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Anthony Baca Dr. Holland English 100 Paper 6 An Evolution Tool What controls every aspect and every decision a person will make in their life, just like a Totalitarian government would? What entity can have this much power over the mass. The plain simple answer is religion and it has affected every person alive today in some way shape or form. The origin of religion is debated and there are many theories that have been thrown out there. In order to believe in religion, a person has had to have some reason. Whether it be from what their parents believed in, to comfort, to explaining the unexplainable or even because of a life changing event, religious beliefs come from a particular source. Taking a look at these four possible causes will help unlock why people choose to believe in religion. Suzie was a little girl that was taught the religion that her parents grew up on. Since Suzie was a good girl, she never asked or questioned the origin of these believes. As a kid Suzie didnt know any better and relied on her parents for everything. As Suzie grew older, these beliefs carried on with her and influenced the decisions she would later make on during her life. This is the main cause why people believe in religion, because they grew up on what their parents were taught. Kids growing up have to rely on their parents for their own survival. So naturally kids will take whatever their parents give them.

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Suzies mother catches smallpox and falls very ill and is in critical condition. The doctors tell Suzie that she has only a twenty percent chance of surviving. Suzie is in tears when she learns about her mothers chances of survival. Suzie is unable to focus at work and cant perform the day to day tasks that she needs to perform. What does Suzie do? Suzie turns to her religion for comfort. This is the second common reason people turn to religion, for comfort. According to John Shelby Spong, a retired bishop of the Episcopal Church, Religion is primarily a search for security and not a search for truth. Religion is what we so often use to bank the fires of our anxiety. That is why religion tends toward becoming excessive, neurotic, controlling and even evil. (Robinson) Suzie uses her religious beliefs in order to comfort herself. Instead of freaking out and worrying about her mother, she goes to her church and prays to her god, for her mother to get well. After Suzies mother dies, she beings to think about the world as a whole. She questions the meaning of life and of her existence. She beings to wonder why she didnt catch smallpox, when her mother did. She thinks about what will happen when she dies. Overlapping with comfort, explaining the unexplainable is another reason why people believe in religion. What happens after death is one of those questions that will probably never be answered. But people still want answers and religions help explain the unexplainable. Although these unexplainable questions cant be proved, religions explain these questions in the most comforting way possible. Suzies husband Mark doesnt believe in religion. Suzie has tried as hard as possible to try and convince mark to believe in her religion. But no matter what Mark doesnt budge. One day Mark is heading to work and realizes he forgot his wallet. Although he will be late for work, he heads back home to retrieve his wallet. When he arrives for work, his work building is taped up and fire trucks are surrounding the building. He learns that fifteen minutes ago, there was a

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gas leak and the building exploded. If Mark didnt go back for his wallet, he wouldve most likely been killed. After that life changing moment, Mark begins to believe it was an act of god and beings to believe in religion. Overlapping with explaining the unexplainable, life changing events is another reason why people believe in religion. The impact of a moment in a persons life can be so overwhelming, that it can only be explained through religion. There are endless possibilities of why people believe in religion. Each and every person has their own reasons and their own logic. Religion is a very touchy subject that most people do not like to talk about. But since the beginning of mankind, religion has been and most likely will always be a part of the human race. For when times get difficult, people will need a way to look to toward the distant hopeful future.