Emancipation of a Black Atheist by D. K. Evans

Author:D. K. Evans
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pitchstone Publishing
Published: 2017-03-17T04:00:00+00:00

Religion Can Be Beautiful

Art in its many forms can be very powerful and deeply profound. Artists use their gifts in an attempt to capture the essence of life and to reflect what the artist sees in a creative way. People often find beauty in listening to their favorite song or in immersing themselves in a painting that creates a cathartic experience. How many of us have stared at a sculpture, read a fictional story, or listened to a song that evoked strong emotions?

We can often relate to these works of art on a personal level and find a familiar significance that brings us comfort. We are free to assign meaning to a piece of art based on our individual interpretation. Art can tell us the story of where we’ve been. Art can hold up a mirror to society and tell us where we are today. It can also anticipate where we’ll be in the future. We can find similar interpretations of life in various religions.

There are a lot of parallels between art and religion. If you think about the hallmarks of the religion you’re most familiar with, you’ll more than likely recall an account of our origins—our genesis story, if you will. You’ll also recall guidelines on how to live today and descriptions of what will happen in the future.

These stories are recounted in various art forms, such as in religious parables, religious songs, or even the stained glass windows and iconography that adorn our places of worship. These are all forms of art communicating meaning, purpose, and history to people. People claim to feel the same thing when reading their religious texts, listening to religious-inspired music, or praying/meditating.

Religion can serve as a cultural narrative outlining where we come from, what we need to do, and where we need to go. Religion uses a great deal of creative license to recount our story while cleverly inserting lessons into the stories.

Like with art, one can interpret the parables in the Bible any way one chooses, and relate certain parts to one’s own life, making the experience extremely personal. Religion can be seen as an all-inclusive art form utilizing written, visual, and auditory interpretations of our experiences.

While talking to believers about their religious experiences, I found myself trying to see things through their eyes. I saw clearly that religion can be beautiful when observed in the right light, and this beauty can bring joy and purpose to peoples’ lives.

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