What Important Lessons Can We Learn From World Religions?
Religion is an integral part of the daily lives of millions of people across the planet. It has been for countless centuries, ever since the first ancestral worship began, perhaps as much as 40,000 years ago.
Since then, humanity has been on a quest to answer the most profound questions we can pose. Why are we here? Where did we come from? Who will save us? What will happen at the end of time?
Many of these questions run deep - so deep in fact that the world’s leading theologians and religious thinkers believe that there must be something else, besides nature, that can explain everything.
Whatever you might think of religion, positive or negative, there’s a lot that it can teach us.
Your Actions Are Your Responsibility
It’s a natural human instinct to try to deflect blame from oneself. We don’t want to admit to our community that we’re screw-ups or that we’ve broken the rules. It’s not pleasant. It’s often much more comfortable to place the burden of responsibility for our actions on others. Parents, teachers, friends, and spouses all get the blame.
Religion, however, ultimately places moral responsibility on our shoulders. It’s up to us how we live our lives and the decisions that we make.
You Should Be A Part Of The Community
Religion is all about community: people coming together for a common purpose. It’s about taking part and doing something that has the potential to make the lives of others better. It’s not always an easy path, but it’s one that people of all the major faiths take. They want to reach out, share the news that they have, and convince other people that their beliefs are correct.
Wanting to reach out is part of the reason why so many young people go on a youth mission trip. It’s a tool that religions use to set young adults up for a life of ministry and service and a common practice all over the world.
Respect The Spirit Of The Golden Rule
Many religious people argue that one of its most important functions is to provide moral guidance. We need explicit instruction from religion on how we should behave and treat other people in the world.
The Golden Rule is something that is found in practically every religion. The idea is that you should treat people in the same way that you’d like them to treat you (so long as you want them to be good to you). This rule is found throughout religious teachings all over the place and is a basic tenet in any functioning society.
Be Purpose-Driven, Not Money-Driven
Spirituality and religion have always persuaded their followers to focus on the immaterial and the higher. Focusing on money and resources, therefore, is in the view of many, a misspent life.
Religions often teach people to see past the material and seek peace in achievements and purpose. Life, they explain, is about more than mere resource acquisition. It’s about relationships, the ties that you have with other people, and focusing on the bigger picture. Money can be a distraction.