On Religion and Philosophy

Originally written on 10/7/’15

Religion has no place in philosophizing.

I agree with the statement, however, an important distinction had to be made between religion as an institution and religion as a relation. Religion as an institution, according to Sigmund Freud and Ludwig Feuerbach, is merely a wishful thinking. To philosophize, means to take into an open perspective of things, which religion seems to narrow down. Philosophy indeed have answers and asks too many questions which it often leaves unanswered about a myriad of things; Religion on the other hand, answers all question in one fell swoop: God. Religion as an institution runs afoul Philosophy in such way that in philosophizing, religion acts as a leash on the mind and moral of a person cannot overcome due to the norms and rules it had imposed upon the society. Agreement to customs, tradition, and convention do not make one wise, or a lover of wisdom; asking why such tradition is ordained by the society to do is in itself a restriction on the fundamental question of every philosopher: to ask “why”! Thus morals and boundaries that religion have imposed choke the philosopher’s ideas and thoughts. The moment one begins philosophizing, man should have the freedom to unshackle himself what religion have locked him in. Furthermore, it hinders progress through setting limit on the changing and development of their perspective. Why must an ideology constrict the flow of other ideas? Religion as an institution has its merits, but these merits have no place in one’s act of philosophizing.Despite the statement above, religion as a relation does not hinder philosophizing. This relation is not of with oneself or society, but with God. Thus, contrary to religion as an institution, it provides a setting to which philosophizing may properly bloom. It can be likened to a good soil that allows the seed of ideals to prosper and mature. Far from being restrictive, it is actually emancipating. It allows a person to connect to the realm of ideas whose source is God; it opens us ephemeral beings to understand the infinite, it is a direct link to the cosmos itself. Thus, philosophizing is a personal act to understand and makes sense of the world around us. What better way can one conceive than that of directly communing with the One who is its source?  Our communication with him allows us to reconcile the finite to the infinite, the temporal to the eternal, and the necessary to the possible. What better way to show love wisdom than to be one which is the Most Wise?