I haven't readily associated myself with any religion for years now. I've never felt entirely comfortable with the concept of Heaven and Hell, to be honest. It always broke my heart a little bit. After spending much of my young adult life in an existential panic, I've arrived at a conclusion or two. I don't think I can fully grasp these conclusions myself until I articulate them to someone else, so bear with me here. I might as well cut to the chase: I think everyone is right about everything. Cop out? Nah. I just don't buy into the whole "You're wrong, I'm right" attitude that pervades many religious communities, notably those of the Abrahamic tradition (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam). I'm inclined to say that just because someone doesn't agree with your spiritual convictions doesn't mean they're blind to the truth. It means they're seeing something different, and they really do see it. Who are you to contradict them? Let me elaborate.
Common sense will tell you that people don't gamble their souls lightly; their religious beliefs are based on what is true to them. They're willing to stake their eternal fates on those beliefs. That is precisely why we've always been so willing to kill each other over this stuff; no one can bear to consider the possibility that they might be wrong. And why should they? They have as good a reason for their convictions as you do. We've all read holy books, each which purports to be the inspired word of our respective higher powers; many of us feel a communion or personal relationship with whatever divinity we've chosen to worship; most of us have grown up in communities with like-minded people who validate and encourage our religious beliefs. So what qualifies one religion as truer than another? Faith. The blind hope and deep-seated conviction that your path is the only one. Here's the rub: Everyone's got it.
I'm going to pick on the Christian and Islamic traditions, since they seem to be the most culturally relevant today. Both are equally convinced that they are correct, both sides can provide "evidence" for their convictions, and both sides have proven in the past that they willing are to stake their very souls on the chance that they're right. You can't argue with that type of reasoning. When anyone tries, they end up running in circles and providing different variations of the same evidence: holy texts, miracles, personal revelation, etc., tailored to fit both viewpoints. Obviously no one would choose to worship Allah or pray to Jesus Christ unless they were convinced that it was the right thing to do. And of course they are equally unreceptive to conversion. If you're a devout Christian, for instance, imagine how you would respond if a Muslim missionary approached you in a shopping mall. Why would you expect a devout Muslim to react any differently?
So how can anyone possibly hope to win the spiritual conflict? Simply put, you can't. You just have to wait until you die to find out you were wrong, and by then it's too late.
Let's say you're on your deathbed, and you're at peace. You have lived your life in the way that all religious traditions essentially demand: You were good to your fellow man, you were generous with your time and money, you expressed gratitude for your blessings, you were honest and kind, you prayed/meditated/worshiped faithfully. Surely a peaceful afterlife awaits you. But then you make your way to the pearly gates, and you realize you've made a horrible mistake: They (whoever they may be) really were right, and you really were wrong. But surely there's some leeway! After all, you'd done your best, and there was no indication at any point in your earthly life that you might have placed your bet on the wrong team. Ironically enough, you had always been told that eternal damnation awaited you if you didn't disregard opposing viewpoints. So how were you to know? And yet this divine figure, who is supposed to be the supreme embodiment of love, hope, and grace, can muster no forgiveness. Off you go to Hell. The joke's on you. Anyone else find this scenario, which is tacitly accepted by adherents to Abrahamic religions, intensely disturbing? Your doubts have earned you, too, an eternity in a fiery pit. But why not assume that everyone is right? Why not let your spiritual truth be that all roads lead to the same destination? The divine power I believe in is one that tells us to be kind to one another and find wisdom where we can.
I understand that my extremely liberal view of spirituality may be enough to condemn me according to some belief systems, and I accept it. I find no comfort in the prospect of Heaven if it means that millions of otherwise good people must burn for all eternity because they happened to choose wrong and I happened to choose correctly in the great game of religion. All I can do is learn as much as I can about everyone and everything, and look at life (and the afterlife) as the strange and wonderful mystery that it is. There are some religious traditions that also follow this train of thought, and those are the ones with which I may eventually reconcile. At the end of the road, perhaps I can achieve some sort of truce with the universe.Whatever your opinion on the things I've said, I have one response to you: You're right.
I'm sure that these musings will engender a variety of personal responses and opinions, but I know that most people can't leave comments here. So call or privately message me if you want to pat me on the back or tell me off. I'm cool with either one.
