TedTalk Script
Living my life back in Colombia, many years ago when I was around four, I used to
accompany my grandparents to a Catholic church close to my parents’ home. We would walk
there, which took us about 10 minutes and there was a river with such a beautiful sound of peace
and calm; birds singing melodies, making it a delightful period in my life. It was a charming-
memorable place, the essence of coffee candies was surrounding the place on weekends, cotton
candy was everywhere; kids playing, laughing, and talking about Tamagotchis. Once we got to
the church, we would listen to the priest on the altar saying words of wisdom, which contained
valuable life-lessons such as the fact that lying has not only consequences for yourself, but also
for those who surround you. I also learnt concepts like purgatory, heaven, and hell. Each religion
has its own concepts and beliefs. Despite the formative experience I had going to church during
that period in my life, I can’t label myself as a religious person. Recently, while procrastinating,
which is usual in my school life, I found myself contemplating the deep impact that religion has
been having on me, especially Catholicism, on various aspects in my life. Religion indirectly has
shaped my self-awareness, behaviour, and perception of the world, among other things. This
special reflection led me to make a conclusion that religions influence our thoughts and actions
on a subconscious level, even for those of us who are not especially religious.
Reading Hamlet by Shakespeare was such an argument for this premise, the best
argument I could’ve had in my life. Why is it such a strong argument? Well… since in the play
the presence of religion (Christianity) is undeniable, the behaviour of most of the characters are
influenced by Christianity, and the religious quotations; I think I have a good argument. During
the play you can find quotations like this one, “Do not fear our person. There’s such divinity
does hedge a king, that treason can but peep to what it would, acts little of his will.” (4.5.121-
124). This quotation spoken by King Claudius denotes a strong belief in somebody above all
who can judge us and is supporting his acts. This quotation is capable to showing us the notion
of divine protection surrounding the monarchy. We could notice that King Hamlet’s ghost is a
representation of Christianity since it supports the belief in purgatory where a lot of souls are
stagnant searching for their salvation, trying to correct their acts while staying alive. Another
factor we can see is that Hamlet in most of the dilemmas he faces, considers the possibility of
judgement by a divinity, and the fact that if you confess yourself before a priest, you’re free of
sin. That’s why he couldn’t kill Claudius while he was confessing that he killed his own brother
because he would commit sin while Claudius would get rid of any sin. This is evident when he
says, “Now might I do it pat, now’a is a-praying. And now I’ll do’t. And so ‘a goes to heaven,
And so am I reveng’d.” (3.3. 72-75).
Religions are part of the society since they have the capacity to shape aspects of the
human life, and they have become essential part for those who predict them around the world.
Recently, I’ve been thinking about the connotation of the concept of “religion” which has been
bifurcated because of issues that society has generated. It is interesting the fact that religion have
the capacity to transmit peace, calm, mental-refugee, and hope; and at the same time because of
society its primary goal has been distorted making it cause war, differences, and separation. A
clear example evidenced in the actuality is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has both
political and religious roots, continues to generate tensions in the region. The conflict revolves
around the territorial dispute, the status of Jerusalem and the rights of the Palestinians. Religious
differences between Jews and Muslims additionally play a significant role in the conflict, with
religious claims to holy sites and a series of acts of violence and clashes.
It is incredible the fact of how due to religions we have built societies, ways of
interpretation, customs, and the same time war. The flames of discord can break out, casting
doubt, intolerance, and division on society. We should start honoring freedom of religious
expression while embracing the radiant ideals of inclusion and respect for all. Only through
understanding and empathy can we unlock the true transformative potential of religion to shape a
world of shared humanity.
Thank you!
