Aman 1

Does God Exist?

When I was in Sunday school in third grade at Temple Sinai, I was asked an important
question that would and will recur many times throughout my life as a religious person. My
teacher, an older, orthodox woman with bright red hair named Ms. Bellman, or Ms. B for short,
asked the class Do you believe in God? She proceeded to ask each student individually, saying
that we could respond yes, no, or I dont know, and that it was okay if you didnt believe
in God or didnt know; you could still be Jewish. However, I could see even as an eight year old
that she, as an orthodox, was clearly biased. My first instinct was to say no, but I didnt want to
disappoint Ms. B, so I told her that I didnt know if I believed that God existed.
This is a question that I have struggled with in my faith since I was first asked it, and I
think any religious person wonders at some point whether or not there is a higher being or if
theyre just crazy and praying to air. In general, I am more religious than other people in my
family. I am a Madricha, or teachers helper, at my temple; I go to Shabbat services whenever I
can; I fast on Yom Kippur, etc. But this does not mean that I believe in God. In services, I sing
the Hebrew songs and during silent prayer time, I pray to God, thanking him for everything I
have or asking him for a favor. After services, I feel relaxed and have a sense of clarity, but I still
doubt Gods existence.
However, recently I have been thinking about whether or not it matters if God exists.
People come together in a synagogue, church, mosque, or even in their homes because they have
a common belief or faith. Some people may believe in God, others might not, but people form
friendships and bonds that will last forever. I formed a friendship with a girl in fourth grade
because we were both bored in Sunday school, and she is still one of my best friends.
Furthermore, religion brings people together, providing a source of strength when a loved one

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dies or happiness in times of celebration. In Judaism, we sit Shiva to support and remember good
times of a recently passed friend or family member, and we celebrate becoming a Jewish adult
with a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. One of my favorite memories was my Bat Mitzvah service and party,
where I essentially led a Shabbat service and then had a party for doing it. I still remember the
feeling of being lifted up in a chair, bobbing up and down, hands in the air, and grinning until my
face hurt. No one cared whether or not I believed in God, they were proud of me and happy for
me.
Religion also provides stories to pull wisdom and guidance from. In Sunday school, I
teach my first graders about Mosess strength, Josephs forgiveness, and Caines wickedness.
During Yom Kippur, we learn to apologize to others and ourselves for our mistakes, and during
Passover and Chanukah, we learn to appreciate and celebrate miracles, whether created by God
or coincidence. The stories of a religion are often exciting and fun to learn about, but they also
warn us not to make the mistakes others have in the past. Every history teacher says that the best
way to avoid repeating mistakes of the past is to learn about it, and the Torah or Bible or any
other religious texts tells stories of the past and begs us to learn from them.
God could also be a deeper place or strength that we can pull from in desperate times.
When Native Americans captured a Puritan woman, Mary Rowlandson, she claimed that God
had saved her. While held captive, she was tortured and on the brink of death, but she prayed to
God constantly, becoming even more devoted to her faith. She managed to survive, escape, and
write a book about her journey, and even if a higher being didnt interfere, her faith that she
would live, saved her. Often when people are in dangerous situations, they pray to God, but
maybe they are really just using an extra strength inside themselves that they hadnt previously
known existed.

Aman 3
Nonetheless, people are still religious even when not in impossible or life-threatening
situations. Many people attend a religious service at least once a week to pray and thank God for
the ordinary things in life. I think that people are attracted to prayer because it is a way of
meditating and exercising mindfulness. It forces us to focus on our feelings, and I have often
found it to be therapeutic and calming. Moreover, prayer often reminds us of how lucky we are,
and it motivates people to better themselves. When thanking God or asking for forgiveness, we
learn to appreciate how much we have compared to others and what we can do to better our
relationships with others, and many people find peace in this realization.
Many people debate not only whether or not God is real, but also which version or
religion is correct. Some even adamantly believe in atheism, or that the idea of God is impossible
and fabricated. In many countries, including the United States, people are persecuted for their
beliefs, and stereotypes are omnipresent. However, maybe it doesnt matter which God or gods
you believe in, or even if you dont believe in one at all, as long as you are happy. Religion is
about community, knowledge, and finding serenity and strength, and whichever religion or lack
thereof makes someone happy is what he or she should follow. It is a part of many peoples
heritage, and if following this heritage is important to them, they should be allowed to do this
and be accepted into any country or community. People who dont believe in God often find
other ways to be spiritual, and this is okay as well. Our world has become too focused on which
sector or branch of religion one believes in, when religion should really be about finding which
faith speaks to you and brings you happiness and peace.
I do not staunchly believe that God exists, nor do I deny the possibility of a higher power.
The idea of God has brought people together to form communities, where people can mourn or
celebrate together. It teaches us important lessons from the past to learn from, and it can provide

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extra strength that we didnt know we had. Prayer can bring tranquility and gratitude to our lives,
and it urges us to better ourselves everyday. So I guess my question is actually, does it matter if
God exists, and when will the world realize the irrelevance of Gods existence and accept all
beliefs and faiths?