Religion as I see it (Part 1)

You will find that I am not particularly articulate when it comes to expressing my viewpoints on most contentious issues. Religion, politics, abortion, justice, all of these things are important issues that I think about quite a bit but there seems to be no clear way that I can produce my thoughts externally (see the discombobulation is starting already). So I am going to try from time to time to articulate my viewpoints on this blog and hopefully this will make it all clearer.

Religion: we all are opinionated about which religion is the best or the correct or the truth. I really think that all religions are valid but that they are just trying to explain the same ends. When I say religion, I include the Western secular philosophies and science in general. All of these religions are trying to explain the "Unknown" to help take some of the uncertainty and fear out of not knowing what happened or will happen. 

So when I hear/see people arguing that their religion is more correct or true and that others are not valid, it annoys me. Take the current socio-religious conflict between Islam, Judism, and Christianity. From my limited understanding of each religion, they are trying to get to the same place largely through the same philosophical framework. Do good now and believe in your creator and you will make it to a heaven or some place wonderful after you die. Does it really matter if one religion believes that Jesus existed as the son of an omnipotent god or if he was simply one of the prophets? Does it even matter if you don't believe in Jesus? Maybe there is one god and that god will be waiting for you with spiritual wealth after you die. The core of each of these three religions is that you are to believe in a single maker and that you must do good deeds and live a spiritually and physically healthy life to have value in your existence. 

For most religions, it seems that the theme of living a healthy life is at the core. Science says that you should eat your vegetables and not things that will make you sick. Christianity and Judaism preach that though shall honor thy father and mother and thou shalt not kill. Islam says that you should avoid pork and shellfish (traditionally unhealthy to eat), and that you should not kill. What is wrong with any of these ideas? Are these religions worth fighting and killing over? Definitely not. Are they worth arguing over and discussing? Most healthfully, yes.