RELIGION- 2 ______________________ I believe that the word 'religion' means a system of belief and/or worship (practice of certain rituals) that assumes a 'higher power'. I also believe that religion, thus contemplated or performed (a way of life dictated by that belief) actually hampers one's development. Religion, that is to say, tends to make life static, not dynamic. It imposes restrictions of and on natural development. Religion does not answer questions in any real sense. It is a comfort to some; a restrictive practice to others. There can be no definitive answers to anything in the universe. Religion assumes something that is not demonstrable except through belief that something is so. It becomes a truth to the believer, perhaps, if it is not questioned but questioning belief is never going to provide answers, either because of the level of abstration (see below). Religion is also about control of others (and possibly oneself, depending on the belief). This is most hampering to an individual, especially when it is in any shape or form coercive. It is probable that religion is of comfort to many persons. These persons have a notion that there is some 'purpose' to their existence. However, that is not necessarily so because humans above other animals contemplate this. Saying something is, does not necessarily make it so. When one says something is, they are taking a step further into abstraction. Consider the following question: What is a table (or what is religion)? The first level of abstraction is to see, touch, taste, smell or otherwise sense it. This is the non-verbal level. It is the level at which we operate when we ask no questions. The next level is to name it as-a-whole, i.e. table. When you ask a question of this 'table', you try to define it. 'A table is a piece of wood' (for example)...Well, it is no longer now a table but a 'piece of wood'. One can go on with much more detail here and utter verbal descriptions of this 'table' but you will get further and further away from what it actually is. There is also a time factor. The table is a table at a particular instant (i.e.time). Everything changes, no matter how minutely. Therefore, the table (and the observer) change. Some things change more quickly than others, thus we have some sort of continuity between events (things that happen). These levels of abstraction are common to all things in the universe.

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