Can a religion exist that doesn't have a goal?

[CharmingOwl]

Most people don't see religious practice as having a goal, but generally they tend to have them. Abrahamic religions want to go to a good place after death (And even Kemetic paganism has this) while Buddhism and Hinduism are to stop reincarnating. Even the new age movement seems to have the goal of self-improvement and spiritual ascension (Like opening the third eye) which makes it similar to demonolatry and left hand path occultism without all the dark spirits. In other forms of paganism the goal is keeping traditions alive or working with deities to achieve some type of benefit in life or improve it in some way.

Having a goal is not necessarily bad or a flaw, even becoming more virtuous is technically a goal that can draw people towards it. But when looking at it this way, is it ever possible for a religion to exist without a goal? Wouldn't it be a superstition or folk belief at that point?

 

[PureX]

Religions are human constructs. If there were no goal, or purpose, why would humans bother to construct them?

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

Most people don't see religious practice as having a goal, but generally they tend to have them. Abrahamic religions want to go to a good place after death (And even Kemetic paganism has this) while Buddhism and Hinduism are to stop reincarnating. Even the new age movement seems to have the goal of self-improvement and spiritual ascension (Like opening the third eye) which makes it similar to demonolatry and left hand path occultism without all the dark spirits. In other forms of paganism the goal is keeping traditions alive or working with deities to achieve some type of benefit in life or improve it in some way.

Having a goal is not necessarily bad or a flaw, even becoming more virtuous is technically a goal that can draw people towards it. But when looking at it this way, is it ever possible for a religion to exist without a goal? Wouldn't it be a superstition or folk belief at that point?

As mystical as it is. If someone can achieve not even having the goal not to have a goal, then to me it would be a religion.

 

[Hermit Philosopher]

Most people don't see religious practice as having a goal, but generally they tend to have them. Abrahamic religions want to go to a good place after death (And even Kemetic paganism has this) while Buddhism and Hinduism are to stop reincarnating. Even the new age movement seems to have the goal of self-improvement and spiritual ascension (Like opening the third eye) which makes it similar to demonolatry and left hand path occultism without all the dark spirits. In other forms of paganism the goal is keeping traditions alive or working with deities to achieve some type of benefit in life or improve it in some way.

Having a goal is not necessarily bad or a flaw, even becoming more virtuous is technically a goal that can draw people towards it. But when looking at it this way, is it ever possible for a religion to exist without a goal? Wouldn't it be a superstition or folk belief at that point?

I don’t think I’ve come across a goalless faith, but I would not phrase their goals so differently as you have in OP.

The goal of most faiths, in my view, is for Man to become a better person towards Man. There are “rewards” for doing so, yes, and the “rewards” vary between religions. But the goal of faith is not those different “rewards” - the goal is in the active doing; in how you approach your fellow beings.

Humbly,
Hermit

 

[metis]

The Jewish sage Maimonides taught that we should not do good to try and supposedly get into heaven but that haShem didn't have to make us but did anyway. Thus, we should honor Him and all of his creation through prayer and our conduct based on love.