Man is an intelligent being, and therefore raises the ultimate explanation of all things and the meaning of life.
Deep down, he realizes that he is not, nor can it be, the maximum being in perfection (I'm not God!) And he does not explain its existence (my own existence can not be explained by myself), or your life (I am and how I am not due to my decision).
also experience an irresistible force to happiness, and make sure that nothing or no one can meet in this world.
All this makes it a religious being.
Find someone bigger, fuller, more perfect ... and when it is recognized as the supreme being, who alone can bring happiness to the given account has been created, and longs with all his being. And so it is open to Him
Now what is all this a mere invention intended to satisfy desires of grandeur and dreams of human happiness?
Is it reasonable to be a believer? Let's start
planning to fund alternative, God or chance, or divine logic of irrationality, the divine causality (an intelligent cause) or arbitrary chance. Here lies everything. This is explained Benedict
XVI in Regensburg:
"We believe in God. This is our fundamental option. But we ask again: Is this still possible today? Is it reasonable? Since the Enlightenment, at least part of science is dedicated to aggressively seek an explanation of the world in which God would be superfluous. And if that were so, he would be useless for our life also. But every time it seemed that this attempt had succeeded, it was evident that inevitably do not add up. The accounts about the man, not God, do not add up, and the accounts of the world, the universe, without it not add up. In short, there are two alternatives: What is at the origin? Creative Reason, the Creator Spirit who makes all things and gives them growth, or Unreason, which, lacking any meaning, yet somehow brings forth a mathematician so ordered cosmos, as man and his reason. This, however, not be more than a chance result of evolution and, therefore, at bottom, also irrational.
Christians say: "I believe in God, Creator of heaven and earth", I believe in the Creator Spirit. We believe that the origin is the Eternal Word, Reason and not Unreason. With this faith we do not have to hide, should not be afraid of ending up in a dead end. We are happy to know God. And try to see also other rationality of faith, like St. Peter exhorted explicitly, in his first letter (cf. 1 Pt 3, 15), the Christians of his time, and us.
believe in God. The main parties say the Creed and emphasizes especially the first part. But now the second question immediately arises: what God? Well, just believe in the God who is Creator Spirit, creative Reason, the source of everything that exists, including us. " (Homily at Regensburg, 12.09.2006).
Finding God involves finding the source itself, and therefore the ratio of own existence.
What is religion?
Every religion is a concrete way to reach God: an access road to the divine, the Creator of the universe (and ourselves).
All of them involve a concept of God and the world, which are few ways of relating to them, to worship (Worship) and living (a moral).
Basically this consists of all religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, etc.
In general, one could say that there are two ways to consider religion:
1. Ascending pathways to man seeks his Creator: strives to reach is "stretched" to reach God: to know, to please, honor.
2. Descending: God addresses man and reveals himself, saves him and shows him the way of salvation.
The first way that man is the inner impulse that leads him to seek his Creator and the fullness thereof. Is commendable and shows excellent intention. But this road may go as far as you can ... it will always be little. The human ascent to God is clearly insufficient to meet God so full. No matter how valuable it is-and is-its result can not be a human religion, ie man-made. With many real elements, some inventions of the imagination human errors and also the inevitable reflection of man's limitations.
A religion to the "measure of man" is a religion only human.
regard to its origin, it is clear that true religion can only come from the top: "top" of God. It can not be creation of man from God only if God will.
The true religion must necessarily be superior to us, beyond us precisely because it is divine. God is bigger than man. Its being and its truth can not not do better. What comes from Him, than our abilities. Human concepts are "kids" to contain the truth divine and human word can not express.
So a religion that comes from God necessarily must include elements that do not fully understand because it's beyond my ability to understand, is what we call mysteries. Its acceptance requires faith.
This is a clear starting point: it takes faith, by definition! My arguments fall short of the divine. I accept what God reveals, not on human approaches, but for her divine origin. It's good to be this: if religion fit into our reason ... would be too small.
Therefore, I am not the referee, do not decide: accept a reality that comes from above and which exists independently of me. A really great, far from humble, made me great.
A religion that comes from God is a human production. This is obvious. On the other hand if it comes from God, is divine. A religion that God is not no good!
divine religion is not an imposition, is a gift. The greatest gift possible: the key to God.
Let us see an example, a teacher at his school could simply look at the work of their students, their efforts to learn how to count, write, etc.. If there is no prior teaching, more notable were the efforts of the boys, would not make it very clear that to achieve satisfactory results. Perhaps some more smart to bring a little truth, but always so low: much time and effort needed to reach the knowledge that has her master, who in turn received from their own teachers .... All need-need-a guide. And trust in teacher education (especially as the "Maestro" is God himself.)
So we might conclude that the divine religion is not "built" according to human opinions. Men do not. Religion comes from above. It can only come from above. All human religions are a very worthy effort, but can not get very far.
Reality is not "decides" majority. Neither the worldly and the divine. Issues of religion does not depend on sociological statistics. They are not mere personal opinion: they refer to the supernatural reality: the Creator, the sense of creation, the divine plan for the world and man, personal fulfillment, access to God, life after death, etc.
addition not all opinions are equal: some are true and false, more or less justified, reasonable or sustainable. Torture is not the same to feed the hungry, you're more convinced that who torture and makes him an asset to humanity.
relativism makes no sense. Non-stop anywhere. In fact, can not 'work' in relativistic key in any specific area of \u200b\u200blife: not to eat, work, loved ones try to make investments, using a computer, you travel ... Modern culture limited
relativism ("all the same", "no better or worse options," all religions lead to God ", etc.) Only to field the most important issues of existence which make the meaning of life, religion and morality. It's not really rational choice, which is meaningless. It would only make sense if God did not exist and religion was a children's story. But there
a world greater than ourselves. It can be difficult to find him, but give up his search is sensible.
in this area is obvious that we need faith. Without faith you can access God. Without faith no one can recognize the true religion.
By the same token, those who lack faith, far from being a privileged, has a serious problem: it lacks allowing it access to crucial truths of his life. Know the deeper truth about himself: where he came from, where it goes, how to make your life, what happens after death, etc. More important to know what is outside their field of vision.
have to find the meaning of life, could live otherwise "entertaining" with the things of earth, but will lack the key to understanding of their existence. If you are looking with sincerity, will find that God goes out to meet and receive the faith, because God gives is a gift received.
Christianity is a revealed religion. God conveys to us the truth about himself and his plan for us, and also communicates Himself. It's a matter of faith. The faith you have or do not. It's like a treasure hidden in a field: it was found or not found.
In matters of faith can not convince anyone, everyone has to meet God personally.
not be forced to believe, freely to accept God and His revelation.
can pray for those who do not believe to find it. And help you search.
crazy But would a God who seeks to impose their own tastes and fashions. And, even more, who was elevated as judge of the Creator, demanding explanations about what makes or permits.
No, we do not make religion, happily for us from above, and this is the best thing that could have happened.
But there's more ...
Religion teaches only one set of truths about God, ourselves and the world, especially communicates a divine life on lifts man to insert himself in the divine world. And lead us to eternal life. This is the most important: through religion, life, comes to us.
religion-if true-not only provides comfort for this life but mainly leads to eternal happiness: this is their raison d'etre.
Thus, religion does not diminishes the life, full of prohibitions, but broadens their horizons, enlarging the life chances. Fill out the existence and opens up in unexpected ways. And most of us into the divine happiness.
For his greatness can not be picky. And this is part of its beauty.
Eduardo Maria Volpacchio
