T R A V E L L U S - F R E Q U E N T U S

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Finding a meaning - Religion and Supernatural
12:00 AM - Saturday, November 05, 2005



My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind. - Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)

The subject of religion and the supernatural had always made me tick. Sometimes I lie awake all night thinking about the significance of religion and the effect of the supernatural in Man's life. "Why does Man need religion?" "What power does the supernatural have over the natural world that we exist in?"

As quoted from dictionary.com:

re.li.gion
- a) Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe.
b) A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship.

su.per.nat.u.ral - a) Of or relating to existence outside the natural world.
b) Attributed to a power that seems to violate or go beyond natural forces.

The modern world that we live in is a skeptical one, everything being proven by logic and discounted by science. Man's thirst to acquire knowledge of all things intangible is apparent, albeit the subject of religion and supernatural being something that cannot be explored by our inherent five senses.

Religion has been the worship of supernatural beings - their propitiation, solicitation, or adoration, and attempting to understand the supernatural is like unraveling a Pandora's Box. To state an analogy, it's like a child watching a magic show. That child may be afraid of what is held inside the black box that the magician is holding, but yet is curious and determined to find out what's hiding in it. Ironic, isn't it?

Perhaps the need for us to seek answers to the existence of supernatural forces and religion had been sparked off since young. As children, how many of us had been threatened by our parents that if we do not cultivate early sleeping habits or conduct ourselves in a proper behavior, the "Bogeyman" or "Vampires" or even the "Pontianaks" will come and catch us? Being the impressionable young child that I was years ago, I remember reaching my head underneath my bed and checking out the corners of my house to confirm if there had been a "Bogeyman" lurking somewhere, waiting to pounce on me if I misbehaved. That never failed to put me to bed before ten p.m, making me a very unhappy child (because I still wanted to play) and in turn, making my mother glad. However, as I grew bigger, I realized that the only "bogeyman" that existed was the bogeyman of my consciousness. There were never such things lurking around whenever i checked, so i thought i was being gullible. But, who could blame me when even at this age, i sometimes still lie awake imaging a Bogeyman crawling out from underneath my bed?

The belief in God is based on faith, and Man had forged a relationship to relate their faith with religion. Most men are bothered and weighed down by the burdens of life, thus, some find the need for supernatural assistance when natural forces fail to solve their problems. They gratefully accept faiths that give them a reason for continuous existence. Praying to God makes him feel loved, protected and secure. This man with a religion thus believes that he is no longer alone, and that there is an all-powerful and omniscient God looking after him. This gives him the confidence and drive to live. Without religion, one may feel like a lost sheep, without focus and powerless. For some, religion empowers them. As for the Atheists of this world, it is a whole new story altogether. As for me, I can only say that I am a Christian in every sense of the word, and I readily admit that I need God in my life to keep me in check and grounded.

Man will not be able to totally grasp full knowledge of the religion and supernatural, yet, Man cannot deny the fact that in this modern era of science and skepticism, the subject and existence of religion and the supernatural is still a force to be dealt with. And until one can prove that there is no God, the belief in a religion and a God will still continue to exert its influence to those who put their hearts into believing its actuality.


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