Quinn Weidner, North Carolina State University – North Carolina, $500
By Quinn Weidner
At its core, religion was created in the hopes of establishing unification of the spiritual mind, thus promoting times of peace and cooperation — a rare asset in ancient times filled with constant battling and human blood loss. Stories of all-knowing beings reduced anxiety about the future and afterlife. However, what once was created for all-encompassing unity has only created devastating division. Mass genocide, social ostracization and modern warfare all have roots in debates over religious values using death as their argument’s closer.
