I want to preface this piece by saying that I realize in advance that this essay probably will not change anyone's views on religion. Convincing someone that their religious beliefs are incorrect is about as feasible as convincing a guy in love that his girl is not good for him. In the end, it's simply something people just have to discover for themselves.

I had religious beliefs. I really did. I tried to believe in God and all things relevant to religion, but recently, I have come to a conclusion about what religion is really all about.

I use the word 'conclusion' deliberately in the most absolute of terms. I say this because I feel that I have figured out what religion is all about. The fact is, most people, even the most devoutly religious people around, can't explain certain things about religion. The reason for this is that they simply do not know.

Religion is fiction. Basically in the same capacity as Santa Claus and The Tooth Fairy, except it applies more as much to adults as it does to children. perhaps even more so.

My theory on religion is that it began as a way to explain occurrences and phenomenons that man simply didn't understand. Take Greek and Roman Mythology, for example. The ancient Greeks and Romans had invented all sorts of different Gods and Goddesses to account for the things that couldn't be explained conventionally. It became an easy excuse to delude themselves into thinking that any time lightning struck, or the tides rose, or a volcano erupted that it was simply the will of the Gods. They assigned a different higher power to everything they didn't understand.

As time went by, mankind discovered among other things that the earth is round, and the sun rises as a result of the earths rotation, and the tides were the result of the moon's gravitational force, etc. And slowly the beliefs that a different God was responsible for each of these occurrences died with the ignorant.

That said, there is one occurrence in nature that hasn't been, and probably never will be scientifically explained. That of course is the question of what happens to us when we die?

I have developed this theory over the course of a long period of time and after a lot of thinking and observing.

Although I had always been skeptical, I didn't come to a distinct conclusion until after a recent visit to the Field Museum in Chicago, Ill. It was their 'Evolving Planet' exhibit that has really persuaded me in the conclusion I have

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