Many have a kneejerk reaction to religion, one way or the other. They either hate religion with a fiery passion that borders on insanity and that religion is responsible for all the ills in the world or they go the other way and believe that religion is the only good in the world and without religion we’d be nothing but a stinking bunch of savage apes. Truth, as it often is, is found somewhere in the middle. For me personally even if one does not believe in the tenets of a religion or doesn’t believe in the divine aspects of any given religion, religion still serves a useful and potentially beneficial purpose to humanity.
Now first let me say that obviously religion has been misused before and is still being misused in many ways to this day. However I believe that personally for a man, especially a man that wants to get the most from this life, finding a religious body to be a part of has huge benefits that far out weight the potential risks. Especially in modern times when there is a huge selection of different sects to chose from, it’s becoming easier and easier to find groups that line up with your personal beliefs and philosophy, at least somewhat.
Also understand that much benefit of religion comes the community that it offers. I’ve seen with churches where people have been able to start businesses, marriages, and causes that they otherwise never would have, had they not been a member of a religious community. Does that mean that there’s no drawbacks? Of course not, I’m just saying for an investment of an hour or so once or twice a week the benefits can be great.
Finding The One That’s Right For You
I want you do something for me. I want you to drop all stereotypes you have about certain religions for a few moments and try to look honestly at any that would resonate with you. Christianity ranges from doomsday cults to New Age hippie communes and everything in between. And many other religions have just as much variety as well. Just because one particular sect or a stereotype put out by media turns you off doesn’t mean that there isn’t something for you in a given religious space. Go on a search browser and figure out what churches, mosques, temples, and the like are close to you. And read up on them. Geography will affect this greatly so if you’re living a different country or culture from which you grew up in you may not find something that’s familiar to you.
But I’d encourage you to branch out and try other things. Go to a service that you’ve never been too before, try it out and see what you think. You may think it’s the strangest or most offensive thing ever or you may think pretty neutral or you may love it. You’ll never know until you try it. Again even if you don’t necessarily believe in the divine aspects of the religion, whatever they may be, the human community aspect of the religion still serves a valuable purpose in people’s lives.
I’m not saying to lie or fake. Plenty go to church or other places where aspects of what the church believes does not match up with their own. Bring one hundred members of the congregation to interrogation and you’ll get one hundred different belief sets. Again don’t stay somewhere if it rubs you wrong but at the same time nowhere is going to line up one hundred percent. Explore, figure things out, think about these things, and find a community that’s going to work best for you.
Religious groups are some of the best places to find business partners, friends, potential spouses, and much more. Not that just because someone is in a religious group it makes them perfect, far from it. But, on average, these places are going to be better for finding the above partners.
The Benefits Of Community
We live very unnatural, some would even say unholy, lives right now. We’re divorced from our communities and many have become mindless automatons consuming and producing until we expire, much like a faulty machine. This is not natural, normal, sustainable, or healthy. It’s no wonder why so many people go insane, aside from drugs, and why the suicide rates are so high, among other reasons. We’re trying to grow flowers in bleach instead of water. The real mystery is how people have gone this long without going insane, living as the way we do in the modern world. We are divorced from our tribes and communities, the things that makes us human.
Imagine a wolf without a pack, a cow without its herd, and so on and so forth. Humans are no different. We were meant to live in groups, we are tribal animals. And anyway you can foster and find this, is going to be healthy for you. Religious communities are just one more way to do this. One more way to return to natural ways of living and be healthy. I know many have resistance to this and I understand. But you are also an intelligent person that can take what is useful from the experience and discard what is not. And if the bad outweighs the good then not the right place for you.
But it is something that I would encourage you to try. Too many men’s self-improvement sites spend so much time on isolated activities and don’t talk about the importance of others. No man is an island. Lone wolves die and hermits go insane. I’m not saying not to have time away from people, such things are important, but rather to have a place to plug into and become a part of. To learn, grow, and foster relationships with others.
Give it a try and see what you think.
Best Wishes,
-Charles Sledge
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-Charles Sledge
