Changing Perspective

One of the most important topics in the process of creating a religion as a graduation process was the idea of giving a framework to fight conventions and thought patterns. So many ideas of behavior in public or private space, relations with others and the self, ideas about spirituality, social life and personal well being are so outdated and stuck and are hard to tackle. To create a framework were none of these conventions apply and all common values can be challenged was a main part of my motivation. To call it a religion is both ironically provocative and serious.

So many parts of our all day lives in nearly all societies are influenced or deriving from religious believes and values. Some even say, that ideals like Communism, Capitalism or Liberalism can be seen as religions. No matter how you call it, they are believe systems which are the base for creating institutions. Institutions on the other hand play a great deal in the questions of how we spend our lives, interact with each other, what we think and what surrounds us.

What I see is a lack of involvement with spiritual needs and emotional well being, in times where everything is measured in success and creation of an image. There is simply not much space for the weird, the different, the sacred, the useless, not much space for fear, enjoyment, consolation, reflection even there seems to be less space for relationships and community. Religious institutions which normally have been assigned to deal with this these topics and literally make space for them, fail to adjust and surely enough don’t do much good to promote their reputation. Much of the alternative support which is offered nowadays is merely there to make it work again, to make you a functioning part of society according to the societies measure.

Although it sometimes only needs small changes of perception to make steps which can help us live our lives in a better way, get at ease with our desires and emotions or change conventions. What it needs to do that is a framework, a justification, an institution and ideally a discourse that pairs humor and seriousness. And what can there be more serious and funny than religion? Religions are a tool to deal with the deepest and oldest human emotions, struggles and confusions no matter how the respective deities are called, how they look or not look. They have answered to them with many helpful inventions but also with a whole bunch of funny heads, ridiculous habits and cute attempts to explain the big bad world. After all religions are a big playground, which people have unfortunately stopped to play on. I mean, how nice is the idea of a church!? It is a huge building with free entrance, ridiculous proportions to be able to be closer to the sky, huge colorful windows that tell stories and celebrate the light of the sun, a place where you can meet people, sing with them, be sad together or celebrate, where you can carry your fear, your love, your worries your questions and deal with them alone or with the help of others. It is the same principal for mosques, temples, synagogues, soccer stadiums or what not. And everything those places need to work is the societies agreement, that it is a normal thing to go there and do what you do. The creation of these places rituals and habits can start with the smallest idea like the desire to meet your friends and it can become as big as building a building for the exact same reason. It’s a question of where you put your assets and energy and if the society or a community agrees enough to not put at risk your existence, freedom or health. I think it is time to start questioning the conventions which influence us and to create new ones with an open but critical mind. And although it needs a group effort, everything starts with a personal motivation. So why not start practicing to challenge conventions with wearing something funny in the subway!? It’s fine! #wemillennials