The Power of Love

By: Kwame Awuah

There definitely isn’t a shortage in songs, quotes, articles, etc. on the internet about love.  The fact that there is so much written about it, that even the young and the old have a lot to say about it alone proves that the effect that love or being in love with a person can have on an individual cannot be denied. Whether it is a positive or negative effect depends on the people involved and their situation. I am not here to solve people’s relationship problems or say that by believing in love, everything will be okay; nor am I writing to clarify the difference between loving someone and being in love. I am definitely not writing to tell you who to love, how to love, and how to know you’re in love, as I believe those depend on each person and the circumstance. All I am writing about is the power of love and what it can do to a person.

           

             Love is an amazing feeling. It is actually critical for our mind and body and in my opinion may be just as important as oxygen. I do believe that love is the most powerful antidepressant there is in this world. When a person finds himself or herself in love with someone, his or her world changes completely. It’s that deep care that you start having for another person that you thought was never possible. It's when you wake up in the morning, this person is the first person you think about. Love is when you go about your day planning how you can make this person happier. It is when your day makes you feel miserable but hearing this person’s voice or seeing them just heals the wounds of the day. Love is when you can look at someone doing the silliest things and still think it is cute. It is when you feel your day isn’t complete when you haven’t heard from them all day. Love is when under the most difficult circumstances, you and her still make things possible. It is when you are texting her and you already know what her response is going to be and she already knows yours. Love is when you think something and she has already thought it. Love is when you wish you dream about them when you go to sleep because your dreams with her are better than reality. It is when wherever you are, wherever you go you wonder where you are in your relationship with her. Love is when you make up perfect scenarios in your head about your conversations, a possible future…

            Love is when you have known someone for years and never once had this feeling about him or her. But then one day it all changes. One day you just decide to let them know your sudden change in emotion about them. Love is when you tell them your feelings; you’re just holding your breath to hear that they feel the same about you. When she is having a bad day, you’re willing to put everything aside to make sure she is okay and goes to sleep with a smile. Love is when you are willing to wait however long you need to, to make that person a part of your life. For some of us, this all sounds cheesy and maybe a bit silly, but it is possible. That person may be far away or really close. We may see that person everyday or maybe we have never met this person. For some of us maybe this person disliked us from the beginning and they finally changed to love us back. That love that you get back from that person may be one of the better feelings in this world.

2014 NBA Playoff Predictions: First Round

Eastern Conference

Indiana Pacers (1) vs. Atlanta Hawks (8)

Don't be fooled by the seedings, as this is not going to be a walk in the park for the Pacers.  Indiana, although going into the postseason with the best record in the East, is far from the best team in the Conference.  Their struggles as of late have made them a very vulnerable team, and many including the Hawks have gotten the chance to capitalize off of this.  The last time these two teams met, the Hawks pounced on the Pacers in Indy, winning 107 to 88.  At one point, the Hawks were up by over 30 points, I repeat, in INDY. The penetration and quickness of Jeff Teague gave the Pacers nightmares, and a bit of a preview as to what may happen in this series. Nevertheless, I predict that this series will ultimately end 4-2 in favor of the Pacers, as the hawks are bound to run out of gas.  I do, however, look for the Hawks to surprisingly steal game one. 

Miami Heat (2) vs. Charlotte Bobcats (7)

This series, to me, is the one most likely to be a blow out (Hey, remember LeBron's 61?).  I had initially picked Charlotte to at least win game 3 on their homecourt, due to Big Al's paint dominance; however, I reconsidered my prediction simply because one man (or even two if you include a stellar game from Kemba) is unlikley to beat the Heat.  The Bobcats don't have enough weapons to give the Heat enough of a problem to constitute a win.  The Heat simply have too many weapons for the Bobcats to deal with.  If they turn it up defensively, it's going to be a long...long series for Charlotte.  With that being said, I pick the Heat to sweep the series and proceed to rest up for the next round.  Need I say more?

Toronto Raptors (3) vs. Brooklyn Nets (6)

Upset Alert! Yes, like most people, I too believe that Brooklyn will get the better of the Raptors in what is promised to be an exciting series to watch.  The Raptors have had an excellent season, reaching heights that nobody expected them to be capable of; however, I believe that the veteran expertise of the Nets will ultimately overcome the youthful exuberance of the raptors.  I expect the Raptors to win game 1, feeding off of the energy of their playoff deprived fans.  I do, however, expect Brooklyn to silent the noise and steal game two, and ultimately win the series 4-2.  This promises to be a very competitive series in regards to scores; more competitive than the 4-2 prediction would indicate.  Expect the intensity of a 7 game series each game, as each is likely to be a nail bitter. 

Chicago Bulls (4) vs. Washington Wizards (5)

I have no gut feeling when it comes to this series.  A part of me thinks the Wizards will prevail; another part thinks that the Bulls will pull through.  If this were to go to a 7th game, I'd pick the experience of the Bulls; however I don't think this series will go that far.  I pick the young energetic Wizards to close the deal in 6. Although the Bulls are known for their dominant defense as well as their well structured system, the Wizards are simply more talented.  I have little faith in the ability of the Bulls to keep up with the scoring of the Wizards.  Although they'll most likely dictate the pace, they do not have a go-to guy if they really need a bucket down the stretch (no offense to Noah, Boozer, DJ or anyone who may take offense to this...although if anoyone Taj should be offended by this); whereas the Wizards can rely on John Wall to create plays for himself or others, or Bradley Beal to create his own as well.  I see this series going to 6 games with the Wizards winning 4-2.

Western Conference

San Antonio Spurs (1) vs. Dallas Mavericks (8)

Dallas is undoubtedly disappointed to have lost the season finale to Memphis, as that would've given them a shot at the OKC Thunder; a team that they match up well with.  Considering the turn of events nonethless, I think the Mavs have fallen into a very unfavorable match-up against the well-oiled machine Spurs.  The Mavs simply have no shot. The Spurs are just way too structured and disciplined to beat themselves; which is the only way the Mavs could win against San Antonio, as they are simply not good enough to do so themselves.  I expect Dirk and Monta to have a good series; however, those two cannot outdo the entire Spurs gang.  Considering the Mavs are not necessarily a good defensive team, I don't see them stopping the Spurs, and they're certainly not going to outscore them in 4 games.  I expect the Mavs to win game two (yes, in San Antonio); however I see this series ending in 5 with the Spurs winning 4-1.

Oklahoma Thunder (2) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (7)

Weird to say, but Memphis would have been better off getting the lower 8th seed and playing the Spurs.  I saw that as a much more favorable matchup for them as opposed to the Thunder.  Regardless, I think they'll do OKAY against the Thunder; however not good enough to win the series. The MVP will do his usual damage, and I expect Westbrook to flourish as well.  Gasol and Randolph will give Perkins and Ibaka enough trouble to get Memphis two wins at home, plus KD is bound to have at least one bad shooting night.  This will however be it for the Grizzlies; OKC should have enough to get by, winnig the series 4-2.

Los Angeles Clippers (3) vs. Golden State Warriors (6)

This series is bound to be the most exciting out of all the first round match-ups.  Just think of this: Chris Paul vs. Steph Curry, Blake Griffin vs. David Lee, Klay Thompson vs. Jamal Crawford, Andrew Bogut vs. DeAndre Jordan, Marc Jackson vs. Doc Rivers, dunks vs. 3 pointers, Lob City vs. the Splash Brothers.  So many beautiful match-ups within this heated rivalry.  I believe that this is going to be one of those series where the home team wins each game; hence the Clippers winning 4-3 in exiciting game 7 fashion.  Both teams are extremely talented and deep, which makes for a competitive series.  I do however think that the Clippers are more balanced, and the better defensive team.  The bench is really the key: can the Warriors bench produce enough to nullify the production of Jamal Crawford and Darren Collison? I don't think so.  I do however think that the Oracle Arena fans will produce enough energy to ignite some stellar shooting performances by the Warriors in at least 2 games.  Look for the series to go to at least a game 6, but hopefully a game 7 for us hoop lovers.

Houston Rockets (4) vs. Portland Trailblazers (5)

This is another series which features two evenly matched teams: both with a "dominant" inside scorer, and a host of productive peremiter shooters.  In fact, these teams are so evenly matched that I wouldn't be surprised if this series also went to a game 7, although I do not expect that to be the case.  In the first 5 games of the series, I expect the home team to conventionally defend home court; in game 6, however, I expect James Harden to go off and have a 40+ type performance and kill any chances of the series going back to Houston for a game 7.  I expect Harden to have one of those "Wow, did you see that game" type of performances that will have the whole league in awe for a couple of days.  That is what I believe it will take for the Rockets to ultimately win the series and advance 4-2.

Photo Credits:
www.zimbio.com
fansided.com
fansided.com
wizofawes.com
dallassportsfans.com
sbnation.com
cbssports.com
ripcityproject.com

Looking Forward: Regular Season Awards

As the end of the NBA season approaches, the topic of MVP (Most Valuable Player), DPOY (Defensive Player of the Year), ROY (Rookie of the Year), etc comes up amongst the conversations of many hoop fans like myself.  Without further ado, I'd like to present my picks for individual recognition this season.

Rookie of the Year - Michael Carter-Williams

This category was hard for me to decide because I had initially picked Victor Oladipo to win this award when the season began.  MCW totally surprised me, and probably a majority of hoop fans, with his emergence ever since his season debut against the Heat.  Averaging 16.8 points per game, 5.8 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game, MCW has the best statistics of any rookie across the board.  Oladipo, averaging 13.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.1 points is a close second, with his overall versatility and impact on the Orlando Magic.  I had debated giving Oladipo a slight edge for leading his team to more wins; however considering both teams are terrible, and neither have a shot of making the playoffs, I will simply base my decision off of statistics and the impact on the court.  Neither player shoots the ball exceptionally well, with MCW shooting 39.6% from the field and 26.7% from three-point land, and Oladipo shooting 41.5% from the field and 31.6% from three.  Although these percentages could certainly use improvement, these rookies get a pass, due to the circumstances that they are in (being focal points of struggling teams, while trying to adjust to the NBA game).  With that being said, MCW has a slight edge over Victor Oladipo, hence worthy of the Rookie of the Year Award.

Most Improved Player of the Year - Anthony Davis

The leap Anthony Davis has made this season has been very refreshing to watch.  Coming into the league as a potentially dominant player on the defensive end, Davis has proven to the league that he can do a lot more than block shots and wreak havoc on the defensive end.  Going from 14 and 8 with 2 blocks in his rookie year to 21 and 10 with 3 blocks in his sophomore season, Davis has lived up to the expectations of being the first overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft.  His play this season has made him worthy of the Defensive player of the year award; however I believe that he deserves to be rewarded for more than just his defense. A healthy Davis has resulted in career highs in all major statistical categories thus far, and some outstanding individual performances like the 40-20 game he had earlier this week (the first and only in Pelican history). At this rate, Davis is bound to be a top 5 power forward in this league for many years to come.  Watch out Blake, Kevin, and Lamarcus.

Sixth Man of the Year - Taj Gibson

Taj Gibson has had an outstanding year in the absence of Derrick Rose.  Providing his team with a consistent spark off the bench, it is fair to say that Taj Gibson is the second most valuable player on the Chicago Bulls, behind Joakim Noah.  13 points and 7 rebounds might not seem significant but for a bench player on a low scoring defensive minded team, every bit of that contribution is needed.  If you had asked me this question about a month ago, I would say without a doubt that Jamal Crawford was the clear-cut winner of this award; however, with his injury and the emergence of Blake Griffin and the Clippers overall, Jamal's contributions are no longer critical to the Clipper's regular season (although his play will definitely be needed in the post season).  With that being said, Taj Gibson is the clear cut winner of the Sixth man of the year award because the Bulls will not as successful as they have been this year without his contributions.

Defensive Player of the Year - Roy Hibbert

Using the criteria that awarded Marc Gasol this award last year (anchor of the best defense in the league), Roy Hibbert deserves this year's honor for his defensive prowess.  The Pacers are number one in the league in points allowed, keeping teams to an average of 92 points a night.  Individually, Roy Hibberts blocks 2.4 shots a game in about 30 minutes of play.  His defensive impact goes far beyond the statistical value of his blocks, as he alters countless shots in the paint on a nightly basis.  Other worthy candidates include DeAndre Jordan of the Clippers, Anthony Davis from the Pelicans, Serge Ibaka from the Thunder, and Joakim Noah of the Bulls.  Considering the Clippers, Thunder and the Pelicans aren't necessarily good defensive teams, that narrows down my choices to Noah and Hibbert.  Although Noah does a lot of things that isn't credited on the box score (such as his pick-and-roll defense), his rim protection does not nearly match the impact that Hibbert does for the Pacers.  If Hibbert gets a point for his rim protection and Noah gets one for his pick-and-roll defense, the .1 difference in points allowed per game (92.2 points allowed by the Pacers, and 92.3 points allowed by the Bulls) gives Hibbert an edge (even though minimal) because it is enough to have the Pacers ranked one above the Bulls.  In addition, Hibbert's 2.4 blocks per game average is much more imposing than the 1.5 of Joakim Noah.  With that being said, Hibbert gets my vote for Defensive Player of the Year.

Coach of the Year - Dwane Casey

Before we get into this category, let's give a round of applause for the great work of a lot of the coaches this year.  From Greg Popovich to Steve Clifford to even a Mike Budenholzer, these coaches deserve a lot of credit for making the most out of the rosters that they have been assigned.  Initially, Jeff Hornacek was my pick for Coach of the Year; however, I do not think that a coach can be rewarded for his work if his team does not make the playoffs, and it looks like the Suns have permanently lost the 8th seed to the Grizzlies.  With that being said, Dwane Casey of the Raptors is my pick for Coach of the Year.  Although the Eastern Conference is relatively weak, I do not believe that anybody (probably even Raptor fans) would have picked the Raptors to finish top 4 in the conference.  Dwane Casey has made the most out of a young bunch, giving them the confidence to play at a level higher than even the players were probably aware that they were capable off.  A lot of credit has to be given to the Raptors General Manager Masai Ujiri for putting together a well balanced roster with a group of young talented athletes and a solid veteran group coming off the bench to compliment them.  Casey's ability to elevate the play of this group makes him worthy of the Coach of the Year honor.

Most Valuable Player of the Year - Kevin Durant

1. 

Finally, the cream of the crop.  The best of the best players this NBA season (emphasis on THIS season).  As a LeBron fan, it is very odd for me to make an argument for anybody besides LeBron when it comes to this award; however as an objective fan, it is my job to present the NAYked truth.  Long story short, the MVP for the 2013/2014 season is without a doubt Kevin Durant.  Although LeBron has made a late serge to reclaim what has seemingly been taken away from him, the MVP award is going to Oklahoma to Kevin Durant, unless something miraculous happens.  Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma Thunder has had a phenomenal year to say the least.  KD has always been known as a scorer; however this season he has taken that, as well as other parts of his game to different heights.  Durant is averaging 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists while shooting 51% from the floor, 40% from three point land, and 87% from the free-throw line; outstanding.  I don't know what's more impressive: the fact that his point average is the highest yet of his career, or the fact that a shoot first, shoot second player is somehow averaging 6 dimes a game.  KD has done everything possible to propel his team to  great heights, including scoring 25 points for 32 straight games (and counting), and 30 or more points for 12 consecutive games.  No argument really needs to be made here (as hard as it is for me to say as a LeBron fan), KD is the clear-cut winner of the MVP award thus far.

Photo Credits:
nba.com
espn.go.com 

The Great Debate: Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo

By: Kwame Awuah

In our modern world where everyone is obsessed with ratings and knowing who is the best and at what, the question all football (soccer) fans always argue is: who is better? Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. For starters, let’s compare a bit of their basic statistics and honors. For Ronaldo, he is the taller, faster and stronger player. For Messi, his lower center of gravity and ball control are second to none. Cristiano’s on ball skills and his desire to run at defenders are impeccable. There is no doubt that Messi’s finishing and his passing ability are unmatched by any other player (and yes that includes the ‘Pass-masters’ Xavi and Iniesta). Lionel Messi has 3 Ballon D’or awards while Ronaldo has 1. They both have an extensive list of awards, individual accomplishments, and records that will take me all day to discuss if I were to start so I won’t.

 Let’s pick a starting point to compare these 2 giants. How about the 2009-2010 season. I picked this season because it was Ronaldo’s first with the Whites and the season Messi won his first Ballon D’or (coincidentally also the first season he played with short hair and also the departure of Ronaldinho- we all know how much that meant for him). Since that season, Messi has scored 260 goals compared to Ronaldo’s 238 with Messi having almost 100 more official appearances. Take that how you want but to me, goals are not all that determine how effective a player is. A great player not only brings in the goals, but also means so much to his team that they are lost without him (just ask David Moyes and Manchester United). Being an avid football fan, I’ve watched Real Madrid and Barcelona play for years with and without their key players. The structure that Barcelona plays on is one that strongly leans on having key players on the field in order to penetrate these tough impregnable La Liga defenses. If you replace a Messi, Xavi, Busquets or even Pique with an inexperienced player, it always proves detrimental to the team. Case in point, when Barca played against Sociedad in early February, Tata Martino decided to play Marc Batra in place of the great diver Busquets on the right side of the field. This threw off the whole team as Sociedad just pounded away on that one side with no support from Pique or Dani Alves- we all know that man does not understand the concept of defense. Sociedad went on to win 3-1 scoring 2 goals in a five-minute spell. My point is even misplacing Batra for Busquets proved detrimental; imagine not having Messi play at all. Barca had one of their worst spells I’ve seen in a long time while Messi was out injured. There is no doubt that Messi is very important to that team.


With the Los Blancos, it’s quite the opposite; without Ronaldo (out on suspension for slapping a Bilbao player) recently the whites won all their games because players like Bale, Marcelo, and Benzema do not need other players in order to perform. Ronaldo is less valuable to Madrid than Messi is to Barcelona.


But that still doesn’t answer the question of who is the better player. Arguably, I thought Maradona was more valuable to Argentina than Pele was to Brazil and yet many consider Pele to be the best. But looking at it in terms of who is more valuable to their team, Messi is an amazing football architect who without him, his team is almost nothing. Like the great No. 10 Zidane said on losing Makelele: “It’s like putting a fresh coat of paint on the Rolls Royce when you are losing the whole engine.” Without an important player on a team, that team loses its identity and the player’s absence is felt. To me that’s what makes a player great.


Although Ronaldo does hold the record for being the best player, being the stronger, more agile, more aerial ability, I think Messi’s contribution to his team at the moment would make him the better player; the player I would start a team with.

LeBron's 61

Mark this date down: March 3, 2014; the day LeBron James scored 61 points in an NBA game. Impressive? Absolutely. Meaningful? Maybe not so much. This performance nonetheless has certainly given us hoop fans something to debate for the next few days. I struggled for the most part of the first quarter trying to find an online stream to watch the game against the unlucky Bobcats (who allowed Carmelo Anthony to drop 62 on them earlier this year), and once I did, boy was I glad. LeBron put on a show, needless to say; even though many might belittle the performance claiming that "it was against the Bobcats...." If you ask me, 61 points is 61 points, regardless of who you drop it on. Lets not forget the fact that it was mostly dropped on Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, or the fact that he did it on only 33 shots. If you watched the game, you can agree that this was not an easy 61 points, as he mostly did it from long range going 8 for 10 from three. The first eleven points in the first quarter were mostly easy: lay-ups or finishes around the basket; then the three-point onslaught poured on in the second quarter, ending with twenty-four at halftime. Hot? think again, he turned it up another notch in the third quarter adding twenty-five in the quarter. I mean this was as good of a performance as I've seen live in a long long time, maybe since watching Kobe drop 81. The fourth quarter, where history was made, was not as impressive in my opinion because you could get the feeling that his teammates were pushing for him to get the record, as opposed to him getting shots in the flow of the offense like he did in the first three quarters. Nevertheless it was a great performance, and the topic of discussion until somebody else does something extremely impressive.

So what does this performance mean? For LeBron? For this Season? For his legacy? Well, if you ask me, not much.  LeBron James has and probably will always be a pass-first player for his entire NBA career.  If he wanted to go out and drop 40 every night, the man could easily do it, but it's simply not his style.  I admit, it is rare for him to explode in this fashion, but it's nothing surprising considering his talents and overall skill set. Many have gone on to make the statement that this performance puts LeBron ahead of Kevin Durant in the MVP race.  I would have to disagree, as KD's body of work this season cannot easily be shattered by the tear LeBron has been on lately.  I will however say that LeBron's peak form certainly makes this a closer competition than it was about a month ago.  What this performance DOES however indicate is that LeBron is ready for the playoffs.  LeBron has turned up his game at the perfect time, heading into the end of the regular season.  With about 25 games left in the season, he seems to have gotten his legs under him, and his conditioning back to the form we have grown accustomed to.  Even though tonight's performance was absolutely amazing, I have a feeling that the new masked man might have a couple more tricks up his sleeve.  It may not be another 60 point game, or another record breaking performance; but if he keeps shooting the ball at this rate, all I have to say is....be afraid, be very afraid NBA.

Photo credit:
www.latimes.com

Danny's New Home

On Thursday, February 20 at approximately 2:40 PM (ET), the NBA announced arguably the biggest trade transaction to transpire at this year's deadline. This swap, which moved Evan Turner and Lavoy Allen from the Philadelphia 76ers to Indiana for Veteran forward Danny Granger, surprised many, including myself. Although a good move for the Pacers (or so it seems), very few saw this coming. Danny Granger had not made it public that he wanted to be moved, nor did the Pacers show any signs of wanting to cut ties with the ninth year veteran out of New Mexico. Granger seemed to buy into the concept of making sacrifices for a championship, and he was starting to embrace the role of the primary offensive option off the bench. Nevertheless, this trade was made, and with Granger being eventually waived by the 76ers, his new role might be even better for him.

The Los Angeles Clippers are one of the best teams in the NBA this season; surprisingly enough, they are yet to reach their peak. With the growth and development of Blake Griffin, and the return of CP3, the Clippers are bound to turn it up another notch, and raise their level of play to a different plateau. As my pick to make it out of the west and represent the conference in June, an acquisition like that of Danny Granger only adds more weapons to an already deadly threat. Some question if Granger would be able to find playing time on an already extremely talented team; however I believe that Granger might be the missing piece to put this Clipper team over a western powerhouse like the Oklahoma Thunder.

Talent is without a doubt plentiful in Clipper land. The Clippers started out this season with a line-up of Paul, Redick, Dudley, Griffin, and Jordan. With the various injuries that the team has experienced this season, the current starting five consists of Paul, Crawford, Barnes, Griffin and Jordan. With Crawford and Barnes being inserted into the starting line-up, the secondary unit has lost much its scoring boost. This has led to the starters being expected to play majority of the game, due to a lack of offensive prowess coming off the bench. The acquisition of Big Baby Davis and Danny Granger can certainly address this issue; with Granger doing so a bit differently.

Danny Granger is a starting caliber talent in this league. As a two-way player, the 6th man role does not suit this 6'9" forward. Although Granger can put up points, he's much more than just a scorer; he is a presence on the defensive end. Many forget that Granger's calling card coming into the league was his defense. His size as well as agility has made him a solid defender in this league for many years. So where am I going with this? Danny Granger deserves to be the starting small forward for the Indiana Pacers. No knock on Matt Barnes, but Matt Barnes is no Danny Granger. Matt Barnes is a great defender and a streaky shooter; however he is nowhere near the offensive player that Danny Granger is capable of being. With that being said, the starting small forward position has Danny Granger's name written all over it.

Being accustomed to the niche of a role player, Matt Barnes will not be affected by any means if he were to return to a bench role. After all, that is where he started out this season. Jared Dudley on the other hand can completely disregard seeing the floor, as his inconsistency shooting the ball has made him unreliable and somewhat of a liability for this Clipper basketball team. With that being said, the acquisition of Danny Granger will address the weakness of the Clippers; the small forward position, and make them a complete basketball team. As a Miami Heat fan, I believe that this improves Granger's chances of winning a championship as opposed to being a Pacer, as he will at least have a chance to make it to the finals. Hey Danny, you might not get a ring, but you'll at least get to see the Larry O'Brien trophy.....from afar.

Photo credits:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1967769-whats-next-for-danny-granger-after-philadelphia-76ers-trade#articles/1967769-whats-next-for-danny-granger-after-philadelphia-76ers-trade

http://espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/clippers/post/_/id/6033/drawing-power-an-asset-for-clippers?ex_cid=espnapi_public

Religion: The Benefits of Following to a Possible Non-Believer

     


Today as I sat in church, listening to the sermon, I found myself engaging in a dialogue with myself trying to figure out what religion really is. Is God real? Is there an afterlife? Will we ever know? These questions raced through my mind as I sat and listened to a guest preacher go on and on about faith being the conviction of what we believe, rather than what we see. Isn't seeing believing though? How do we strongly believe in something or someone that we've never seen? What if the bible is really just a fairy tale? May God forgive me for these thoughts, but from a rational point of view, religion seems to be the first form of government, and the bible seems to be the first constitution.


Before civilization, mankind was free to do whatever they wanted. That obviously led to chaos (as listed in tales such as that of Sodom and Gomorrah). In order to bring about some form of structure and organization, a governing body of some sort had to be established. This is where I think religion comes in. Religion brought about a set of rules and regulations that if followed, would bring about peace and stability. But why would mankind follow these laws? Well, that is where the promise of the afterlife comes in.

Mankind is fond of the concept of reinforcement: if you do A and B, you will be rewarded with C and D. In other other words, if you follow these sets of laws established in the name of "God," you will be rewarded by getting to see him in the euphoric after life, and avoid the burning gates of hell. Sounds pretty appealing, right? So obviously mankind would be inclined to follow these laws simply on the basis of faith and not necessarily rationality. Now, I'm not here to condemn the concept of religion simply because I don't believe there is a God (I'm uncertain of what I believe, I'm torn on the subject), instead I'm here to explore why the concept of religion (whether rational or not) is beneficial to society.

Whether or not you believe in every word of the Bible or Quran or whatever book you follow, following some form of monotheistic religion seems to set you on a path to be successful in life. It keeps you grounded, and makes you a law abiding citizen, as religious texts typically expect more of you than the government ever will. For example, all religious texts preach the avoidance of the type of behavior that may be detrimental to oneself or another. The concept of killing, for example is frowned upon everywhere. Following such guarantees that you will stay away from any legal repercussions for homicides, etc. Avoiding taking what's not yours also guarantees that you will not be convicted of larceny or burglary, etc. These examples are just a few of the many guidelines of religion that cross paths with the laws of society. In sum, being religious pretty much guarantees that you'll be an outstanding law abiding citizen (for the most part, since religion never mentioned avoiding speeding and such).

Where I really disagree with religion, in particular Christianity, is on certain topics that are subjective to the generation that we are in. Take for example the concept of abstinence before marriage. I believe that this concept was practiced in the past because there was no means for contraception besides avoiding the act itself. With that being said, folk of those times wanted to avoid reproduction to the extent where proper care would escape some children; therefore they frowned upon the concept of sex as a source of pleasure, and considered it solely as a reproductive act. Premarital sex was then frowned upon because marriage was somewhat of an indicator that a newborn would be able to receive the proper care that he or she ought to receive. With the changes that we've experienced in modern society today, this practice or belief seems invalid, or at least on the basis of the logic being used here.

In sum, whether or not there is a God, or whether or not there is an afterlife, etc. is something that we may never know until we die; however one thing we do know is that following some form of monotheistic religion seems to mold us into being law abiding citizens who live a pretty prosperous life. For that reason, I encourage all people to adopt some form of religion and practice it to the best of your ability, even if you believe there is no God, as this will set you up to live a pretty disciplined life filled with good fortunes due to your good actions.

 

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