By: Lanisha D. PorterA building without a solid foundation will fall. Alike, a person without a solid foundation will fall and have little guidance about getting up. Learned from my own experience, I’ve noticed that college opens up a world of new doors for any individual. College becomes a sea of new thought experiments, political suggestions, religious proclivities, theory explorations, and attitudes brought forth by hundreds of different people—all coming from different walks of life—that you have unlimited freedom to paddle through. From my experience, I’ve also learned that one can strategically sail that sea and use new findings to their advantage. One can become smarter, more well-rounded, civically-engaged and more empathetic to the worlds that may not be synonymous to their own. However, experience has also shown me that sailing that sea can wash people away and drown them of their own identity. Let me explain. During my college career, I’ve witnessed disbelief become a cultural trend. For many of my peers, choosing not to believe in anything was more safe and logical than sorting through so many unverified offerings of what could be true. During my college career, I’ve witnessed disbelief become a cultural trend. For many of my peers, choosing not to believe in anything was more safe and logical than sorting through so many unverified offerings of what could be true. Trust me, you know what I mean. It’s just like that student who has their first Intro to Philosophy class and is prompted to question what if God isn’t real. Shortly after, whenever that person is in church they feel like a pariah because they are disconnected. Because they question the authenticity of God they quietly wonder if all the singing, praising, preaching, and tithing is truly for anything at all. And then there is that secret judgment they pass on devout believers—and because of that Pan Africans Class they had—they feel that followers of Christ perhaps are modern slaves, and their religion is the Opiate of the masses. Somewhere along their journey of discovering all this newfound information, they become proud that they are “woke” enough to be free of any religious bondage. They bask in their self-exploration that has given them the courage to reject any of the ideas imposed on them throughout their life. They feel free, and they label themselves a free spirit. Perhaps they even go the extra mile of telling people they believe in something (just to avoid seeming too unsettling and radical) but they just don’t try to organize it into a religion or give it a name or gender. Overall, they are happy to be “free.” BUT my experience around these free spirits has shown me something important. That is this. They lack something every human being needs--a center. Choosing not to believe fits the cultural trend, but privately, it creates a lot of personal discourse. It leaves one without an anchor when they are sailing the sea of life. Without belief in a higher good, one will crumble into a pile of bricks, bewildered and hopeless, whenever lifes harsh winds huff and puff on them. When you believe, it helps you form a Human Core. When times are hard, they do not have a something to turn to that indicts all will be okay. They don’t have a book that tells about a 40-year journey in the wilderness. They don’t have a Philippians 4:13, or a Psalm 30:5. They don’t care to believe that hard times and momentary struggles are achieving an eternal glory that far outweighs them all, like II Corinthians 4:17-18 offers. Moreover, they become less inclined to share in brotherhood. Choosing not to believe fits the cultural trend, but privately, it creates a lot of personal discourse. It leaves one without an anchor when they are sailing the sea of life. Without belief in a higher good, one will crumble into a pile of bricks, bewildered and hopeless, whenever lifes harsh winds huff and puff on them. When you believe, it helps you form a Human Core. Your Human Core is what you pull from to get through tough times; it’s what you refer to when you are organizing your self-principles. Those who divorce religion while minimizing and ridiculing the allegiance that other people commit to it, tend to cope in unhealthy ways. Again, pulling from my experiences, I’ve found that the “free spirits” unbound by any religious codes, may try to create temporary illusions of contentment that surrogate difficult realities. They may carelessly turn to substances to quickly numb pains; self-medicate in ways that are detrimental to their overall wellness, live always feeling detached, or spend their lives being skeptical of everyone around them. They begin to live only in a way that is beneficial to them, without considering their contributions to the greater good of the world. This is the dysfunction of disbelief. ...do not trivialize the importance of believing. What you believe matters. And ultimately it will be reflected in your life. Beliefs combined become your brick foundation holding up the tower of self when life’s storms come. Beliefs are the very vehicle that transport your life to its rightful destiny. Beliefs are temporal training grounds for the life we hope to have soon after. It creates division, promotes self-isolation, it doesn’t uphold the moral responsibility we have to care for our neighbors, and it leaves people without a strong foundation to tower on. For something to be good, conventionally, we must agree that it performs its function well. I believe those who are believers in the higher goods and a higher power, function better compared to those who are not believers, on a deeper level. I’ve seen so many people join this culture of disbelief of being “free”, yet in turn seeming so lost, misguided, and forlorn. I write this not to condemn any one about their journey of self-exploration, or their odyssey to master self, but I write this to say everyone needs a Human Core. A great part of your journey will consist of choosing what beliefs and ideas you will allow to settle there at your center to help you lead a good life. Many beliefs and ideas will change, and that’s expected—that’s the natural process of growth. However, do not trivialize the importance of believing. What you believe matters. And ultimately it will be reflected in your life. Beliefs combined become your brick foundation holding up the tower of self when life’s storms come. Beliefs are the very vehicle that transport your life to its rightful destiny. Beliefs are temporal training grounds for the life we hope to have soon after. We all ought to believe…and why not believe in the higher goods of life? So all in all, I plead for you to have an anchor. Don’t get lost at sea. The culture of disbelief is not as freeing as it advertises to be.
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