Religion
Limiting Human Progression.
We've always known that there's Free Will, in everything. I'm not limited in writing this article or the things I can say in it. However; and only reflecting on my own culture because I dare not to delve into someone else's, in most of my decisions and actions as a young Coptic male, I was always confronted with the limitations of what my culture said I had to do, what was right, and what was wrong. What meant respect and honour, and what meant failure and ignorance.
So about this subtitle... In talking with my two friends about their cultures; and they are in different faiths, we seem to see the same thing. Whenever we question, or try to defend a point of freedom, or individuality, to allow people to experience the world we get an extremely defensive response about how our freedom is readily available, but using it isn't the best idea... but we still do have it. It's like there's this fear and threat instilled within us of daring to ever do something out of the norm, and that right there is what completely disrupts human progression.
If people therefore always sit back and are threatened to question their boundaries, and go beyond them... how will we ever get the next internet?.. the next Aeroplane?.. the next revolutionary item that is unimaginable - but completely obtainable because there are NO limits to what we can achieve.
A quick Disclaimer: if you're reading this as an interest to see how once a young man of Faith has now turned his back on Christianity and no longer believes in it, then I urge to close this page because this is quite the contrary.
"There are no great limits to growth because there are no limits of human intelligence, imagination, and wonder." Ronald Reagan.
I'm deeply intertwined within the Christian Coptic Orthodox community and culture, and I have two really close friends of mine, who are within other faiths but wished to remain anonymous. We all seem to be looked at as different in our own cultures, because of the way we live and think. We don't do what's seen to as culturally normal, and we have an element of independence that isn't thought of as the norm. So what do I mean by the subtitle to my post...
We've always known that there's Free Will, in everything. I'm not limited in writing this article or the things I can say in it. However; and only reflecting on my own culture because I dare not to delve into someone else's, in most of my decisions and actions as a young Coptic male, I was always confronted with the limitations of what my culture said I had to do, what was right, and what was wrong. What meant respect and honour, and what meant failure and ignorance.
And, in my opinion, the people that were seen as loose cannons, always seemed to have this wonderful life story, and an image of beauty in Spirituality and Faith.
The way I see it - Religion is similar if not identical to "Plato's Allegory of the Cave" (Look it up, it's hauntingly accurate). In that- people are all chained and force fed information on what they have to believe is the truth, and face threat of ridicule if ever the truth that is the "shadows of the flames" is questioned. But depressingly, there's no opportunity to think outside of the box or develop the intelligence to think of another opinion to ask the aforementioned questions, as they're all chained in "The Cave".
However, if someone was to become unchained and educate themselves of reality, and return to the cave, they would never believe it as reality again. Similarly, this is why I think those that are seen as loose cannons, witness the world and have visions of Beauty.
This doesn't mean I'm here to say that religion is the worst thing to happen to the world. I just feel that religion is the miscommunication of what was innately a story of Faith, Hope and Love. That is now used to manipulate people into once again, falling at the feet of powerful men. Which ironically is the reason it's written in the Bible that Christ came to free us from.
I get it so much when I tell people I go to church on a weekly basis; or that I try to, that they ask "Oh, so you're quite religious then...?" And in honesty, I cringe at that moment. Even my closest friends know not to call me religious, because it starts me on a debate between an unknown difference.
So about this subtitle... In talking with my two friends about their cultures; and they are in different faiths, we seem to see the same thing. Whenever we question, or try to defend a point of freedom, or individuality, to allow people to experience the world we get an extremely defensive response about how our freedom is readily available, but using it isn't the best idea... but we still do have it. It's like there's this fear and threat instilled within us of daring to ever do something out of the norm, and that right there is what completely disrupts human progression.If people therefore always sit back and are threatened to question their boundaries, and go beyond them... how will we ever get the next internet?.. the next Aeroplane?.. the next revolutionary item that is unimaginable - but completely obtainable because there are NO limits to what we can achieve.
Living in spirituality and faith gives us this ultimate support from something bigger than us, but also gives us the option to go out and try to make the most of what is a limited life time. In that we also don't face this fear that when we screw up - NOT "if" - but when, that it's not a massively big deal and we need to just take it in our stride and move on.
I hope this relatively makes sense, and gives you freedom in your life to be the next big thing. Go out there and live a little, it's an amazing world out there and you'd be blessed how great it is.
Alexander Yagoub
Instagram: @alexmagooyag
twitter: @ayagoub1
www.bmycharity.com/AlexanderYagoub
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IAhDGYlpqY - Hating Religion, Loving Christ.
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