Serafina Tulioc

HONO 3191
Kor
11/26/12
Final Essay
Throughout this course on religion, the many different forms of worship weve
studied have ranged from traditions to rituals to methods of recording. However, it
seemed to me that the one aspect that never changed was the worship of a God which
gave life, death, and controlled fate. Coming into this course, I was shaky in my religious
views. I couldnt have labeled my form of religion properly at all. I grew up with the
expectation that my religious views would fall in with those of my family and when that
didnt happen, I was left searching for a religion that would speak to my own spiritual
views. I now see that religion itself is fluid, the belief and the motivations coincide
throughout the world. It is merely the labels we choose that truly separate us.
Although the religions which we choose can isolate us, they also bring us
together. Individuals with the same beliefs tend to flock together and develop feelings of
camaraderie and unity. Each of them is fighting the same fight, and working towards the
same goals so naturally they are led to work together. They essentially become a family.
This unity is acknowledged if not encouraged in all religions and used to create a stronger
environment of worship overall. This is prominent in religions such as Islam and
Christianity with designated times for prayer and gatherings for worship. Through these
congregations, the worshippers come together in their rejoicing and worship of their God.
Judaism requires its followers to memorize and be able to recite the Torah, for it is this

practice, which preserves their traditions (Kor, Judaism). It is also seen in Hinduism
with the binding of all people to the wheel of Samsara and the laws of karma (Kor,
Hinduism). This brings people together through mutual pain and struggle, however the
acknowledgement of this allows them grow and work together to reduce hardships.
Through this, we see that religion creates a community in which we thrive.
Each individual religion is eager to usher in new followers, regardless of the
background that they come from. I discovered this when I attended a Navratri Festival in
the fall. The festival focused mainly on dancing and music, it was a joyous celebration
with many people. I came into this event without any knowledge of the rituals or dances
that were to be performed, however, when I arrived I found the people to be welcoming
and encouraging of my participation. I soon found myself joining in, though I could
perform none of the steps correctly, the enthusiasm I received was astounding. The
purpose of worship was explained later on to be aimed at worshipping Shanti. The
acknowledgement that some of us were not familiar with the background of this festival
was made clear and was pointed out in a way that made me feel welcome instead of
scorned. I was made to feel extremely welcome in a religion I was familiar with only
from the view of a textbook. I discovered this same open arms greeting to underlie the
message of all of the religions we studied. In Christianity, anyone is capable of accepting
Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior and being forgiven of their sins. Once you have done
this, your fellow believers will help to convert you into a practicing Christian. In
Buddhism, everyone is encouraged to acknowledge the existence of Samsara. It is from
there that they may begin their journey towards enlightenment. Particularly the

Mahayana branch of Buddhism encourages its followers to spread enlightenment to all

(Kor, Buddhism). Each of these religions has underlying themes of drawing people in.
With this welcome, however, is an insistence of discipline to the rituals and
teachings of each. The overarching message of all conveys a higher power, the saving of
your soul and unfaltering guidance in times of need. Yet if you take a closer look, the path
provided is never one of leisure. You must be truly prepared to make sacrifices. The most
obvious example of this exists in Buddhism where enlightenment may only be achieved
with the denial and thus the expulsion of cravings. These cravings are found in our thirst
for wealth, success, and pleasure which lead to greed and selfishness when left
unchecked. It is believed that materialistic desires distract from the path and must
therefore be cut out (Young 86). It is only with the denial of these cravings that we are
able to reorganize our life towards the path of enlightenment. The result is a life lived
simply, humbly and conservatively. Similar beliefs exist in Christianity, such as in
Catholicism with the practice of lent. During this time, individuals practice abstaining
from the consumption of meat on Fridays, fasting for forty days as well as sacrificing a
personal vice to symbolize resisting temptation. Religions tend to involve sacrifices of
different sorts in order to prove the worshippers devotion to their God. Sacrifice or
abstaining from simple pleasures in life as well as ridding our lives of the type of actions
that would cause harm to ourselves or those around us, is imperative. It is an action that
states that are you are willing to do anything for your faith. This type of devotion in a
religion is essential.

Regardless of which religion you choose, it becomes your way of life. I have
always been wary of making this type of sacrifice, reluctant to loose what I feel is my
free will. I did not always agree with the labeling of actions as sins. Instead, I feel that
we should all make our own choices and accept the consequences that they come with.
All people make mistakes; this is an undeniable fact of life. However, these mistakes do
not need to become regrets as long as you learn from them. From a religious standpoint, I
felt that instead of accepting and encouraging mistakes to be made, they are labeled as
sins and held against you. The aspect of religion that soothes these hesitations is found in
the set of beliefs that you feel ring true with you. I discovered this religious appeal in
Confucianism. The approach of worship through actions that uphold a higher moral
responsibility fell so neatly into my personal beliefs that I felt a calling rather than my
usual repulsion towards religion. It is this spiritual pull, the tugging of heartstrings that
creates a melody that speaks to the individual on a higher plane that drives us to religion.
And when this religion speaks to you, the sacrifice becomes insignificant.
It was this aspect of religion that I truly struggled with. Rituals and readings were
simple to understand, but what was it that truly drove people to a religion? What was it
about these practices that really had them caught in the snare of this way of life?
Although there certainly are those individuals which pick and choose, cutting and
snipping to create a collage of religions which is twisted and selfish at best. But, the true
believers, the ones that feel so deeply down to their very core, baffled me. There are those
which grew up with specific religions ingrained into their very being and there are others
that struggled with their religious identity. I wondered what it was that created these

religious codes inside of us that we felt obligated to follow without question. And how
did the individual stick to this path without growing bitter and resentful? What fueled this
religious conformity? Through the examination of world religions I came to find an
answer.
It is built into our psych to question our existence and our purpose. Our race has
struggled, since our very existence, to answer these questions. The approach to achieving
these answers varies from naturalistic to religious, leaving some people cynical and
others uplifted. However for all individuals the spiritual thirst is satisfied in some way.
This need to identify oneself according to religion and spirituality is so great that it is
ingrained into the ways that we define ourselves. The presence of a higher power or in
some peoples case, the lack thereof, reflects in the structure of our own lives and the
convictions we hold dear. Some of us are raised with it, some of us spend years
searching; regardless of who you are and what you believe, the desire to know why we
are here and what we are meant to do is what fuels our very existence. When we find the
answers that satisfy us, we begin to live accordingly. Without these answers, or even
without these questions, the human mind would very well unravel. Much like those
individuals which feel that they have nothing left to live for. Their purpose is gone and
with it, the very thing which keeps them going. This is the very reason that religion is so
significant to our race.
Religion is meant to center us, provide us with a purpose which soothes and gives
us strength. With each religion this is achieved in different ways. Many rely on prayer,

meditation, forgiveness or redemption of a sort. All of us get caught up and feel lost at
times in our lives, but through these practices we once again find our footing. The
approach I choose is one of meditation and prayer. I begin by clearing my mind,
visualizing ocean waves and focusing on breathing in and out. This helps me to feel calm
and in control. This is very similar to the practices in Eastern Religions such as Buddhism
and Hinduism where meditation plays a key role in getting in touch with the higher
power. It is a practice which brings the self into focus, while blurring out the world
around you. I find that it helps me to reprioritize while at the same time ridding myself of
needless stressful worries. From a religious standpoint, I am able to redirect my life onto
a productive path as opposed to a destructive path. However, it differs from the
meditation of Buddhists and Hindus in that I meditate simply until I feel centered once
more rather than working towards prolonged states of meditation.
Another ritual I have is in the form of prayer. I would describe it less as praying
and more as a monologue intended for a higher power. Unlike the prayers of Catholicism,
I do not recite the same prayer every night. Instead, I first give thanks for all the positive
things I have in my life. This helps to humble me and remind me how good my life really
is. It puts everything into perspective. Then I list all of the things that I am struggling
with. I do not ask for them to be fixed, instead I ask for the strength to tackle them myself
and a little guidance to help me make the right decisions. Through prayer, there is the
aspect of personalizing God, such as in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. This
personalization fuels the prayers of many because it paints a picture of empathy.
However, listing off problems and waiting for the interference of a higher power is rather

impractical. I do not believe that this Greater Being feels anything more than
understanding of the different things that plague my life. It truly is up to us to forge ahead
and work through our own problems. Although I do not pray at the exact same time every
day, I do pray every night before I sleep. This also coincides with the Western Religions. I
find that through prayer I am able to view my life from a different lens and begin the next
day anew.
My own personal beliefs have never been a strict conformity to any one religion. I
grew up in a world of various Christian denominations, none of which I was fully willing
to belong to. My personal ritual of prayer began when I was young and my parents told
me to pray every night before I slept. It has stuck with me to this day and I do still believe
in the power of prayer. I myself believe in God, and I believe that he does hear us. But I
never could back the form of worship which Christianity had to offer. When I got older, I
began to meditate. This was a form of concentration and calming I used at any point
during the day, regardless of where I was. I began to turn to this ritual for peace within
myself, and I soon identified it as a spiritual need in and of itself. Although I use religious
techniques outside of a specific religion, I do not believe that it diminishes their purpose.
On a spiritual plane, these two practices carry such importance that I would be off
balance if I was to give them up. I feel that if you do not have a way in which you can
feel truly grounded, then you will not really be able to lead a life to help those around
you. First you must help yourself.

Once you have cleansed yourself and accepted your new religious reality, then
you can truly begin to restructure and redirect your life. Every new action which you
undergo is motivated by spiritual convictions. The aims of all religions have broad
underlying messages of social justice, well-being towards all, and working in order to
reap your spiritual reward. Therefore, the path of each religion must lead somewhere
important enough to spark the driving force of motivation in people to maintain devotion.
In each of the religions we have studied, the aspect of death leads you into a new
life. This type of life is different, whether it is life on a spiritual plane or life through
rebirth back into the world that we know, it exists in each religion. Spiritual freedom can
only be achieved through worship in the world as we know and live it presently. This
after life of sorts is a reward for being loyal followers. In Christianity, Judaism and Islam,
after death, if we have lived life according to the word of God, we will be rewarded with
a spiritual life in Heaven. In each of them, after death, we face judgment in which the
parts of our life are analyzed and evaluated and if the sum is sufficient then we may then
enter into the final reward (Young 176). In Eastern religions such as Buddhism and
Hinduism, our spirits are set free when we end our karma and break free from the wheel
of Samsara. This act of breaking free brings our souls to eternal enjoyment or bliss
(Young 75). Regardless of the form of religion, the goal is to obtain spiritual paradise.
My understanding of the worlds religion going into this course was disjointed
and biased at best. I felt that although each society or community has their own set of
beliefs which they feel is the only proper way, the loving ways of the religions were

preached often and practiced rarely. Instead of respecting the views of others, I felt that
religious institutions fought to dominate the religious spectrum, clamoring to convert the
most people to their ways. I found that this image I had in my minds eye was illinformed and conceived in a society that drives on the melodrama of religious fanatics.
As my understanding grew, I came to a new realization.
Throughout the world, everyone is dealing with the same struggles. All of us are
fighting to comprehend our religious identity in an attempt to answer the riddles of life.
Some of us join together in our struggles, coming together in our similar beliefs, clinging
to this life raft in a sea of ambiguity. Others swim aimlessly, at times floundering until
they are pulled in by whichever religion throws them a rope. Whether we choose to
acknowledge it or not, the search for our purpose exists. It is simply impossible to
separate humanity from this driving force.
Everyone develops or clings to existing coping mechanisms in the form of
religion. We use these techniques to shield our minds from the reality that we will never
really know the answers. None of us, in this life, can state with absolute certainty that any
one higher power not only exists, but includes a higher purpose for individual humans.
This is not to say that religion is a lie, for the mind is a powerful thing. If the individual
truly believes that the concepts and the essence of their religion exist, then in their own
perceived reality, it does.
Although my own perceptions of religion have grown and my grasps on the
concepts have strengthened, I do not claim to fully stand behind any one religion. I can

confidently state that I no longer identify myself with Christianity. Although some of the
practices of this religion have left traces on my being, it does not define me. Instead I find
myself much more closely associated with the practices of Confucius. This more readily
becomes a part my identity than the religions I was raised with. If a religion or a belief is
powerful enough to make you feel that you belong, not only emotionally, but spiritually,
then I believe you should accept it as it accepts you. Through this mutual relationship you
will find a fulfillment that you did not know you were lacking in the first place.
Through our studies of religion and my own personal journey, I have come to the
conclusion that life without religion or beliefs is much the same as life without food. You
may survive for a while, but what will give you the sustenance to thrive?

Works Cited
Kor, Kerri. "Buddhism." Honors: Worldviews/Practices of the Great Religions.
Dominican University. Library, San Rafael. 19 September 2012. Class lecture.
Kor, Kerri. "Hinduism." Honors: Worldviews/Practices of the Great Religions.
Dominican University. Library, San Rafael. 5 September 2012. Class lecture.
Kor, Kerri. "Judaism." Honors: Worldviews/Practices of the Great Religions. Dominican
University. Library, San Rafael. 7 Nov. 2012. Class lecture.
Young, William A.. The world's religions: worldviews and contemporary issues.
Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1995. Print.