Why do people need religion in this century?

sweetgrass

I think people need religion because of fear. Fear of death and what will happen at death if they have been good or bad. People say it gives them hope but is this not born too out of fear of not seeing dead loved ones again, or having a better life in the afterlife? If they don't accept religion they fear they might miss out?

rational1

The percentage of people who never graduate past the "social/group" third tier in Maslow's hierarchy of needs is staggering. I think people are generally lemmings who find it easier to follow the trend/group then really push themselves to develop (thus why religion is such a convenient control mechanism). Religion is the easiest way to "punt"... afterlife / dead loved ones are just convenient excuses.

DesirousOfChange

People need to think that there is something better in their future, esp if their life sucks presently. Religion tells them if they persevere now through the bad things that the Bogeymonster (Satan) is using to test them, they will be rewarded with Paradise &/or 70 virgins.

Doc

The greatest revenge is living a happy & successful life -- NOW!

WTWizard

Religion has a job. It is supposed to teach people about the soul. Religion is supposed to show you what happens once you die, and what influence you can have to alter that. It is also supposed to show you how to use energy to alter what happens now. For instance, religion is supposed to show you how to use energy to alter a poverty situation into wealth, or a boring lousy job into one that is fun. Astrology can be a major part of this religion, but by no means the only part.

However, religions often do a lousy job at this. Christi-SCAM-ity, Judaism, and Islam deliberately teach lies to mislead souls into damnation when they think they are heading for salvation. For instance, how many of these religions teach that one should abstain from astrology instead of teaching how to use it? How many restrict sex? How many teach reliance on jesus, joke-hova, or allah? Souls that obey become weaker and weaker until they are unable to reincarnate, then they dissipate. Or they go to heaven, a place where joke-hova makes a meal out of them. All led there by religion. There is NO place for religion that intentionally leads people to damnation when they think they are finding salvation. NONE!

Island Man

I think people need religion because of fear.

I think people want religion because of fear.

Fear of death and what will happen at death if they have been good or bad.

This fear of what will happen at death if they have been good or bad, is not a natural fear but one that has been manufactured by religion itself, to manipulate people into joining religion.

People say it gives them hope but is this not born too out of fear of not seeing dead loved ones again, or having a better life in the afterlife? If they don't accept religion they fear they might miss out?

Religion has created these false hopes and fears to manipulate people into joining religion. Religion conditions people from young, to think that there is an afterlife and they can get to see dead loved ones again. This conditioning prevents people from developing a healthy acceptance of their own mortality and the finality of death, and this in turn causes them to turn to religion. Religion uses emotional manipulation to concoct its own relevance.

KateWild

I think people have religion in their lives because of how they were brought up in general. But there are a plethora of reasons why each individual would chose to be religious, be part of a religious group, have a belief in a religious book, and believe in a God or Gods.

It's just like why we woke up from a cult. We all woke up for different reasons, some of us have the same reasons, but different things led us to the light bulb moment.

Kate xx

Believer

I think people need religion because it is a natural part of us. Part of the way were are made. In the entire history of man, religion was there and it continues to be here down to this day in spite of the primitive ways it has been expressed. A very, very small portion of humanity has made a conscious choice to suppress or excise that need, but even among that very small portion are those who really want to believe, they just haven’t found an intellectual reason why. Some nonbelievers here have expressed that.

There’s a quote that says something like ‘religion is so important that it persists in the absence of knowledge.’ I think that means even if man doesn’t have intelligent ways of expressing his search for God, we will continue to search with whatever methods he has at hand. But religion, like everything else, is evolving. Judaism evolved the religion of its day by substituting animal sacrifice for human sacrifice. Christianity evolved religion of its day by substituting bread and wine for animal sacrifice. Future generations will go further continually refining religious practices and ideas. Just like the rest of society continues to evolve.

Our generation is on the verge of another great religious evolution. Perhaps the old folks can’t see it, or can’t envision it. Perhaps they are so tired of old religious systems that they through out the baby with the bath water. I think the younger generations will find a better way. Already, they are opening their minds beyond the old religious constructs and finding new ways of expressing their search for God. Many of the things about religion that nonbelievers hate are also being rejected by younger generations, but they are not giving up on God. They say ‘I’m spiritual, but not religious.’ (As are many in the middle generation.) They are more inclusive, more tolerant and more accepting. And they are learning how to encounter religious problems in more productive ways. That, in my opinion, is a step in the right religious direction, and indicates that religion is here to stay.

Nathan Natas

Religion has been described as "the opium of the masses." What does that mean?

Life is filled with pain; physical pain, emotional pain, and "phantom" pain caused by defects in our nervous system.

Opium is a pain killer.

"Metaphysical opium" (religion) soothes the existential ache and help us sleep at night without worrying about all the threats challenging us.

It is difficult and unrewarding to face the reality of existence. "Happily ever after" does not last. Everything ends eventually. We are star-stuff, contemplating the irony of our being.

Heaven

Some people need their security blanket.

Xanthippe

sweetgrass4 hours ago - I think people need religion because of fear. Fear of death and what will happen at death if they have been good or bad. People say it gives them hope but is this not born too out of fear of not seeing dead loved ones again, or having a better life in the afterlife? If they don't accept religion they fear they might miss out?

Yes you're right fear of death and wondering about life after death has conned people into joining religions to book their place. Nobody knows for sure if there's anything after death but if, for example, consciousness has evolved to continue, then religion and God have nothing to do with it and uselessly appeasing a deity has held people captive to religions for millennia.

I also think people seek meaning in life and helping others and trying to make a difference in the world can give meaning but as you say why in this century do we need religion for that? Plenty of secular organisations are digging wells, giving aid in war zones and helping people work their way out of poverty etc,. Why join religions for that when we simply need to set up a direct debit or volunteer our time? More productive than getting up early on Sunday and begging a nonexistent being to help the world.

Why do people need religion in this century?

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