I refused to pray. I stood there, staring at the idol, feeling the tension radiate from the people around me. Some muttered in hushed tones, “The gods will be angry.” Honestly, have we not heard this before? If we don’t appease the gods with gifts and money, they'll unleash their wrath upon us.
You might be thinking, “Who is this person to question age-old beliefs?” .. well that's what I want to rant in this writing.
What is God? Who is God? Is there even a God? If so, why has no one in the history of mankind seen one yet? Did you ever take a moment to ponder this? .. We have countless stories of people experiencing God but never actually seeing God. What is this power that makes us believe so strongly in something invisible?
One example for similarity maybe placebos .. Generally used in medical studies, these objects imbued with “power” have long been part of human tradition. Remember King Solomon’s seal warding off demons? Or how Michael Jordan always wore his old college shorts under his uniform for good luck? Here, the message is if we believe something can make us feel better, it will.
Studies show placebos, whether in the form of pills or totems, can relieve both physical and emotional symptoms. When you take a pill to cure a headache, you tell yourself it’ll bring relief, and voilà, your inner voice starts to shift.
We pick up a lot of these beliefs from our families and culture, often in the form of rituals. Think of all the different funerary rituals, from memorials to mourning rites, that help people cope with grief. People create their own rituals, too, like Wade Boggs fielding 150 ground balls before each game, or Steve Jobs talking to himself in the mirror each day. These rituals are a “chatter-reducing cocktail,” pulling our attention away from problems, reducing anxiety, and providing a sense of order. They connect us with our inner values and communities, making us feel less isolated.
Rituals are easy to establish. For instance, when I feel stuck at any problem, I do the dishes or go for a long walk .. It’s an easy way to sidestep stress and chatter. All these techniques strive to put distance between you and your inner chatter because while it may be unavoidable, it doesn’t have to control your life.
Back in 1995, as I sat on the metro riding to work, straddling the line between legal and illegal immigrant status, waiting for others to decide my fate, I felt let down by God. Decisions that once seemed favorable suddenly collapsed, dreams built on hope crumbled .. blaming others for my failures didn’t work, and .. suddenly, it hit me .. it was the dawn of my awakening.
In the beginning, there was the universe, then came man. With man came ego, superiority, religion, and then God. Since then, man has been of two types: those who need God to prop them up and those who let God take over.
How strange! When miseries strike, despite your best efforts, you need someone powerful to look up to, someone to keep your hopes alive, support you, nourish you, save you. You need a placebo to convince you to continue .. This need probably birthed the concept of God, the savior. Stories were crafted to make Him ubiquitous, ensuring we always knew where to turn for help, thus creating believers.
But then came the second type of man, the one who exploited God. This person didn’t want to shoulder responsibilities and blamed everything on God, making it seem like God would handle everything. He forgot his efforts and, when things went wrong, blamed God, birthing the atheist.
Why am I talking about this? .. Because I reasoned for the first time. I realized my mistakes ..
As time progressed and I continued on my discovery, certain questions and points stuck out:
Gods and superpowers
Temples, Churches and holy places
Rituals and ignorance
Prayers
Gods and superpowers: Is there a God? I think ancient humans discovered the brain's power and the tools to keep it charged. Like magicians, they invented God to trick us into realizing our powers. But the magician got tricked by his own tricks, believing in the illusion.
Another theory is a superpower, a creator energy sustaining the universe. Or perhaps the universe is wrapped in energy waves, some visible, many invisible. Maybe aliens, who found a way to channel this energy, visited Earth and taught selected people. These folks, seen with supernatural powers, were called gods. The ignorant prayed to these powers, offering gifts for favors.
Temples, Churches and holy places: This supports the energy principle. Just like a battery needs recharging, our energy depletes during daily activities and needs replenishing. Meditation, quietness, nature, and holy places help recharge us quickly. The sounds, smells, and lights in these places are physical means to rejuvenate us.
Rituals and ignorance: Rituals might have served a purpose in the past but now are mere habits. Drinking coffee in the morning is a ritual, but does it serve any purpose other than our belief that it wakes us up?
Prayers: The power of prayers lies in their ability to make us pause, ponder, and rationalize, akin to meditation. Married to rituals, prayers are stronger and bigger. They’re like performing a magic trick on yourself to achieve a larger goal.
In the end, as I stood there, refusing to pray, I realized something profound. It wasn’t about angering the gods or adhering to rituals. It was about finding my strength, questioning beliefs, and embracing the journey of self-discovery. In the silence of that temple, amidst the whispers and disapproving glances, I found a new faith—in myself. And that’s the most powerful belief of all.