The Answers We're Not Looking For: We All Are Pioneers
Talking about religion is somehow complicated. We can raise the flag of mutual respect. But like politics matters we have to admit religion is a sensitive subject. It's so settled down that it's almost impossible to speak out without hinting a certain belief. IF we say something that might go against someone's convictions or IF some of our statements are misunderstood, we can unintentionally generate a conflict.
Anyway, this post's end aims to highlight the pursuit of truths which all religions are supposed to look for. It's not a critique about any person's beliefs, but rather it is an analysis to what religions should bring us.
The usual answer
How many times have we seen a person being comforted when going through a difficult situation? And deep inside, while the individual is looking for answers, a justification that explains the suffering, the usual answer is uttered: God knows what he's doing.
There are variation of this answer like "God has a plan" or "this is a test." But in a way, we don't accept it. Even the most sober-headed and calm person have trouble dealing with it. And naturally, we all have. It is inevitable. We are supposed to be thinkers... to use our mind to solve enigmas. And there's nothing wrong with questioning what kind of plan, what is the purpose of the test or just the simple "why me?" These are queries that make us be alert of our existence. We should get a hold on them not to torment us, but use them as a driving force toward the maximum understanding.
And this is not a confrontation between God and humans. It has to do about reaching the causes and motives, understanding God. When I say understanding I mean getting to know the why, and what's behind it... Maybe that's the way to finally be one with God.
Children do that all the time. In the pureness of their innocence, a child commonly gets confused with many interactions with the world. And because he's learning, his eager mind pushes him to ask many questions. And it seems that we've forgotten and abandoned the idea that we are educating a mind whose personalities and beliefs are forming. And it's not like imparting dogmas. It's more about describing what the world is, what we have so far achieved, and what is that what we need to find out.
Are religious people looking for the most important answers?
I'm not a theologian, but we must strive to answer the correct questions in order to understand God. Religious people seem to be more into acceptation to what is already said in old texts than discovering what people don't know yet. Obviously, faith plays an important role here. Our hearts only need inspiration to let us get carried away, but I think it also makes the job too easy. Because having blind faith in something doesn't mean it will reveal as an absolute truth. It's alright to have beliefs. But they must be supported by facts which are out there waiting to be unveiled.
I think all of us - not only religious people - have the responsibility to find the ultimate answers. IF we don't do it, it's like seeing a parent telling a child not to do something without a proper explanation. The kid will learn nothing. He will just obey blindly. Naturally, there are topics that a little child cannot be exposed, but we all have an excellent opportunity to correct with proper explanations so that he or she can understand and get realization. And at the same time, we help building the child's principles and character.
Discover the unknown
Many times we have read philosophers, thinkers or listened to anyone pondering on questions such as: What are we? What are we here for? And it may sound petulant to level up with almighty God, but I think we have the duty to dig up and find the answers to important questions. God's wisdom cannot be something unreachable to us.
I invite you to watch the following trailer from the movie Interstellar. It masterfully depicts human's quest. In addition, it also resembles what we have lost.
There must be a turning point that drives us to reconsider our priorities. Most of the time we hear and talk about the imperative necessity to grow and evolve as species. But we drop this idea in favor of the current status quo.
Our traditions also bring stagnation. They nail us down. Although through them we have sense of belonging, we need to expand our views. The universe is so complex, and still mysterious that it's desperately calling us to know its secrets.
All haven't been said yet. And nothing have been fully completed. So why did we stop looking for?
Great post, but to me you have head and heart backwards. We must question, but the answers that are most meaningful come to us through the heart. It is our heads that follow the teachings of others and accept what they say as unexamined truth. When we search our hearts, our direct experience of life, we find deeper truths. This is the path of true learning.
All religious books have the answer. We just think it have to be more complicated than that or we take those texts way too literally. Do you believe we stopped looking? I don't.
Hi @laurentiu.negrea. I appreciate your comment... I think there are statements that don't fully satisfy us. I've noticed that when something beyond our comprehension is happening, we receive comfort in the form of preconceived sayings which doesn't answer anything. What I mean is that we have to go beyond our potential. We have to dig up much more in several terrains that span further than established books and teachings. As I've implied in the post. We need to be explorers in constant quest for knowledge.