Believers or followers? Religion has had a profound effect on human culture; unfortunately, the problem is faith, which creates skepticism in many people. In order to answer the question of faith, religions have regulations, values ​​and ceremonies, making religion a belief system, thus creating clarity to support faith. Catholicism has become a belief system that feeds its followers with answers; However, these answers are only hypotheses. There are no factual answers and, as a result, religious leaders have created an expectation into which religion is expected to fit; nevertheless, its accuracy is unknown. In Gabriel Garcia Marquez's short story "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings", religious values ​​are at the center of criticism. A man with enormous wings, the protagonist of the story, is never strictly classified as man or angel. He is rejected by society because he goes against society's expectations of what a true angel should be, an expectation taught to them by religion. The ambiguity of the old man with enormous wings tests the true faith of the followers of Catholicism, symbolizing an archetypal figure of Christ. The vile reaction of the priest and society towards him demonstrates that society's understanding of religion is superficial. As a result, the story asserts, followers of a religion should not rely on the assumptions their religion has created, but rather believe, with faith. The old man with enormous wings is a representation of an archetypal Christ figure. Even though the man with the enormous wings is neither a man nor an angel, he is a Christ figure. Similar to Jesus, the man with enormous wings arrives on Earth in an unexpected form. The Old Testament claims that the Messiah will live as... middle of paper... Icism has such a profound effect on the beliefs of city dwellers; they are unable to look beyond the old man's appearance and realize that he is divine. Instead of strengthening society's faith, religion destroyed it. Religion, which was supposed to strengthen the faith of its followers, did the opposite. Religious practices became extremely factual and the religious component of religion disappeared. To be a true believer, one must have authentic faith. Religious leaders and their followers must understand that their religion is not factual, but supported by faith. The key to the gates of heaven is faith, not facts. Works Cited1. Garcia, Marquez Gabriel. A very old man with enormous wings. Trans. Grégory Rabassa. Print.2. The Holy Bible: New King James Version. Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman & Holman, 1982. Print.