First let’s take a look at religion. Religion is a set of beliefs, practices, and perhaps rituals based on what is known as worship. What is worship? Worship is respect and reverence for a god or power. Worship is a form of submission. There are places of worship where people of like-minded beliefs come together to practice their beliefs and rituals. There is also a form of worship ritual that says to go to your closet and be alone with God. Many people feel that God calls them to worship and to go places to share their beliefs. Belief in a religion supersedes other systems, such as the way families are structured to fit the rituals and purposes of the religion. Religions are known to cause wars and deep divisions between countries and also between families.

I have read in the Qur’an that the sole purpose of people on earth is to worship God. The Christian Catechism says that our purpose is to praise God forever. Perhaps there is some truth in this, although it may be misunderstood. What if the words were rearranged a bit to say that people will worship and praise a god? Maybe that makes a little more sense.

Religion has recommended times of day for prayer and dates on the calendar for celebration, some even feel that they need to pray, praise or worship.

Now let’s look at addiction. Addiction has places to go and be together with others of similar beliefs; bars for the alcoholic, clubs and houses for the drug addict, casinos for the gambler and churches for the religious addicts. Many people will also go to their closet to be alone to drink, use drugs, watch porn, play video games, and gamble on the Internet. Addicts receive a signal or trigger that tells them it is time to participate in their addiction. For some, this trigger is a time of day, a date on the calendar, or a feeling. Many people who are active addicts feel that they are celebrating when they are involved in the ritual of seeking their high. Some addicts actually call themselves atheists, which seems completely absurd to me given what is known about religion and worship and how addiction compares.

In my opinion, there are as many ways to be addicted as there are people. The list of addictive substances is endless. Let me list some of the more well-known addictive substances here:

• Alcohol
• Religion
• Both street and prescription drugs
• Sex
• play
• sports or exercise
• food
• Pornography
• Love

Is there a person on this planet who has not participated in at least one of these activities? Well, everyone eats, that’s for sure, with the exception of people who don’t have food or who are anorexic and addicted to feeling empty and looking fat. Even these people have eaten at least once before. I suppose there may be someone who has never loved but, I think it is doubtful.

There is a school of thought that says addiction is a family disease. But, like the addiction to worship, it abandons everyone else. Many people feel that if they do something that is legal, it does not qualify as an addiction. After all, who is doing anything illegal if they eat, go to church, or get a prescription from their doctor? Many of these types of addicts condemn the poor prostitute standing on the corner and don’t compare what they are doing to the downtrodden homeless alcoholic or the prostitute standing on the corner. They just practice their religion and are completely subservient to their god, what’s wrong with that?

In the last century, organizations were started to try to reduce addiction, such as the AA, NA, and GA. Drunk drivers are ordered to attend AA meetings and people arrested on drug charges are required to attend NA meetings. Proclaimed atheists often say that these organizations are too religious for their liking and that people who claim to have a Higher Power often go back to using their drug of choice. Then there are others who make their AA, NA, GA and SA meetings their religion and abandon everyone else for the sake of their recovery, including their families. Family members are often relieved that their loved one has found recovery. They are told to mind their own business and focus on themselves while their addicted loved one learns to live. one day at a time. Families often fall apart while loved ones are in a recovery program. Often the loved one finds a lover while he is going to recovery meetings who whispers in his ear that he has a right to live his own life. private life.

Addiction is an obsession and one can usually find a forever Prayed never associated with the activities involved in searching for anything that is used to satisfy the obsession. the crack addict forever you have to call your dealer who is kind as saying a prayer. maybe they will never that no one sees them performing their ritual of preparation for use. Which is a lot like going into the closet. the religious addict forever go to church on Sunday.

In conclusion, my comparison of addiction and religion is that they both have rituals, they both have submission, and they both have to do with devotion to the exclusion of all others.

Thanks for reading this, I hope there is something to think about here for those struggling to break free from addiction and for those who love them.