"What is religion then? It is a set of beliefs that explain what life is all about, who we are, and the most important things that human beings should spend their time doing." – Timothy Keller
Now while there are certain folks who might take issue with Keller's definition of religion, one thing is certain: Nearly every person on the planet has some sense of life's purpose, even if it's simply, "eat, drink, and be merry." And in that, nearly every person on the planet follows their own "religion."
That being said, "religion" is still a loaded word. Instead, we might refer to a person's sense of purpose as a world-view, a philosophy of life, a cosmology or some other synonymous word. But whatever terminology we use, what we are describing is something that motivates a person to think, speak and act in certain predictable ways.
There is an organization based in Madison, Wisc., called the Freedom From Religion Foundation. The goals of the group include efforts "to promote the constitutional principle of separation of state and church, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism." According to the website GotQuestions.org, "in recent years, the Freedom From Religion Foundation has become well-known for its efforts to stop religious activities or remove expressions of religion from public institutions. The FFRF has been involved in legal actions to end prayers at high school graduations and football games, remove Bible verses at local school events, and ban similar expressions of faith."
Now I'm not sure what the folks from the FFRF would say about the meaning of life, or who we are, but I'm pretty sure that they would say that an important thing they should spend their time doing is squelching the expression of religion in the public domain. And I have noticed that they do this "religiously." (I know this because a while back Siloam Springs bus drivers were told they shouldn't play religious music radio stations while running their routes. It seems the FFRF "suggested" we stop that practice.)
Personally, I don't have enough faith to be an atheist. And I have enough to deal with in my own life to spend a lot of time telling other folks how they should run theirs. But I do know what life is all about, and I do know why I am here. And I definitely know some of the most important things human beings should spend their time doing: Seeking and speaking truth, instead of lies; loving others -- all others -- instead of hating them; pursuing and protecting life, instead of aiding and abetting death.
If we're honest with ourselves, we have to admit that we all have our own "religion" -- worldview, if you will -- that we follow, and which shapes the way we think, speak, and act. Hopefully that religion can be supported by logic and reason, while at the same time finding some way to make provision for faith, hope, and love. I know mine does.
Now let me tell you about Jesus of Nazareth...
Doug Chastain is a retired teacher and is currently a large-vehicle transportation specialist for the Siloam Springs School District. (Okay, he drives a bus.) He is also a grass maintenance technician at Camp Siloam. (Yeah, he mows the lawn.) You can contact him at [email protected]. The opinions expressed are those of the author.