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TylerEsparza
PatHolder
WritingResponse
18September2014
NoHellBelowUs,AboveUsOnlySky
Religion.Thenegativeconnotationthatcomeswiththiswordinthismodernageisonly
duetosmallwavesinthecomparativelylargeoceansoftheworld.Whenyouthinkofreligion
youmaythinkofkind,acceptingChristiansorterroristMuslims.Maybeyouthinkabout
theinsanityoftheScientologists.Allofthesestereotypesareperpetuatedbytheongoing
struggleofdominancebetweenreligionstoconvertunsuspectingciviliansinanattempttosave
themfromwhatsoevertheybelievewillbethemostconvincing.Religionhasitsplaceinthis
world,butnotasitexiststoday.
SalmanRushdieoffersaninterestingargumentin
ImagineTheresNoHeavenALetter
totheSixBillionthWorldCitizen
abouthisuniqueperspectiveontheissueofreligionashehas
beenabletoviewitthroughtheeyesofaMuslimborninIndiaduringatimeofreligiouswar.
DearLittleSixBillionthLivingPerson,Rushdiestartsbyaddressinghistarget
audiencedirectlythesixbillionthpersontobebornonEarth.Thequestionsposedrevolve
mainlyaroundwhetherornotthechildwillgiveintocontemporaryreligionorwillfindtheir
ownpaththroughothermeans.Rushdiediscussestheobviousinconsistenciesofmodern
religionsbasedonscientificfindingsandhowtheblindfaithofthedevoutstandsunwavering
eventhroughthesetrials.Thewrongnessofthesacredtaleshasntlessenedthezealofthe


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devout.Henotes.Theworldspopulation,currentlytotaledat7.125billion,isexpandingever
fasterinsomecountriesduetothepowerthereligiousauthoritieshaveoverthegovernment.Itis
forthisreasonthatwithinthenext5yearsIndiaispoisedtobecomethemostpopulatedcountry
intheworld,currentlyonlytrailingChinabyapproximately.3billionpeople.Ifyoure
Indian...youwillbealivewhen,duetothefailureoffamilyplanningschemesinthatpoor,
Godriddenland,itspopulationsurgespastChinas.Rushdiecommentsofthepopulation
increases.Religioncanandhasbeenusedasabrainwashingtechniquetobuildarmiesofzealots
inordertoeradicatethosewhodonotagreewiththeidealsofthereligioninquestion.Even
though,foryearsnow,theairhasbeenfullofthebattlecriesofthefaithfulastheyturntheir
bodiesintoGodsbombs...WritesRushdieoftheblindfaithofextremistbombers.Something
mostpeopleseemtoforgetisthattheyarelivinginthehereandnow,andthatthesescriptures
written1,000,2,000,3,000yearsagoarenotallcorrect.Theyareinterpretationsofwhat
happened.Storiesofthingsthatmayhavebeen.Rushdieputsthisveryeloquentlywhenhesays,
Theancientwisdomsaremodernnonsense.Liveinyourowntime,usewhatweknow,andas
yougrowup,perhapsthehumanracewillfinallygrowupwithyouandputasidechildish
things.Howeverevenso,thetrustthatisputintoreligionremainsstronginsomefamilies.
Therearethosefamiliesthatgotochurchortempleormosqueeveryweek.Accordingto
aHuffingtonPostarticletitledWhyNobodyWantstoGotoChurchAnymorethewriterstates
thatmorethan40%ofAmericansreportedthattheyattendareligiousgathering,howeveritwas

discoveredthatonlyabout20%ofAmericansactuallyattendonaregularbasis.Clearlythis
showsthat80%ofAmericansarefindingsomethingmoreworthwhiletothemthanweekly

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religiousgatherings.Ifthisisthecasethenwhyaretheseproblemsoccurringallovertheworld
causedbyreligionandthedebateoverwhoisrightorwrong?OfcourseAmericaisnot
representativeoftheentirepopulationoftheworldandinsomecountriesreligionismuchmore
intimatelytiedtothedaytodaylivesofitscitizens.
Incountriesravagedbywar,famineanddisease,religionisabletogainastronger
footholdintheheartsandmindsofthoseinneed.Itiswhenyouareatyourlowestthatreligion
shinesthebrightest,forwhatbettertoguideyouthroughthedarkthananunexplainablyblinding
light?Itasksnoquestions,yetacceptsallthoseyouaskofit.Tosomethislightcomesinthe
formofaGodorGods.Othersfindthislightinwhattheylove,theirpassion.Religionisthe
faithplacedinsomethingmorethanyourownabilitiesandwishes.Itexistsasanexplanationof
boththegoodandbadeventsoftheworld.forthoseseekinghelporsomethingtohelpthem
understandtheirgoodfortune.Evensotherearethosewhorejectreligionbecauseoftheway
theirviewoftheworldhasbeenshapedbytheirintellect.
Accordingtotheresultsofstudiesconductedbetweentheyearsof1928and2012ithas
beenfoundthattheintelligenceofanindividualplayssomesortofroleintheirbeliefinreligion.
SpecificallyinastudyconductedbyLewisTerman,apsychologistatStanfordUniversityhe
gatheredagroupof1,500tenyearoldswhoseIQsexceeded135.Whathefoundwasthatthese
childrenweregenerallylessreligiousthanthosewhoseIQsweredecidedlyaverage.Whatwas

remarkableaboutthisdata,however,isthatnearly60%ofthesechildrenwereraisedinhomes
wherereligionwasalargepartoftheireverydaylives.Ifnothingelsethisshowsthattoforcea

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lifestyleonsomeonewhodoesnotmakethatchoicethemselvesistomakethemrejectallforms
thatlifestylemaytake.
Religionis,simplyput,anideal.Abeliefinsomethingbiggerthanyourself.Thereare
manywaysthatreligioncanmanifestitselfsuchasthroughthekindheartedChristians
pushingforgaymarriagetostayillegalortheterroristMuslimsfightingjusttokeeptheirway
oflifesafe.Whetheritbeforbetterorworseitwillexistsolongastherearethosewhofeelthe
needtoputtheirfaithinthingsunseen.Whenyoulookatthe80%ofAmericanswhoareleading
perfectlyfulfillingliveswithouttheconstantpushofreligion,youcanseethatreligionisnot
somethingthateveryoneneeds,butratheranunseenwingmanforthoseinneedofone.Inthe
wordsofJohnLennon,YoumaysayImadreamer.ButImnottheonlyone.Ihopesomeday
youlljoinus.Andtheworldwillbeasone.
WorksCited
McSwain,Steve.WhyNobodyWantstoGotoChurchAnymore.
HuffingtonPost.
Huffington
Post,14,Oct.2013.Web.8,Oct.2014.

Nye,James.ThosewithhigherintelligencearelesslikelytobelieveinGodclaimsnewreview
of63scientificstudiesstretchingbackdecades.
DailyMail.
DailyMail,12,Aug.2013.
Web.8,Oct.2014

Rushdie,Salman.ThePortableAtheist:EssentialReadingsfortheNonBeliever.
DaCapo
Press
.DaCapoPress.Sep.2007.Print.8,Oct.2014.