People universally fear death and religion provides a way to alleviate that fear. It teaches that people live on after death and it is not the end for them. It also provides a sense of community and united belief for people. Religion also explains question that could or cannot be sufficiently answered. An example we discussed in class is how was the universe originally created? Religion also creates meaning for many people in their own lives. We are not living out day to day routines in an endless cycle until we die, because we are connected to something greater than us that cares about us. It can also provide comfort for why bad things happen to an individual and some people use it find the strength to act a certain way, for example, to stop drinking. I think religion helps people psychologically and so many people utilize it. It also teaches that we are not random people on a random world. Not only do people’s lives have meaning but reality is both more meaningful and more mysterious than it at first appears. Religions also seem to largely agree that there is a world beyond this one that people are not privy to and may at most glimpse in this lifetime. That certainly adds a sense of mystery to the world and I think that people like mystery. It is worth noting that religions may exist in diverse areas and have some aspects in common, but they are quite different from place to place. They have also caused many problems for people as people have killed in the name of religion in many cases and some religious leaders have taken advantage of the people that depend on them for mystical messages. This would not take away from the benefits of religion as a whole, but it is a good reminder when focusing on the positives in religion.
If one were to take a naturalistic view point on religion, how would religion originate? Does one person make it all up because they see the benefits it could have or does it develop slowly over time, etc?
This is a really good argument. I like the focus on positive aspects of religion, rather than negative. It also seems to ask me the question, "Does religion do more good than bad?", but I feel that may be too hefty a question to find a reasonable answer to.
ReplyDeleteI responded to your question in my blog.