Understanding Human Existence, Religion, and Spirituality

Understanding Self-Knowledge

Self-knowledge means being aware of one's existence. This includes:

• Conception as a subject: a feeling person.
• Knowing our purpose in the world, our role, and our relationship with other people and things.
• Awareness of one's uniqueness: qualities, talents, skills, weaknesses, limitations, etc.

The Process of Socialization

Socialization is the process through which individuals integrate into the concrete forms of coexistence within their society, internalizing its values, norms, customs, and culture.

Fundamental Human Questions

Humanity grapples with profound questions:

• Who we are: On one hand, we perceive ourselves as both unlimited and finite beings, unfinished and unsatisfied. On the other hand, we harbor infinite desires, are infinitely loved, expectant, hopeful, and eager for the unlimited.
• Where did we come from: We seek a cause, desiring to trace back to the cause of all causes, to the very beginning. So, what would be the beginning? What lies beyond the "zero point"? It is impossible to imagine something arising from nothing. Yet, how can we conceive of an uncaused cause, not initially caused by anyone, existing alone and eternally? Indeed, we confront a mystery that transcends our comprehension.
• Where are we going: We can identify a variety of purposes and analyze one end after another. But what is the ultimate end of all ends? Is it "nothing"? This response would be the most problematic and distressing.

Religion and Rationality

Religion is based on the human being's openness to an ultimate meaning that transcends rational capacity; that is, an openness to transcendent and absolute reality.

The Invisible Nature of God

God is invisible, yet not absent from reality. In contrast, God is the very foundation of reality, residing in the depths where all human realities settle and find meaning.

The Role of Symbols

A symbol serves as a mediation between the human and the divine, between the temporal and the eternal, and between the finite and the infinite.

Defining Sacred Spaces

Any space, through a peculiar relationship with the mystery of God, can become a sacred place and perform a mediating role between the human and the divine.

Defining Religion

Religion is a specifically human fact, original and consistent in its quest for ultimate meaning and the recognition of an ultimate reality that transcends humanity, giving full and absolute meaning to existence.

Key Functions of Religion

Religion serves several vital functions:

• It is a proper function of religion to guide human beings to the mystery of the divine (mystical), to the infinite, eternal, immortal, and to God.
• It serves as the moral basis of religion, which drives individuals to do good, illuminating consciousness, and inspiring and guiding behavioral standards.
• The welfare function of religion cares for the abandoned, assisting them with their needs and showing them God's mercy.
• Religion also has a social function, which fosters a sense of brotherhood in society, promoting social values such as solidarity, peace, and celebration, and legitimizing the meaning of life.

Christianity