What practical function does religion hold?

[Twilight Hue]

"Religion" is not necessary for all, IMO. But it gives hope for a better existence, a purpose for enduring suffering, and direction on how to live one's best for those who have not developed a natural sense of morality and community. Unfortunately it has been used against its own principles as a tool of control by fear. And far too often, even that fear is not enough to keep members of our species in line of the cooperation required for our continued existence. But IMO, humanity has a chance for survival because of the history of religion, and perhaps one day those ties can be released without total calamity. It has started by way of the growth seen of those who live a communal life of cooperation and respect without the fear of fire and brimstone. May it continue.

That is until ones expectations are not met, and the rose colored glasses come off , and the pretty stained glass world shatters.

 

[Trailblazer]

And yet I've been absent for a LONG time and you have made "veteran"! LOL

You - 47 posts
Me - 48,304 posts

You've got a lot of catching up to do! LOL
On the other hand, I can only imagine how much more you have done with your life during all the time I have spent on here!

 

[Spice]

That is until ones expectations are not met, and the rose colored glasses come off , and the pretty stained glass world shatters.

One's world shatters everyday for many, whether expectations were met or not. Some call it hell on Earth. Some call it Life. Some succumb. Some dust themselves off and move forward. Que sera, sera with or without religion. If one needs religion to call the shattering Life, and dust themselves off to keep going, then terrific! May they hold to their beliefs with all their might. And may no one cause them fear by trying to make them turn loose before they're ready to do it willingly.

 

[River Sea]

Well, you don't need to. If you don't have an intrinsic motivation to seek out a relationship with the divine, then just don't do it.

Personal experience, and my interpretation of that experience. There's nothing else that convinces me of the existence and interest of any deity. There's no external or objective verification.

@Tamino
That's what keeps me going: a relationship with the divine, allowing the divine to teach me too

 

[blü 2]

While reading some of the debates about religion and atheism, a lot of the focus seems to be on "belief" or "non-belief," which sometimes seems to go in circles. In this thread, I'm thinking of looking more in the sense of the practical function of religion in everyday life in modern society.

Even setting aside the question of "belief," let's just assume for the sake of argument that there really is some sort of intelligent higher power which created this place we live in - and created us to live here. My question would be: So what?

Even if that were true, why would that require us, as humans, to create a religion around it and worship whatever it is we think created us? What actual function does it serve for whatever deity or deities built this place? What practical use does it hold for humanity? Human minds have derived our own concepts of morality, so we didn't really need any god to tell us how to behave or what is good and what is evil.

I'm not completely dismissing some of the more positive aspects, at least in terms of charitable work, giving a helping hand to people in need or people going through various trials and tribulations in life. These are good things which do have beneficial aspects for society. But this is just people helping people - no higher power is really needed or required.

If we just live our lives and deal with the world as it is presented to us, then isn't that enough? Why can't we be atheists, even if there really is a god or gods or some other higher power? Why is a lack of belief such a horrible thing in the eyes of religious people? What's the worst thing that could happen?

Since we've found supernatural beliefs in all, or very close to all, cultures all over the world, it seems they're something we humans do.

The explanation I prefer is along these lines. Humans have evolved to understand the world automatically, so that when we see anything puzzling or out of order we instinctively propose (to ourself) a tentative explanatory narrative. "From Ghoulies and Ghoosties, long-leggety Beasties, and Things that go Bump in the Night, Good Lord, deliver us!" sets a tone, the moral of which is that humans are particularly vulnerable to their enemies, human or beastly, when asleep. You may have come across the hypothesis that this is the original of human - canine symbiosis. since sleeping or resting dogs are much more alert at night than sleeping humans.

So now awake, we need to know what the moon is, why it waxes and wains, where the sun goes when it sets, why the stars are arranged as they are, why that hill has a funny shape, why some birds fly away for the winter, and so on, well summed up by Kipling's phrase "Just So Stories".

And Gods traditionally fulfill a range of functions. They can give you hope when you or your tribe are down on your luck, they can promise or account for good or bad fortune when you go hunting, or courting, or off to war, or bolster your morale beforehand. They can explain your dreams, not least your dreams about people who have died. They can feature in stories about important social subjects.

They're also part of tribal identity, along with language, customs, stories, heroes, territory, rituals for birth, coming of age, death and so on.

However, as science gets better at explaining all these things, and that knowledge seeps down through the various class structures, at least in the West, religion has started to fade and actual explanations have continued to take their place. How far that process will go remains to be seen, but the present tend is distinctly strong.

 

[crossfire]

While reading some of the debates about religion and atheism, a lot of the focus seems to be on "belief" or "non-belief," which sometimes seems to go in circles. In this thread, I'm thinking of looking more in the sense of the practical function of religion in everyday life in modern society.

Even setting aside the question of "belief," let's just assume for the sake of argument that there really is some sort of intelligent higher power which created this place we live in - and created us to live here. My question would be: So what?

Even if that were true, why would that require us, as humans, to create a religion around it and worship whatever it is we think created us? What actual function does it serve for whatever deity or deities built this place? What practical use does it hold for humanity? Human minds have derived our own concepts of morality, so we didn't really need any god to tell us how to behave or what is good and what is evil.

I'm not completely dismissing some of the more positive aspects, at least in terms of charitable work, giving a helping hand to people in need or people going through various trials and tribulations in life. These are good things which do have beneficial aspects for society. But this is just people helping people - no higher power is really needed or required.

If we just live our lives and deal with the world as it is presented to us, then isn't that enough? Why can't we be atheists, even if there really is a god or gods or some other higher power? Why is a lack of belief such a horrible thing in the eyes of religious people? What's the worst thing that could happen?

Not all religions require worship.