Washma Anwar
THEO 100
Miller/Drake
Credo Paper
Trying to sum up all of your religious beliefs within the confines of a few
pages is probably one of the most arduous feats a person can venture to accomplish.
But it’s also very rewarding. In planning for this paper not only have I encountered
arguments that have checked some of the beliefs I’ve always held to be true for a
long time, but my own values have been strengthened and organized as well. I do
not believe we can ever know of God’s existence or of what he wants from us until
we get to heaven (hopefully). And I don’t think religious manuscripts can effectively
provide a universal means for getting there. So the responsibility is left entirely in
the hands of the individual. We must question and understand what we believe and
why – no matter what we hold as truth, instead of becoming sheep. I believe we’re
born with the capacity to discern right from wrong on our own, and I believe we
should use that intellect to try and become the best people we can. But most
importantly, I believe we must all acknowledge that different people have different
paths for accomplishing this – and that’s okay.
What does it take for me to make the best chocolate chip cookies you’ve ever
had? I could use the best organic brown sugar, let the dough chill overnight, come up
with the perfect chocolate to cookie ratio, and do everything else the back of the
Nestle Tollhouse box says. But no matter what I do while making the cookies, no
matter how diligently I knead the dough or how carefully I measure the ingredients,
I can never really know if I’m making best cookies you’ve ever had; not until you try
them. Now, how do I get into heaven?
Both of these questions are a posteriori. I can’t know until it happens. I can’t
know the recipe for your favorite chocolate chip cookies until you taste one that you
like best. (1) I can’t know what it takes to get into heaven, until I get into heaven.
Many devout believers will disagree with me, claiming that Scripture will tell
