Do you believe in God?

That's a question often asked as blithely as if the person was asking the time of day. Moreover, the answer will often be the clay which the inquirer will use to build his image of the respondent. If the answer is a firm no, some will automatically attribute low moral character to the infidel. After all, what kind of values can one have if he/she doesn't believe in the omnipotence of a deity? How can they believe that the complexity of the universe and the intricacy of the human body was the result of a series of cosmic accidents? Creationists believe that life and the universe were created in their original form by a deity, while evolutionists believe we evolved from a lower species of life to our present incarnation.

The problem I've always had with Darwin's Theory is, if we evolved from the apes through a series of embodiments that ranged from the Java Man to Neanderthal, Cro-Magnon, etc., where are the replacements for those species? If we assume, as evolution teaches, that our decidedly more attractive features today are the result of those millennial-length changes, why do we not have live ancestors in all of those stages today? Unless evolution has ceased, we'd still be able to chat with those bi-pedal relatives with the sloping foreheads and crooked spines that only a chiropractor could love. The great 19th century English naturalist left us with a lot to consider, but in order to subscribe to his theory we'd have to take a long leap of faith. It's a leap no greater than the belief that a superior being is behind the synchronized solar system that provides us with the warmth and oxygen to sustain life.

None of the above should be viewed as intolerance of atheism. What a person believes is a private commitment that can't be overruled by the proselytizing power of worshippers, no matter how well-meaning their efforts. Besides, I feel justified in saying that everyone who has grown to adulthood in a civilized society is, in fact, a person of faith. That's because organized religion has had such a profound effect on the mainstream ethos of everyday life that one could hardly escape its wholesome message. This country, for example, was founded by religious refugees seeking the freedom to worship in peace, without fear of tyranny from the intolerant. The principles of religion have been embedded in our laws and have provided us with a code of moral conduct. Are there any among us who have not been influenced by the good versus evil creed at some point during our lifetime?

I've always believed that exposure to religion, however slight or avid your level of commitment, will inject a corresponding level of positive neurons to your outlook on life. Have you ever come away with a feeling of despair or desperation after spending time in a house of worship? On the contrary, it's a place to rejuvenate your spirit and build on your hopes and dreams. A soul can get worn and raggedy after dealing with the weeklong conflicts that often arise in the perfidious environment that accompanies social and business encounters. An hour or more of worship can sew up those holes and toughen your moral resolve to face the challenges of a new week.

Although many can get by without the spiritual connection, I submit that they have already been blessed by a lifetime of influence from others of good will. The world is far from perfect now, but can you imagine how wretched it would be without the benevolent structure put in place by those with love in their hearts for their fellow man? Those who deny and decry the effect of spiritual guidance on their pathway of life may have become adept at repudiating the intangible components inherent in the atmosphere surrounding their every move. They have no way of knowing the salubrious benefits received from neighbors whose moral compass has been shaped by a lifetime of Scriptural edification.

In other words, if those closest to us have developed a sensitive regard for fairness and virtue, in essence, a conscience, we are made safer and more secure by their proximity. Contrarily, if we were surrounded by self-absorbed hedonists, our lives might become repugnant and perilous. With that concept in mind, I suggest that we are all recipients of religious largess, whether we decide to believe it or not. Hence we are all shaped, in one way or another, by faith.

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