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Is Religion a basic human need ?

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
Hi,
All religions cannot agree, since they have different doctrines, if they did agree they would have the same religion.

God simply means " the most powerful, most important etc..." it's a title.

Is that shared by all religions though?

It would be wrong (so repeated on RF) to say Hindu, Christian, pagan, and African (whichever) "gods" are the same cause the title is convenient in the most vague terms.
 

9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
Hi,

That is correct,... if we discount death as an ill effect.
Seeing how death happens to the religious and irreligious alike, it doesn't seem reasonable to me to say that death is an effect of not being religious.

I could also claim the benefit of following God's principle in our lives. However you would be right again in saying this claim cannot be measured or proven.
Then I have no reason to take that seriously either.
 

Valjean

Veteran Member
Premium Member
Which culture doesn't have religious worship?
See post #85. Read an anthropology 101 textbook.

Even in cultures with religious worship, the worship in not necessarily worship of a supreme entity, or a god.
Do Buddhists, Shintoists or Daoists worship a supreme god, as Christians do? Do traditional societies; hunter gatherers or pastoralists, worship a god?

Even in cultures that did worship god/s, like Greeks or Romans, they were not worshiping a supreme God,the author of the world, but placating a host of squabbling, anthropomorphic deities.
The Abrahamic God is a new thing.
 

Valjean

Veteran Member
Premium Member
Hi,
All religions cannot agree, since they have different doctrines, if they did agree they would have the same religion.

God simply means " the most powerful, most important etc..." it's a title.
But doesn't God have a single doctrine? Wouldn't that make any religion with a different doctrine a false religion?

With an Abrahamic god, there can be only one truth.
 

Valjean

Veteran Member
Premium Member
Hi,

That is correct,... if we discount death as an ill effect.
But the death rate of the religious and irreligious is exactly equal, and an afterlife? That's entirely unevidenced.
I could also claim the benefit of following God's principle in our lives. However you would be right again in saying this claim cannot be measured or proven.
Following the principles expounded by Jesus in the Bible has rarely been beneficial -- in this life, at least.
Religion has always been interpreted to support the existing social order, not justice, fairness or brotherhood. Church history has been one of unending conflict, war and persecution. The church has always promoted unchristian values.
 

Colt

Well-Known Member
See post #85. Read an anthropology 101 textbook.

Even in cultures with religious worship, the worship in not necessarily worship of a supreme entity, or a god.
Do Buddhists, Shintoists or Daoists worship a supreme god, as Christians do? Do traditional societies; hunter gatherers or pastoralists, worship a god?

Even in cultures that did worship god/s, like Greeks or Romans, they were not worshiping a supreme God,the author of the world, but placating a host of squabbling, anthropomorphic deities.
The Abrahamic God is a new thing.
The spirit of worship has been universal regardless of what cultures made their God out of. Buddhism is sort of worship of the Buddha but they do worship which is to my point.

There are Atheist who attend Unitarian Universalist churches which is bizarre, but like I said, evolution produced a religious people.
 
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9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
Following the principles expounded by Jesus in the Bible has rarely been beneficial -- in this life, at least.
Personally, I don't discount the idea that people get earthly benefit out of their religion.

Like other hobbies, religion can be quite pleasurable for people who are really into it. But like other hobbies, it's just not everyone's cup of tea.
 

Heyo

Veteran Member
Personally, I don't discount the idea that people get earthly benefit out of their religion.

Like other hobbies, religion can be quite pleasurable for people who are really into it. But like other hobbies, it's just not everyone's cup of tea.
And like other hobbies it should be kept private and in moderation lest it become an unhealthy obsession.

"Religion is like a penis: it's fine to have one, it's fine to be proud of it, but please don't whip it out and start waving it around in public, and please don't try to shove it down my children's throats." - the internet
 

Neuropteron

Active Member
But doesn't God have a single doctrine? Wouldn't that make any religion with a different doctrine a false religion?

With an Abrahamic god, there can be only one truth.

Yes, it makes sense that any doctrine that contradict God's revealed truth is a false religion.
The book of Revelation predicts the removal of all false religion.
 

Neuropteron

Active Member
Seeing how death happens to the religious and irreligious alike, it doesn't seem reasonable to me to say that death is an effect of not being religious.

Then I have no reason to take that seriously either.

I am talking about what the bible calls the second death.
After the first death there is a promise of a resurrection.
The second death is eternal.
Should a person knowingly refuse the provision for everlasting life, that person loses the hope of eternal life.
 

Neuropteron

Active Member
But the death rate of the religious and irreligious is exactly equal, and an afterlife? That's entirely unevidenced.
Following the principles expounded by Jesus in the Bible has rarely been beneficial -- in this life, at least.
Religion has always been interpreted to support the existing social order, not justice, fairness or brotherhood. Church history has been one of unending conflict, war and persecution. The church has always promoted unchristian values.

Hi,
"That's entirely unevidenced."
That is correct, it's by design. God requires faith and trust in him (after due consideration).
If it was scientifically proven there would be no opportunity to exercise trust.

"The church has always promoted unchristian values."
Again you are right.
I'm referring exclusively to values taught in bible.
 

Valjean

Veteran Member
Premium Member
Yes, it makes sense that any doctrine that contradict God's revealed truth is a false religion.
The book of Revelation predicts the removal of all false religion.
What do other religions predict? Might they be right? Might the Bible be wrong?
The Book of Revelation makes all sorts of bizarre, often symbolic, predictions

Why Revelation? Why's this bizarre outlier even in the Bible?
The Untold Truth Of The Book Of Revelation
 

Valjean

Veteran Member
Premium Member
Hi,
"That's entirely unevidenced."
That is correct, it's by design. God requires faith and trust in him (after due consideration).
If it was scientifically proven there would be no opportunity to exercise trust.

"The church has always promoted unchristian values."
Again you are right.
I'm referring exclusively to values taught in bible.
I don't understand why unevidenced belief (faith) is considered desirable.

Biblical values seem to vary a lot. Not just between the New and Old Testaments, but even within the NT.
Personally, I'm kind of partial to Jesus' sermons on the mount and on the plain, but there are other passages that seem incompatible to these.
 

Marcion

gopa of humanity's controversial Taraka Brahma
I would not say that religion is a basic human need, you don't need to be part of any religion to lead a meaningful life.

To fulfill your full human potential however, to be a real human, you do need to be a spiritualist, to direct your mind into a spiritual direction.
Just like for many animals, food, shelter, medical care and education are the basic human needs, but without spirituality you are not very different from an animal.

In fact you are then somewhat less than an animal, because animals do follow their natural animal dharma's, so humans should follow their human dharma (Manava Dharma) in order to be real humans.
 
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