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HLworks/Laidback-trips/Rome2000/Essays
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I've
never been a religious person, nor have I ever had the desire to be
religious. I believe that religion is like a paradox. I simply cannot
bring myself to believe that Jesus treads water or that Job managed
to endure all those cruel and horrendous trials and still keep his faith.
Religion allows one to test the grounds of the spiritual and physical
realms. However, if this theory is valid, why do so many people believe
in it and base their lives around it?
I've
never had an interest in becoming religious, at least not until I visited
Vatican City in Rome, Italy. It was overwhelming to However,
religion is only effective if the person is a true believer, and I am
not. I don't find many aspects of religion unbelievable, and I don't
agree with many of the implications of the Bible. There are too many
references that degrade women and blacks, and this prevents me from
deeply involving myself in it. People have a tendency to neglect that
aspect of religion. Certain followers pick and choose which aspects
they want to believe, and that is something that I am not able to do.
I cannot neglect one part of something and then embrace the other. I
am in no way shunning or demeaning religion anyway, and I have full
respect for all people who practice Catholicism. I am just stating the
reasons why I personally cannot practice Catholicism.
However,
I must admit that Vatican City did allow me to understand why people
believe and why people are so adamant about their religion. Vatican
City really opened my eyes and allowed me to explore an aspect of life
that I had never explored before. I confronted many of questions, and
problems and I realized the power and the influence of religion. Iım
not saying that from now on Iım going to go to church every Sunday,
or even go to church at all, but Iım definitely going to have a greater
respect for Catholicism and for those who practice it.
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experience the love
and faith of all the followers in the church, and in a way I felt as
though I belonged. The artwork and the beauty of the church made me
feel guilty for not believing as devoutly as the pious followers believe.
I felt serenity as I walked passed the ancient and historic artwork.
I was able to just sit back and absorb the experience and reflect on
where I am now and where I am going to be. As I looked around, I saw
that people have found peace through religion, and I wondered whether
I would be able to find that type of peace if I were religious.
