The current situation in Japan has got me thinking about my stance on religion. A huge disaster such as the Sendai earthquake/tsunami can make anyone question their faith. Many people lose faith during a tragedy and many people develop an even stronger bond with their beliefs. I remember when tragedy hit my family I hated God and refused to believe that anything of that nature could possibly exist. My thinking was that no god could possibly allow things like that to happen. But some people see it as a sign that God or something else of a higher power is still there.Just as a waring this is probably going to get kind of preachy. So stay out if you can't deal with religion and what not.
When it comes to religion I've pretty much strayed pretty far away from all forms of organized religion. I just have such a hard time falling in line with the beliefs imposed upon followers of certain faiths. Being raised in a Roman Catholic family gave me a basis for religious development but put too many strange things in my head. Now just because I don't have a set religion doesn't mean I have no faith at all, I still believe in God I just changed my perception of who God is. The way God is shown to kids is as an all powerful being that creates and controls every aspect of life. I don't like to think of having a god like that. I think after experiencing multiple tragedies I've learned that it's better to believe in a god that allows you to take control of your own life while providing you with guidance.
Having faith in people is almost the same as having faith in God. Although it may not seem like it everyone does have some good in them and believing in the human race no matter how pathetic it may seem at times can help get you through tough times. Because when you look at it people always find a way to get through the toughest of times. For example, take a look at Japan, they were able to get themselves back up and running after World War II devastated their country. I have faith that they will be able to do it again as long as they maintain there faith. Shinto is the indigenous spirituality of the Japanese people and It is different from other religions in the fact that Shinto does not have a founder nor does it have sacred scriptures like the sutras or the bible. Propaganda and preaching are not common either, because Shinto is deeply rooted in the Japanese people and traditions. In contrast to many monotheist religions, there are no absolutes in Shinto. There is no absolute right and wrong, and nobody is perfect. Shinto is an optimistic faith, as humans are thought to be fundamentally good, and evil is believed to be caused by evil spirits*. Having this kind of faith can keep a nation unified and make the recovery process a lot easier.
I hope that everything works out okay for Japan and for the world. Not to sound like a Sunday school teacher but if everyone believes in the good of mankind and the guidance of God, gods or whatever you believe in the world will eventually become a better place and tough times won't be so brutal. I feel like I jumped around all over the place while writing this but I feel I got something across. Even if you don't believe in anything you still believe in something. Thanks for reading.
* Information taken from http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2056.html
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