Sorry Atheists, Everyone’s Got Religion

When we thing about the concept of religion, there are probably some very specific details that enter our thought process. Perhaps we might think about places of worship such as churches, temples, synagogues or mosque. Then we might focus on leaders in specific attire and rituals. And then we might focus on traditional texts and books that are the foundation of various faiths. And while those things may be a big part of some religions, that is not what defines the idea.

The underlying focus of religion is on a devotion to and a faith in something bigger that ourselves, something more important than any one individual.

There are plenty of people out there who say they aren’t religious but in truth that isn’t the case. I maintain that it is more or less impossible to be without some form of religion in your life.

You may say, you don’t go to any type of worship services or don’t accept the idea off a deity. That can be part of your religion but it is not part of all.

Many people say that they are believers in science not religion. In this case, the study and follow the laws of science and physics and have an intense devotion to its principles. Guess what, that’s the very basis or religion. It’s just that in place of a church or temple, they find themselves devotees to the classroom or laboratory.

Millions of people across the globe are dedicated to preserving the Earth and stopping climate change. Many of them would not consider themselves religious. Again, they people are intensely focused on something that is bigger than all of us as individuals and would go to extreme measures in some cases to protect and promote their cause. Once again, you have religion.

Then we have the people who make politics a massive priority in their lives. While the Constitution of the United States and many other governing texts of nations across the world require a separation of church and state, that does not in any way suggest that religion is not a part of politics. Sure, there are some obvious cases when we talk about things like prayer in school and using words like “Under God” in official pledges but that is only a small portion of what it all means.

In politics, people become adherents to philosophies focusing on things like human rights, controlling crime, protecting children from harm, racial concerns etc. As it turns out, these things are so essential to their ideals that it meets all the criteria of yes, a religion.

You may say you don’t fit into any of the categories or really don’t believe that any notion of religion can be applied to your own life. I can assure you that you are still quite wrong.

The fact is that every single day we as human being do things. As simple as those things might feel, they really can be quite profound. If you drive to work across a bridge or through a tunnel, you are putting faith in those who built it and maintain it and faith is an absolute key to religion. Every time you eat food our put faith in the trust that it was properly prepared or grown and that it won’t harm you. Even just stepping out your front door, you put faith in the belief that you will be safe in your activities.

So, whether you like it or not, the fact remains that all of these things are some form of religion. You are a religious being by your nature, period.