CAN RELIGION MAKE OR BREAK A PERSON?

Religions have been a part of your society for ages. They define the beliefs and faiths of a person, and for some people, they even express their whole personality. There are various religions across the world and millions of people who follow each of them. The religions might be different, the God(s) they believe in and their way of paying their respect, but there is one thing common in all the religions: love and care for everyone. Despite their differences, all the religions teach that there must not be any hatred for other living beings or intolerance for others. 

However as per a survey done by schools in India, there have been instances where people have taken wrong steps in the name of religion. We often observe violent behavior of people against people of other faiths to prove that their religion is superior. Any religious leader or religious text does not promote such behavior, but the intolerance among people for other religions leads to such acts. 

Now, this might make you if religion is actually a good thing or not because often, one can observe religious conflicts turning into riots. These lead to the loss of lives and public as well as private properties. But the truth is that whether religion can make or break a person usually depends on individuals and how they perceive religion. 

Another survey done by a top international school in India shows that large population of today's youth does not much care about being religious, and many choose to be atheists. However, religion plays an essential point in a person's life, and studies also prove this statistically. 

Religion helps us focus on our spiritual well-being. It helps us in connecting with nature and the universe at a deeper level. Religion also develops our faith in the spiritual powers and in the powers that control the universe. This directs us towards positivity and provides us with strength during trying times. A study conducted by the Pew Research Center that included surveying in 26 countries concluded with the following points. The study divided people into three categories, namely actively religious, inactively religious, and unaffiliated. 

● Actively religious people are more likely to describe themselves as happy in their lives than inactively religious and unaffiliated. 

● Actively religious people are more likely to indulge less in smoking or heavy drinking. They do not often indulge in any derogatory activity. 

● Actively religious people participate more in social work as compared to inactively religious and unaffiliated groups.

● Actively religious people are more responsible citizens and vote more often than inactively religious and unaffiliated people. 

These are various reasons why religion helps people grow positively and helps them become a better version of themselves. Faith becomes the tool to break a person when it is politicized when the message of spreading love turns into a feeling of proving a religion superior to the other and a feeling of intolerance towards those who have different faiths. 

We often come across cases of shooting or bomb blasts to murder innocent people in the name of religion. Mob lynching are done in various parts of the world solely based on faith. On more common levels, people usually discriminate against other religions, especially if they are minority groups. 

All these instances show how people misinterpret the message that religious leaders and religious texts offer. This misinterpretation leads to the downfall of a person due to religious beliefs. As individuals, we must realize that religion can lead us to two different paths, and it is upon us which one we want to choose. Do we want faith to make us or break us?