God, Religion, & Prayer In Business, Part II
Ryan W. McClellan, MS
Senior Marketing Manager | Digital Marketing Specialist | Entrepreneur | Author | Public Speaker | Business Consultant
Last we left off in Part I, we were discussing the ever-daunting subject of cataclysmic proportion: the role of God and religion in business and life.
Again, this is not a dictation fueling holy wars; I am not here to debate the existence of God or to preach the word of Christ. I am a bystander. That is all.
Winston Churchill once said:
"There is something going on in time and space, and perhaps even beyond time and space, that whether we like it or not, spells 'duty.'"
He also said:
"When great forces are on the move, we learn that we are spirits, not animals."
Was Churchill Right?
Now, despite the fact that Churchill was a heavy drinker, I feel he has a point. You see, in life we have one of two choices and no "in-between" exists:
We either believe that something beyond humanity's scope is listening, or we believe that we are alone. In either scenario, we are both right and/or wrong.
But that is what is so amazing about the idea of existential forces: we will never know until we officiate our death beds, and what then?
Well, for me, it means making sure I can come back
Take as an example: many on their deathbeds will pray.
I have seen the vastly devout die only - and yes, even in the function of a bullet hole in their chest - after they have prayed; I have seen Atheists do the same.
Death converts us into a sense of necessity
Death...
That word: "death." It is the one thing we are all going to be destined to. My high school teacher used to say that the only two certain things are taxes and death.
Well, do not ask me how, but I do not pay taxes, so I have only one.
So, what then? Well, we see a problem in the manner in which we function: many turn to prayer or religion out of necessity while others deny it out of spite.
It almost seems as if it has nothing to do with what wish to believe. Rather, we all have a subjective viewpoint
That same study also confirms that nine out of ten Americans believe that yes, there is something beyond us ("beyond time and space...") that requisites us.
Yet so many of us find solace in prayer only to find that life still does not work out for us. Then, those same people will proceed into a grief-like process, where suddenly God is to blame, when perhaps it was merely "meant to happen."
What You Believe
No matter what you believe in, you are right, and you are wrong. Just like heaven and hell are polar opposites, and just as night is to day, there is no "right" answer.
Rather, all we can do is choose to succeed
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Not Arrogance, But...
...Rather, foolishness.
Living without belief, mind you, has its problems just as much as living with far too much of it. Take a study that found Atheists tend to live less happy lives.
What does this say about humanity?
When did the question move from: "Is there a God?" to "Why does my life suck?" Well, for starters, belief is calculatedly chemical. Take a look at dopamine.
I mentioned in Part I that I had read a study that I, unfortunately, cannot locate.
It stated that dopamine (the "reward" chemical) was higher in nuns who were engaged in prayer than in control subjects while under fMRI scanning.
Does that mean God is merely chemical? No, and yes. Also, no. It means that we have an evolutionary advantage to prayer
Otherwise, why in the hell (pun intended, mind you) would dopamine release in such bulkage when in consideration of its purpose? It is there to reward us for survival-based mechanisms, such as eating, sex, and even breathing.
Survival instinct aside
Recall Rome and the Illuminati. Bloody corpses were dragged down streets in the name of God and belief, as science slowly dawned as a new reality.
Threatened, the Church felt that preaching any other factor or variable for life (for example, evolutionary theorems) was a sin.
Then, the "thou shalt not kill" rule was broken, and yet to this very day, that same war rages on, paradoxically so.
At the end of the day, however, people are willing to kill in the name of belief, whether it is in favor of religion and God, or for the opposite.
What Do You Believe?
So that leaves me with a question, and consider it one to ponder tonight, whether you pray or not: what do you believe? Rather, if you believe, why do you?
And if you do not, why not?
I ask not out of spite but for the sake of thought.
The point of any great article is not to bias opinions or to shove beliefs down one's throat. My purpose with this particular series was to make you think.
I will leave you here with a quote, and pardon the rather lazy article; it has been a long night. For today, and maybe even tomorrow, think about this...
“Hope is the belief that the promised will be fulfilled.”
― Lailah Akita
Take care, family, friends, and be sure to subscribe to my newsletter!
President and Medical Director THE PSYCH ASSOCIATES OF DUPAGE, CHARTERED
1yNo god(s). As Hitchens used to joke … we are more in agreement than not. Of all of the gods over history you don’t believe in any of them but one. I just took your position one step further.