12 ways how Religion could mess up your life...

Religion is equivalent to a moral compass for many. For some, it's an identity. But there are some toxic parts of present religious institutions that could pull oneself or a community down while maintaining the illusion of "enlightenment." Many religious people know what to take from the religion of their choice and use it as a guidebook. But sometimes most people only take the concrete part of religion and follow practices that almost no moral guide would recommend.  Here are the reasons why I think that present religious institutions could make you a worse person than what you might think you are becoming.

1. Be good as it benefits you.

Religions preach moral values and the society would benefit if everyone lived with empathy. But most religions place a reward for doing good deeds. It could be an afterlife or a next life. Being good only because you want to enjoy the serene fields of heaven or not end up resurrecting as a cockroach in your next life just makes empty pages of people. You are what others make you. You are no longer kind because you feel the pain the other could potentially be facing, you are kind because you don't want to get burnt in flaming oil after you die. Even though your kindness helps equally, you don't develop personally. 

2. Answers, answers but no questions.

Religions don't encourage people to question before believing. When people think for themselves and make decisions after observing the society as it is today, not only do they arrive at solutions that are practical at the present but also would be more accountable to change. 

3. Assumptions.

So, religions declare some statements true and others false. But honestly, anyone can trust your inner voice over habits to differentiate between right and wrong. For example, the concept of karma was created so that people would do good. But some people wouldn't help the poor as they claim them to be suffering for a mistake they made a century ago in another life, and that it's an intention of god for them to be in hardship. And most "Gods" as claimed today did whatever social activism they did so that someone in the future could exaggerate their stories and give them magical powers. Sounds workable!

4. Social hierarchies.

When you think of God, who are you thinking of? What do they look like, what's their age, gender, species? What do they represent?

Specifications of the most important existence could probably influence your judgments in real life. Probably replace the world God with Energy and the Law of Conservation of Energy along with the food cycle would replace the resurrection theory. And scientists would probably agree to how your religion explains the universe was formed.

5. Excuse for wrongdoings.

And you would be able to justify your judgments. But can you be sure they're healthy? Some many communities religions have been oppressing or denying the existence of or emphasizing the existence of. RELIGION WAS MADE BY PEOPLE WHO, JUST LIKE PEOPLE NOW, ARE FLAWED. And there's nothing wrong with being flawed as long as no one is getting hurt by it. 

6. Close-mindedness.

Religion could become the dividing line between communities that could have existed without any divisions. Many religious leaders have openly opposed other religions, other species, climate change, the LGBT community, technological advancements, etc. Is ignorance always bliss?

7. Against Change. 

The fact that they devote themselves to live according to lines written millions of years ago, they forget to live in the present with compassion to their immediate surroundings.

8. Hypocrisy.

Every religion preaches equality. But they've continuously been interpreted in ways that spur hatred. Taking the example of karma again, would you rather help the poor person with one day's meal or donate the money to buys flowers to decorate rocks? Is the same religion that preaches selflessness asking you to do the latter? This decision could have been an easy one, but there are many situations where we would go against our own religion, in the name of religion. The same religion that preaches compassion endorses animal sacrifices(even today).

9. Times Change.

And with time, societal structures also change. We cannot use the actions of the distant past to justify our actions today. Most scriptures were written in mind paying attention to the problems faced then. Those problems have probably already been solved. Now we have new ones and we need to start thinking freshly and for ourselves. 

10. Sometimes, it only helps you.

People say praying helps. It probably only helps you. It makes you optimistic and hopeful. When you pray for someone else or something else to get better, you look at the bright side. But meaninglessly repeating stuff you have no connection to would only drain your energy. Some rituals only help you feel that things would get better. When celebratory rituals are performed, you feel joy. But joy can be felt even without such external and materialistic deeds. And the latter is probably more permanent. Are you sure that ritual isn't hurting anyone or anything?

11. Metaphors, by definition, are not literal.

It's an obvious saying that religion is nothing but metaphors. Therefore, religion is symbolic. Metaphorically considering religion, the above reasons for why religion is bad are wrong. But present religious institutions aiming for personal profit emphasize the importance of the owing religion literally, and this obviously didn't turn out healthy. Religious wars and hatred have impacted the world negatively.

12. Religion = Guidebook (Not Rulebook).

Taking religion as a metaphoric guidebook, one can experience the positives of religion. Or you could skip the guide and let your free spirit roam the world and learn by itself. Then the main goal of betterment would be achieved with the least conflict.

As we all know- Faith isn't always religion. Religion isn't spirituality.

There you go.