The Problems with Being Religious and Doing Nothing

In many cases, religious beliefs cause people to do nothing. And that's a big problem. Let me explain why.

Photo by Josh Applegate on Unsplash

Some religious people are comfortable doing nothing because their religion tells them there is no need to act. It says the problems they see are going to be solved by their God very shortly. 

Worse still, they may even believe the problems themselves are a sign that God will act soon. The more problems they see, the more confident they are to sit back and wait. 

So, they do nothing about climate change. Nothing about political corruption. Nothing about helping people in underprivileged places. 

Nothing about helping advance science research to fix basic health problems. And so on... They may even support, or not be prepared to stand against, political powers that cause turmoil. 

They believe these powers are merely moving world affairs towards bringing about the very situations they are convinced were predicted to occur just before God steps in and judges the world. 

Now, imagine you're on an island with 11 other people. The tide is rising and soon the island will be covered in water. You have everything you need to build a boat and escape safely, but it will need the help of the 11 other people to build the boat in time. 

One of those 11 insists a boat is coming to the rescue and refuses to help. Telling others the boat is coming encourages them to relax and wait too. How do you feel about this person? You see the tide rising. You see no boat. 

We are on an island, the planet earth. The tide is rising. A tide of climate change, of pollution, of greed. It's a tide that requires action to prevent disaster. 

Doing nothing is a problem.

Now, one might say that there are many Christian charitable organizations, individuals, and they impact society.

Well, I'm not talking about the charity at an individual level, but rather action at a global level. Do religious people see an urgent need to reverse climate change, feed the poor, advance health sciences or explore space to ensure the survival of our species? 

No - religious people (not all of them) most often believe their God will solve all these big problems, and the proof of this is who they vote for at every election.

 

Religion is like a pair of shoes. Find one that fits for you, but don’t make me wear your shoes —George Carlin

Author: Andy Farrell, contributor.