An Analysis of Religion by an Atheist

The person as a whole, mind and body, is a very complex and unique organism that can be easily influenced by society. Since people are so easily susceptible to be influenced by others, each person must rely on their beliefs in order to make a judgment that is morally and ethically pleasing through their knowledge and experiences. A person's morals and ethics are formed through their religious beliefs and practices. Morals and ethics allow one to make a knowledgeable and responsible decision. One's religious and spiritual beliefs shapes and molds the mind, body, and spirit of the person. Each religion has its own unique principles, a list of do's and don'ts that set the foundation for their moral and ethical beliefs. Everyday people are presented with situations in which that person must arrive at the solution through weighing each possible option morally and ethically. When one is confronted with a situation in which they must use their personal knowledge, experience, spiritual beliefs and practices to weigh each option morally and ethically and choose that which best suits their religious beliefs. In order for a person to be able to correctly analyze and weigh each option he or she should have full knowledge of each available option and their outcomes. To weigh each solution properly, a person must use his or her religious beliefs and knowledge to evaluate every aspect of the option. In religion, there are four main factors that make it possible for a religiously enlightened person to decipher between the morally and ethically correct and wrong decision. People are educated through the teachings and beliefs of their God to acknowledge what "the beautiful" and "the sacred and transcendent" are and how to decipher between what is good and what is evil. A religion's depiction of what "the beautiful", sacred, and transcendent" are creates one's basis for their moral and ethical beliefs. Through one's spiritual knowledge and understanding of "the beautiful", sacred, and transcendent" allows one to distinguish between "the good" and "the evil." In order for a person to choose the best decision he or she has to have a firm grasp, intellectually and spiritually, on the concepts of "the beautiful", "the sacred and transcendent", "the good", and "the evil". The concepts of each of the factors must be fully understood by him or her to decide which solution is that which is morally and ethically pleasing to his or her God, and does not result in a sinful act. The concepts of "the sacred and the transcendent" are depicted in religious scriptures worldwide, and create the foundation to the beliefs and practices of that religion. "The sacred and transcendent" is defined, as that of which is "otherworldly." It is the mystical world, the supernatural. In Christian terms, "the sacred and transcendent" is the realm of the world outside of creation. Heaven and hell are two elements that are regarded as being "the sacred and transcendent" in Christianity. They are the supernatural realms that existed before creation. These realms are where one's soul and spirit eternally rest when they die. Heaven is one of the most sacred concepts in Christianity. According to God, our bodies are delicate mortal seeds. Upon death, a person is laid to rest in the ground and at this moment the "seed" sprouts releasing the immortal soul. God, our one and only creator judge the soul of the person, and only those souls that are without sin and are not immoral or tainted by evil are allowed to enter the gates of heaven. Heaven is the realm for those people who followed the beliefs and practices of their respective religions according to their God. Heaven is a realm where all of the imperfections that existed in the "real" world do not exist and every soul rests in harmony and serenity. Hell is the "evil" realm of the world outside of creation. The souls of those people who do not follow the teachings of their God during their brief stay on earth and live a life of sin and immorality go to hell upon death. In hell the soul rests under excruciating pain. Hell is the worst possible place that anyone could imagine. While heaven is depicted as being serene and beautiful, hell is depicted as a world full of pain and suffering. When one's soul enters hell, the soul lives an eternal life of pain and suffering for their sins. "The sacred and transcendent" are those areas in religions that are not tangible or visible. Rather, "the sacred and transcendent" are supernatural realms that exist outside of God's creation and serve as the eternal resting place for the soul. Although there isn't any justifiable proof of the existence of these realms, we know that they exist through the teachings of our God. I believe that "the sacred and transcendent" is a concept that is difficult to understand and grasp. The concept lies within each of the realms and we are only able to learn about the realms and envision them through the depictions given to us by our God. The depictions and explanations allow us to use our imagination to develop what heaven or hell is like. Although heaven and hell are the main concepts of "the sacred and transcendent", I believe that "the sacred and transcendent" consists of more secondary concepts. I refer to these other concepts as "secondary" because they don't consist of the "otherworldly," but of things that exist in our world. Churches are sanctuaries that are built for spiritual enlightenment and teaching. Churches stand as a symbol of Christianity representing our beliefs and a place where you can go to be with God. I believe that the church is a sacred place because it is a place where you can go to be freed of your sins and pray. Such objects as the altar, the bible, and the holy sacrament are items that I think of as being sacred although they might not be transcendent. In my mind "the sacred and transcendent" are not only those things that are mystical, but also those that are used to teach the word of God and to show praise to our Lord. "The sacred and transcendent" consists of those things that are considered to be the holiest according to the religion. "The beautiful" is that which reflects the ultimate nature of God: physically (as in visual and auditory beauty), Morally, and spiritually. "The beautiful" consists of that which is pleasing to God. Physical beauty is the beauty of God's creation. When one ventures out into nature they are exposed to "the beautiful". Everything that exists in nature: the trees, plants, animals, sky, and everything that exists in nature is "the beautiful". The sound of birds, water