speaks of the infidel. This encourages some members of Islam to embark on martyrdom missions to kill Americans and others who are not of their faith. Behaviors like these are in direct contrast to their teachings of peace and love.
But despite the bad that can come from religion, religion has contributed much to the human condition. Many people embrace religion as a means of hope for a better world, and become kinder and more generous as they become closer to God. Most religions ask for donations to help the poor and hungry, and many members willingly give to this cause. The Buddhist religion practices meditation in an effort to become more calm and kind to all living things, and this has helped many people find peace in their lives. Many people claim that without religion, people would be unethical and misguided. I can’t say that I agree entirely with this, for I know many atheists who are very kind and grounded. I believe common ethics to be built in to nearly every person. However, I do believe that being a part of a religion that a person feels most comfortable with can help him or her become kinder than that person might have been. I believe that many people need to have hope in an ultimate reality; they also need help in alleviating suffering, be it spiritual or physical. Religion has helped millions in both aspects of suffering.
