Irony: Jasim only curls and benches

Why do I find God in irony? Is that an ironic question? It's because of how unlikely it is.

Ambulance runs over someone on the way to the hospital

He can't stand to have any of his opinions challenged as a political science major

Cocaine addict used to love playing in snow as a child

I used to want adderall to help me study, now I need it

We know peace in the time between moments

The people in Dubai malls remind me of the citizens of the Capitol in hunger games.

Why am I religious?

I started thinking about this because Julian Barnes, in his grief, implied that religiosity stems from a sense of cosmic entitlement. I think my religiosity stems from a combination of factors; it helps me fight through life, it fulfills my desire for inescapable order and justice, it makes me a better person and it helps explain my observations of reality. Religion is intuitively appealing; in the Abrahamic religions every human action has a reaction, no sin goes unanswered and everyone has a shot at redemption. Our good deeds add up and after death we can spend the remainder of our existence in eternal bliss. It seems too good to be true. But what is impossibility in the face of existence? Faith is blind. One may ask, why would the unverifiable claims of religion hold true? Why not?

Initially it was simple; I found that religion helped me overcome and justify adversity. The knowledge that God is watching over me and at times, testing my faith, has helped me fight through many difficult times. I also found that my life was better when I was religious, it wasn't just that I was more at peace, my life was measurably better. I would cite this as evidence. Improbabilities became realities. In this sense, religion is a universal system of punishment and reward based on ones level of religiosity. Barnes is right on this point. To me, the teachings of religion promote altruism and self discipline that go beyond human nature. These teachings improve my life and the lives of the people around me. Finally, I think a less self centered conception of a higher power is that it validates the harmony of existence- the beauty mathematics and the grand coincidence of love, how the conditions were just right for life to exist. I believe it all happens for a reason.

Barnes' use of the word entitlement carries a very absolute connotation, like transfer of wealth in an inheritance or in this case a fixed exchange of deeds and worldly rewards, the rest to be paid out after death. I don't expect, to be rewarded. Religion isn't just about order. It's also about optimism. Logically speaking we should all be atheists since theism isn't verifiable. We should hold the default position. However, logic doesn't rule out possibility. Ultimately we are faced with a choice; to believe or not to believe? The question has two answers and based on my personal experience, optimism, and moral compass (another debate entirely) there is a higher power. Faith is the basis of religiosity.

I think Life of Pi illustrates this really well. Pi was really in a boat with a bunch of humans who cannibalize each other. It's a horrible thing to witness and partake in, just like life; full of atrocities and suffering. Pi chooses to frame things differently, his tale of survival against immeasurable odds is also a tale of self discovery and redemption. In one story Pi survives through sheer luck, let loose by God by virtue of his circumstance; he ends up broken and spends the rest of his life reliving the horrors of his ordeal. In the other story he sees God in every moment of his journey; fish rains upon him and ultimately he survives. Pi was able to make this distinction because of his religiosity.

Faith doesn't necessarily have to relate to religion, but faith is averse to logic and reason. Just as Pi is irrational, as is the endless debate between religion and logic. It is beyond our comprehension, all we can do is choose. You can't argue with faith because it is inherently disassociated with the need for reason. Faith is an extrapolation of positive thought, which leads me personally (and Pi) to view religion as an irrefutable truth.