Why Can't We Be Friends?

Since the beginning of time, religion has played a great role in global affairs as well as in every individual. From Christianity to Mormonism, Buddhism to Hinduism, and Islam to Sikhism, they're all religions trying to make the world a better place with better people that live in it. I've never really understood why some people make religion their absolute priority. Everybody has their own beliefs and ideals, so why do these people have the urge to self-impose their own religion on others?

Who's right and who's wrong? Does it even matter at all? It's the hypocrisy in religion and real life that strayed me away from the whole subject itself. According to the dictionary, religion is a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs. Yet, religions have caused many conflicts in the world. From the Crusades to the War on Terror, religion has caused the world to break apart and separate. According to Religion and International Relations Theory by Jack Snyder, religious civil wars are longer and bloodier than other types of clashes. They are also twice as likely to recur and twice as deadly to noncombatants such as innocent citizens. So why would anyone want to inflict all this pain and damage? Why can't we all just be friends and get along?

Most religions teach their disciples to be moral and scrupulous; however, history has shown that many people go against their religion and act in a shocking and embarrassing manner to their religion. For example, the Westboro Baptist Church members call themselves Baptists, yet they are inhumane and sickening, refusing to accept other people's religions, race, and nationalities. They've disrespectfully picketed at soldiers' funerals and recently plan to picket Blake Shelton's concerts simply because he divorced his first wife and married Miranda Lambert. They don't accept the fact that both men and women have a choice in their marriage. If this is what religion comes down to, then please, things seriously need to be changed.

Religion is definitely a murky subject with many different views and beliefs. In my opinion, I believe that there is a god somewhere up there; I don't know what type of God he/she is, but I do think he/she is there. Ultimately, the greatest advantage to religion is the ethics and morals that it teaches. Whether you move onto some kind of afterlife or not, life is all about for the living -- being a good, virtuous person and contributing positively to society.