Belief

Human beings are the only known creatures to use abstract philosophical reasoning and are capable of understanding concepts without an immediate physical verification or observation. We also have an innate tendency to latch on to beliefs we use as a framework to structure our actions, decisions and goals around. This power, however, also bestows a great responsibility upon us, as the ol' saying goes. The responsibility to choose and follow the most truthful and beneficial convictions. Many of us put worldly systems in place of God, devoting their lives to spreading, defending and upholding what we're sure is the one ideology to bring about a society as close to utopia as possible. The examples range from Marxism or fascism all the way to free market capitalism and egalitarianism. 

But what kind of beliefs can actually bring the most joy, light and truth into people's lives? Will establishing an earthly setup without any higher purpose, which is only useful for distribution of material goods and services, ever truly satisfy us? Especially given the fact that every system rises, falls, changes and evolves into different structures over time. It seems like the only stable property of this physical world is constant change. Not to mention every state government will always be imperfect and corruptible as it's comprised of imperfect and corruptible people. Lately we've seen the "benevolent AI" scenario proposed quite a lot, but that doesn't solve our problem either, because of the enormous difficulty to develop, implement and maintain such establishment, the giant energy requirements for it's upkeep and the very high probability of a catastrophic failure, given the enormous dependence we'd have on it. Who knows, it might even try to exterminate us. And we haven't even got to the issue of personal fulfillment, which is something that no government, corporation or any other similar entity can ever bring us. So I don't think any concept of this nature is the spiritual "peak", something we should be willing to lay down our lives for and hope we'll achieve the feeling of fulfillment and purpose from if we manage to reach it. 

In my opinion the "top echelon" of beliefs must be the abstract ones, the ones capable of enduring any sequence of physical events completely unscathed, as they're not dependent upon any material structure. What would those beliefs be? Before we get to religion, we must acknowledge the general ideals many people put their faith into, such as "love", "virtue", "being good for the sake of being good" and so on. 

There are several issues with the vague "let's all just get along" position. Firstly, the issue of long-term sustainability. Can we truly strive to be as virtuous as humanly possible for the whole duration of our lives both as individuals and as a society without any objective moral compass? What if we're presented with tempting opportunities, which, if taken, would sway us off this righteous course? For example a chance to materially enrich ourselves at the expense of others. Very few people can resist such temptations without any higher authority. The unfortunate reality is, that many people holding such weak positions have a tendency to slide into performing activities destructive both for themselves and people around them. Why is that? I think it's because it's much easier to justify yourself that way. Can't there be love if I drink alcohol? Can't we still get along if I use drugs, am lazy and gluttonous? I might as well enjoy myself if nothing matters. From what I witnessed and experienced myself, this attitude won't make anybody's life happier, quite the contrary. You may seek power and material possessions, but when you get them, realise you want even more or you want something money can't buy. Some destroy themselves completely trying to "chase the dragon", only to look back at their life and see a long line of unfulfillment. Desire for material wealth being leading to suffering and spiritual discontent is the root of many religions and philosophies today. To resist this way of thinking, however, is very difficult when you're constantly bombarded with these urges without any guidance, anything to lean on to, any ideal to follow. Being a believer makes you much more enthusiastic about being virtuous, as you're no longer acting that way just for "local" reasons, but you have an infinite, eternal purpose. 

This brings me to the second issue, which is psychological/spiritual in nature. The world can be a very scary, cruel and confusing place to live in. We have to deal with a lot of pain, suffering, but most importantly the prospect of an inevitable death, which is a complete mystery to us and as far as we're concerned, may be infinite. To have no hope or reassurance of any kind in the emptiness of space brings about a lot of feelings of loneliness, fear, anger and engenders plenty of unanswerable questions and paradoxes. There is an inherent place in our hearts for faith, which becomes a hole filled with darkness when all faith is lost. 

Thirdly, a common religion may prove to be a very powerful social "glue", which creates bonds between people and unites them under one banner, especially in times of crisis or when faced with a threat. Of course there can be conflicts and schisms within a religion, but it's still much more effective than having no values at all. Let's take today's western world as an example. The native populations are scattered, divided and can't agree on minor political issues, while a concise religious ideology is conquering them right in front of their eyes. It's not that this ideology is completely unified, but people upholding it share a common goal and are willing to sacrifice their own lives to achieve it. This is something the decadent, material wealth obsessed west absolutely cannot compete with. 

Fourthly, I'd like to highlight what I already alluded to and express in a separate point the seriousness of the situation we find ourselves in as humanity in general, despite what the media, the financial elite and the politicians tell you. The threat of an economic crisis is getting higher as time passes by, which could have catastrophic consequences given the interconnectedness of today's world. There is a possibility of a large-scale military conflict, which is more dangerous than ever before given how stunningly deadly our weapons have become. The threat of natural disasters also grows, largely due to climate change (we can argue about the degree of our influence on it, but the evidence points towards the fact the world climate is indeed changing). We are facing shortages, resources are becoming more scarce and the planet is getting increasingly overpopulated. This situation is completely unprecedented. The point is, that we will probably go through some harsh times and unfortunately many of us won't be able to live out the lives we dream of. The world may never be the same again, or at least not within our lifetimes. And when we're faced with these realities, many of us will lose hope and become discouraged, frightened and depressed. This is also why we need God now more than ever. 

And finally I'd like to make a point about the fine-tuning of our universe. Not only is there a miniscule chance of a universe this hospitable to life just popping out of nowhere, so are the chances of life in it's current form evolving in such a balanced fashion without ever interrupting the chain (all the prey being hunted down by the predators, etc.). Another interesting question I was asking myself since I was a child, is if evolution is only advanced through random mutation, how do the animals figure out, how to use what they were "given" through these mutations? There are so many complex rituals animals engage in, it doesn't seem very likely to me the random mutations of their bodies would so well correspond with random mutations in their nervous systems, having them use these new physical advantages. Let's take spiders for example. If they received their weaving glands by chance, just like the "knowledge" (the DNA code of their nervous systems) of how to use these glands in such a complex, intricate way (weaving efficient webs, tying their prey with their silk, "storage" of paralyzed prey for later consumption, etc.), what are the odds all of these random mutations would occur in one lineage of creatures? Even when it comes to these mutations themselves, what chance is there for such incredible increases in complexity, like inside the brain, with so few side effects? There are so many factors having to coincide with each other for such precise changes to happen, the randomness hypothesis doesn't seem very plausible to me. Also, given there's a very low chance for such amazing alterations to happen, it makes sense to make the presumption there would be very few organisms that particular change happened to. But if such a huge change could happen, why weren't other, unrelated, useless mutations also passed on? Mutations that don't hinder the organism's survival ability, but don't help it either. Evolution apparently doesn't only creatively induce positive change required for survival, but also cleverly removes the useless parts without triggering a large scale devolution, thus reducing the organisms' complexity back into a more primitive state. This is what leads me to believe there is an element of guidance to this process. I don't deny evolution itself, there is a tremendous amount of documentation on different relations between various lifeforms, their genetic similarities and differences, etc. Disparaging all the hard work people of many generations put into the research of life on earth would be disingenuous of me. All I'm arguing is that this change isn't random nor pseudo-random, like an integer generator program, but rather a directed process.

Other religions

Let's have a quick look at the three major monotheistic religions of this world. I'm disregarding the polytheistic ones, as the existence of several gods doesn't seem feasible to me. If there is a God, he's the ultimate creator, the perfect entity. We're aiming at the top of the pyramid here and won't settle for anything less. How would the number of gods in a polytheistic world even be determined? How do we know there aren't more/less of them? Which god do we answer to? Do they have their own hierarchies? And if they do, wouldn't the "top god" basically be the one monotheists believe in? The creation behaves in a pretty uniform way governed by an unchanging set of laws and is made of relatively few types of building blocks, which are interchangeable for one another. The one God hypothesis seems to me as the most sensible and advanced viewpoint. So let's have a look at the three biggest monotheistic religions, also known as the Abrahamic ones.

Judaism

Of the major world religions, Christianity and Judaism are likely the most related. The all-important difference between Christianity and Judaism is the person of Jesus Christ. Christianity teaches that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies of a coming Messiah, whereas the Jews don't think their savior has come yet. I don't find the Jewish arguments very convincing, though. Jesus Christ to me is the integral part for why I started to study these topics in the first place. He was certainly a unique character with an extremely well developed and consistent sense of morality, who led his disciples by example like no other man in history ever has. Not to mention all the miraculous events surrounding his life, his own and his followers' absolute dedication to his purpose and the biblical fulfillment of prophecy. I still have a great deal of respect for the Jewish people, though. If ever the need arises, I'll gladly stand by our Jewish brothers' side, with great honor in my heart and no shame in my soul.

Islam

Given the violent, putrid, hateful and deceitful rhetoric of the "holy" book of Islam (Quran) combined with the sheer will and amount of it's followers, it's possibly one of the most dangerous ideology on this planet right now, maybe with the exception of gems like communism. There are at least 109 verses speaking of war on unbelievers in the Quran. Some are quite graphic, with commands to chop off heads and fingers and kill infidels wherever they may be hiding (see https://www.thereligionofpeace.com/pages/quran/violence.aspx ). The phrase "You will know them by their fruits" Jesus said rings very true when it comes to dealing with this beast. In Islam women are worth less than men, can't drive or go out without being accompanied by a man and homosexuals get mercilessly executed. Not to mention all the individual acts of violence, such as terrorism, being carried out under the banner of "Jihad". Followers of the cult of Islam seem to be at constant war with any other belief system, including differing factions of Islam itself (Shia/Sunni), Jews, Hindus, and also Buddhists ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PZJI3h_CSk ). None of this should encourage us to harbor hatred towards individual Muslims though, the phrase "hate the sin, not the sinner" is very applicable in this case, as no man is without sin. "For all who take the sword will perish by the sword." We should be compassionate, loving and smart when it comes to dealing with anybody, including Muslims. As for the reason for not converting to Islam, I view it as a mere counterfeit of Christianity without the godly fullness. Truly the lack of a savior required for redemption from the wage of sin is a fact rendering Islam inferior in terms of theological consistency with God's absolute justice in my eyes.

Christianity

There are several reasons why I chose Christianity over all the other world religions. I'll begin with the Bible. It is, among other things, a set of stories, parables, teachings and prophecies. There are both historical and allegorical parts. It is a very unique and special book, though. It's consistency is remarkable, as it's been written as 66 books by 40 different authors from three continents. The prophetic accuracy is also noteworthy, the prediction of Christ's crucifixtion, for example. (More information: https://www.reasons.org/articles/articles/fulfilled-prophecy-evidence-for-the-reliability-of-the-bible ). Most of these stories share a common theme. They are lessons encouraging us to trust in God and be humble, which is what matters the most in my opinion. The vital part to me is the New Testament and most importantly Jesus Christ. The consistency of His teachings, the purity of His morality, the unwaning conviction of His importance and dedication to His purpose, the miracles He performed, the willingness to die for his convicions and His resurrection make for the most amazing tale in human history. (Here are some quotes as examples of His revolutionary teaching, being the ultimate role model He is: https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/jesus_christ ). Another thing I revere about Christianity is the approach to sin and the salvation from it. Since we've all committed evil (sinful) deeds of some sort, we all deserve the just punishment - eternal death [for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord]. However, God doesn't actually want that to happen, so in order to retain this universal balance of fairness, he "bailed us out" from this damnation through committing an infinitely good act - the ultimate sacrifice of His first born son, who's both man and God - therefore essentially sacrificing himself [God] for us and taking our sins upon Himself. So those who choose death and destruction on this Earth shall receive what they asked for, just like the Christians receive eternal life in Paradise. What's also remarkable to me about Jesus' teachings is that they're not just consistent, but also very clear and understandable, using intuitive parables, analogies and simple contrasting facts (whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, whoever humbles himself shall be exalted). If you're only going to read a small part of the Bible, go for the New Testament and the life of Jesus and you may find yourself astonished as to how a humble carpenter two thousnad years ago "figured all this out". The virgin birth also fits well into the whole picture, because that makes Jesus the purest being to walk this fallen Earth and only such a pure, sinless entity could be the one eligible for the task of a Messiah, like an innocent sacrificial lamb. The third side of God is the Holy Spirit, which could be described as a mechanism of connection to God, a guide if you will. When you accept God in your heart, the Holy Spirit is the force pulling you towards Him. I like to use a radio metaphor. You're a radio, God is the source of transmission, your soul is an antenna, the Holy Spirit is the broadcast frequency and the Son is the most beautiful music in the world you're trying to get close to reproducing by playing it yourself (following Jesus' footsteps). Maybe it's a crude way to put it, but I like it as a simplification of these complicated concepts. All this makes Christianity unique. Another important point to make is that sheer repentance of your sins and accepting Jesus as your Lord and saviour is enough to get saved (all you have to do is tune in to the frequency). From that point onwards, it's expected you'll still struggle with sin, but the reason for why you'll want to get away from it isn't because God forces you to do so, you are already saved after all, but because you want to. Because it makes you feel happy and fulfilled. The whole system is therefore built upon a voluntary basis, making it consistent with the concept of free will. You're not forced to do anything, Salvation is a gift. Just like the crucified thief, we all make mistakes and have something in our past we regret. It wouldn't be fair not to be able to change our ways at any point, as we can't change what we did in our past and presumably if the thief accepted the gift of salvation earlier, he would have led a different kind of life. Some would have you believe you need to go through some rituals or go to specific churches, etc., which is simply not true and inconsistent with Jesus' teaching. So how to actually get saved? There are many explanations you can find on the Internet ( https://www.allaboutgod.com/how-to-be-saved.htm ), so I'll simply describe how it happened to me. During some dark times I prayed with an open heart, genuinely wanting to know God and have Him come into my life. In that moment I felt a connection, as if a healing process started, as if I got my prayer answered. I believe that was the Holy Spirit, which guided me to eventually accept Jesus Christ. Everyone has their own process, but as long as you open your heart and mind and truly follow what you know is right, it will eventually lead you to the righteous path. Keep in mind, we live in the fallen realm, the realm you're being tested in. Don't expect to be immediately given material wealth or have your wishes fulfilled. There will still be peril in your life, even when you're a Christian. The crux of Christianity is Salvation, which means, that once you pass through this harsh, fallen life, you will be rewarded by being removed from sin and joining God in His kingdom. Overall, these facts make Christianity the best philosophically achievable religion in my opinion, standing out as a shiny city on top of a hill. Lastly, I'd like to mention the forces trying to take our will, freedom and kindness from us. Good and evil are real and they're as clear as day and night. So even if you're not a believer, you should always strive to do what you know is good in your heart. And whether you believe in God or not, freedom should be an important value as that's what makes us unique as humans. So if a time comes, when you're faced with the decision to either die fighting for freedom or live a life of slavery, I hope you make the right choice. On that note, whatever you believe in, don't take the Mark of the Beast, as it will be a universally evil thing even without religious connotations, for it will strip you of your liberty. And if it is religious, of your very Salvation. ( https://www.gotquestions.org/mark-beast.html or https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/mark-of-the-beast/ ). Given the fact noone will be able to buy or sell without the mark, I presume it will have something to do with the financial system. One thing to watch out for should be the Blockchain and similar technology. It's a fad that's gaining traction very quickly and may be utilised in some capacity (as it already is) as a digital world currency. Even the word blockchain implies bondage. It's a chain linking the world together into a unified system, which isn't limited to currency, but may also sefve as a platform for other applications such as smart contracts.

So is it all true? Is God actually real? I honestly don't know. No human knows. Belief in God requires a leap of faith and in this work I've outlined why I chose Christianity to make this leap towards. If it's all an illusion and God isn't real... I haven't lost anything. But if He is, I've gained... everything.