Religion: an Extreme Form of Escapism(Position Paper)

IS RELIGION AN EXTREME FORM OF ESCAPISM?

Experience shows or manifests that throughout the existence of man, he encounters pain, sufferings, disappointments and other undesirable things. Such brings him feelings of self-pity, being alone, depression, and sometimes, the feeling of being a victim and thus, blames those people around him as if they were the primary reason why he experiences such negative things. Consequently, he looks for comfort in order to relieve the pain or escape from all of these experiences. This act is called escapism. Man tends to act to help relieve persisting feelings of depression or general sadness. Also, he diverts his mind through entertainment or recreation as an escape from the perceived unpleasant aspects of daily life (Wikipedia).

People have their own ways of escaping from these unpleasant experiences. Some take drugs, some enjoy through televisions, computers, and gadgets, and some involve themselves to sports. These are some forms of escapism. Another form, according to many thinkers, is religion.

Religion is a set of beliefs and practices by which a group of people interprets and responds to what they feel is supernatural and sacred (Beltran, 1996, 85). From this definition, we can observe that one of the main features of religion is the belief in supernatural being which appears to be beyond reality. However, this belief is always connected to human experience and existence. That is, supernatural beings were used to explain things in this world as well as the existence of man.

Many people in this world cling to religion. Religion, as we have defined, has varieties of beliefs and practices. More so, there are different kinds of religion in this world. However, there are features that are common among them. One of which, as we have said, is the Supernatural beings. These beings are those higher than man and possess supernatural powers. Also, they are believed to be the ones responsible of creating the world and that, they...