Some people claim that religion has caused more harm than most anything else on earth. Indeed, many wars have been waged in the name of religion, and many people have been killed for defying some religious mandate or other. Some people have, and continue to use religion to enrich themselves at the expense of others, or to use religion as a means to exercise control and influence over people. Does this mean that religion itself is necessarily bad? I don’t think so, and here is why.

The Oxford dictionary defines religion as “the belief in and worship of a superhuman power or powers, especially a God or gods.” The first thing we want to know as humans is ‘why’, and that is the one question that science really doesn’t answer. Instinctually we know that our lives have meaning, but a purely materialistic view of the universe claims otherwise.

Likewise, science has given us much. We understand our origins through the science of evolution, and evolution helps us understand and prepare for the adaptability of disease organisms. Those whose rigorous adherence to literal interpretations of ancient scriptures do themselves and their followers as much, if not more of a disservice as those who decry religion when they speak out against science. Too often we hear preachers denying evolution, denying the age of the Earth or the universe, or other scientific principles that somehow threaten the inerrancy of their sacred texts.

Clearly there must be a middle road. Can there be a way to acknowledge the possibility of the supernatural while at the same time embracing science? Can we not keep the wonder of ‘why’ while honoring the discovery of ‘what’?

The photo for this post is of Haddonfield Friends Meetinghouse in Haddonfield, New Jersey. This is where I worship. It is A Quaker meetinghouse, and this is where I gather with Friends each Sunday morning. It works for me not because I think Quakers are right and others wrong, but because the Quaker religion doesn’t have a mandated system of belief that people must adhere to, there are no creeds, no priests, no official doctrine or dogma. They don’t even claim to be the only “right way”. If there is such a thing as an anti-cult, it’s the unprogrammed Quaker meetings. Unprogrammed refers to meetings that have no ministers and services that are generally silent unless someone feels led to speak – and in my experience, these are the least dogmatic of any religious groups I’ve found.

But my purpose here isn’t too promote Quakers, I might just as well have found myself in a number of other pacifist religions, but here is where I landed. What I found here was a community of people who are passionate, who sometimes struggle with each other over how best to live our core principles (those being simplicity, peacefulness, integrity, community, equality, and stewardship), and in the end recognize that being part of a community sometimes requires our personal desires take second place to what is better for the greater good. (An interesting thing thing about being a quaker is that everyone has an equal voice, and even a single dissenting voice on a proposition will often delay or derail that proposal. Again, we don’t have leaders, we must work together.)

I spent many years as a practicing Pagan, and I certainly do not regret them. Indeed I still find comfort in being connected to the circle of the year, and I am moved by the cycles of the moon. The old Gods remain familiar friends, but my life has taken a different path, a healing path, and religion played an important part in that.

I grew up in a Christian church, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that I learned that the ‘church’ I grew up in would be much more accurately called a cult. This was certainly a case of religion being hijacked to serve the wicked purposes of a few men. But part of my healing required me to be able to separate what those men did from the God they claimed to serve. Part of that healing came about when I heard a Mennonite choir sing We Are Not Alone

To heal myself, it became important to heal my relationship with the God of my childhood. In the process I learned that the god of condemnation I had been taught about is a fiction; instead, I found A God whose desire is to comfort, to bring peace, and to heal.

I’m certain this is no less true for the Pagan Gods, but in my case, I didn’t have a relationship in need of mending with them. They did though bring me comfort for quite a few years while I was unable to be ready to heal this relationship.

What religion brings us in all of this is a body of people who can be there for each other, who can lift each other up. In Quaker terms we often speak of holding someone “in the light” which is a kind of deep prayer and meditation. We wish to be involved, if not physically, then at least spiritually in each other’s lives, and it shows. Quakers, by our numbers, are a very small denomination, but this tiny denomination has accomplished a great many things.

But that’s what religions are about, or at least what they should be about; a group of believers with shared purpose, coming together to accomplish great things, and in the process, healing and strengthening and building up the souls of the individuals.

If you’re missing something in your life, maybe you might look for a group of like-minded believers. Please be sure that it’s a healthy group, that it’s not run by some iron fisted leader, and that people aren’t pressured to stay if they find its not a good fit – this will help you rule out many abusive religious groups. Don’t be afraid to do a web search and find reviews, try to talk to former members as well as current members. And remember – you don’t have to stick with the first place you find. In fact, you would do well to visit at least a few places to help you clarify what, exactly, it is thst you are looking for. Remember, you aren’t looking for a building that you visit once or twice a week; you are looking for people who will become very much like family to you. Some people call this a covenant community.

Religion is family to the orphaned, it is healing to the broken, comfort to the afflicted, and a compass to the lost. It does this through the strength that members gain from their faith.

I know that I wouldn’t be here writing today if I hadn’t found such an amazing community and it’s my hope that everyone reading this can have a similar opportunity.