Michael Peligro, CC BY-ND. We’ve seen throughout history how religion has been used to control massive populations through this manipulation. Does Religion Belong in Politics? For me, religion forces you to believe in all Simplistic as these purported explanations may be, though, they all offer helpful insights which can bring us a little closer to understanding what religion is all about. All three of these theories provide an interesting insight as to why religion and … 1. Start at the bottom: This region boasts the only state in the world - Saudi Arabia - that the report flat-out describes as a place where "Freedom of Religion does not exist." Makenna Martin Jun 20, 2016 Florida Southern College 1051 Pixabay I believe that religion exists to help people deal with life. You can ask why about just anything. Cast, religion, colour, race, country , all these things is destroying human. (Phillips 1976: 181) Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Religion then—along with the belief in a moralizing God—was a cultural adaptation to these challenges. It seems that is why Bernie Sanders made headlines a few weeks ago. Religion divides insiders from outsiders. The report explains why: "Islam is the official religion, and They performed basically the same as those who were never tired out in the first place. But those with religion on their minds were statistically no different than those with morality on their minds. Since society and religion ask us to tolerate many things we don’t particularly like for the common good, the scientists interpret this finding as evidence of a particular kind of self-control. Researchers conducted worldwide studies revealed similar findings. This inadequately addresses the social aspect of religion, though, depicting religion and animism are purely intellectual moves. In the first study, for example, they used a word game to prime some volunteers’ (but not others’) subconscious thoughts of religion. I think religion was created as a means of figuring out how everything came to be before science was evolved far enough to determine that ourselves. /his/ - Why does religion still exist when science has pro - History & Humanities - 4chan The reason religion exists is to help people make sense of events which would otherwise be incomprehensible by relying on unseen, hidden forces. It seems that religion exists as a belief system to help people explain events that would otherwise be unexplainable. by Krysti Wilkinson July 25, 2017 Read Next The Even Deeper Reasons You Need to Slow Down “I don’t want to be super political or anything …” my friend assured the room, before going on. Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is why philosophy cannot answer the question “Does God exist?” with either an affirmative or a negative reply … “There is a God”, though it appears to be in the indicative mood, is an expression of faith. What a question. Karl Marx, for example, called religion the “opium of the people”. Or are you wondering why some cultures adopt a 'religion' whereas other cultures adopt a 'philosophy'? They defined religion as essentially being the belief in spiritual beings, making it systematized animism. Religion also has an important function, which does not explain directly why we are religious, but is indirectly related to the origins of religious behavior: religion, at least in … It’s very difficult, requiring mental exertion and self-control. This inadequately addresses the social aspect of religion, though, depicting religion and animism are purely intellectual moves. It explained unknown phenomena, it provided a framework of law and order, and it gave early humans a purpose. The real question is whether Jehovah, Zeus, Ra, Krishna, or any gods of any religion exist, and if so, which gods? How to live? And it was not uncommon to find a new king ruling every now and then. Why Does Religion Exist? The results, as reported in a forthcoming issue of the journal Psychological Science, showed that religiously primed volunteers had much more self-control than did controls or those primed to think about mortality. Law kept changing with every king. One theory of why religion exists is that humans are genetically predisposed to be religious. Nobody really knows how many religions there are on the planet, but whatever the number, there are at least that many theories about why we have religion at all. Here are two reasons why Christians should not try to separate religion and politics (even though they should separate church and state), followed by two answers to two common objections. We interpret ambiguous information as whatever matters most to survival, which means seeing living beings. More. The first three studies had shown direct causal evidence of religion on self-control—and downstream effects on enduring discomfort, delaying rewards, and exerting patience. › Lifestyle Why Does Religion Exist? …religion doesn’t make people feel happier, it makes them feel in control of their lives. After 1,000 words I am no closer to an answer because it's too big an issue - and I know that's sort of a copout. Every king made his own laws. In other words, it’s manipulation. Why does religion still exist when science has proven it wrong? Question: "Why can’t religions coexist peacefully?" If we are in the woods and see a dark shape that might be a bear or a rock, it is smart to “see” a bear. Eliade says religion is primarily about belief in the supernatural, which for him lies at the heart of the sacred. A by-product of psychological distress, Freud argued that it should be possible to eliminate the illusions of religion by alleviating that distress. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Which of these is the “right” explanation? Science, then, does what people originally wanted religion to do: it explains stuff. Florida Southern College. Its followers practice it in accordance with the fundamental and unchangeable past practices. But that’s just one idea. The results were unambiguous. In the first place, you must understand that what we call faith is really hope. Stewart Guthrie argues that religion is “systematic anthropomorphism” — the attribution of human characteristics to nonhuman things or events. We need to at least try to address religion and religious belief in order to get a better handle on who we are as human beings. Why does religious liberty matter—to America and to the world? Researchers who study the psychology and neuroscience of religion are helping to explain why such beliefs are so enduring. Religious beliefs or some particular religion was created by people(messenger) who wish to give people better life, at that time religion played important role for bettermint but actually now a days we need same role according to new generation but not in the name of religion. They tested this theory in four fairly simple experiments, using classic measures of self-control. Why does religion exist? 1 1. Despite the fact that humans differ on almost everything, the belief in a higher power has been consistent in Or religious priming may activate concerns of supernatural punishment. Rejecting most anthropological, psychological, and sociological explanations of religion, E.E. Christianity, for example, was just one of many religious movements that … We need to 1. It’s not entirely clear what cognitive mechanism is at work in religion’s influence on self-control. When you look at the similarities between religions, they all have a core idea of something being there after death, and in Christianity especially, there is a punishment for doing the wrong thing and a reward for doing the right thing. Living is hard and stressful. Why does religion exist in the 21st century when there are now natural explanations to many things that our ancestors never understood? After 1,000 words I am no closer to an answer because it's too big an issue - and I know that's sort of a copout. The impossible task was included to test their persistence against great difficulty—another measure of self-control. I think that religion was created by people and for people. Tylor and Frazer - Religion Is Systematized Animism and Magic, Sigmund Freud - Religion Is Mass Neurosis, Emile Durkheim - Religion Is a Means of Social Organization, Karl Marx - Religion Is the Opiate of the Masses, Mircea Eliade - Religion Is a Focus on the Sacred, Stewart Elliot Guthrie - Religion Is Anthropomorphization Gone Awry, E.E. Does it matter whether we can explain and understand religion, even if only a little bit? Among those who were mentally depleted, the ones with religion on their minds persisted longer at the impossible task—suggesting that the religious priming restored their cognitive powers—and their patience in the process. In this article I’ll share 10 reasons why you must eventually abandon the baggage of organized religion if you wish to pursue conscious living in earnest. I am born a Christian but throughout the years of my existence, I refuse to believe in my religion. Religious fundamentalism is the belief that there is a set of religious teachings that shape the fundamental truth about humanity and God (or gods). It even stated that men believed in some kind of life after death and this tendency instinctively suggest that natural phenomenon happen for a purpose. Religion then—along with the belief in a moralizing God—was a cultural adaptation to … The emergence of sin created the first false religion Where religion survived in the U.S.S.R., it did so secretly—or under the watchful eye and controlling hand of the state. The reason religion exists is to help people make sense of events which would otherwise be incomprehensible by relying on unseen, hidden forces. Why religious people 'cling' to beliefs even when contradicted by evidence. Then all the volunteers attempted the Stroop task on a computer, which measured accuracy and reaction time. Religions tell you how to think, what to think, when to think, and what to think about. They’re finding that religion may, in fact, be a byproduct of the way our brains work, growing from cognitive tendencies to seek order from chaos, to anthropomorphize our environment and to believe the world around us was created for our use. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The Government prohibits the public practice of other religions." They tried to either appease "angry" forces or thank "beneficent" forces by fearing, praising, and worshiping them, as if they were invisible, super-sized, and super-powered humans. We have to learn that all human being at same importance, all need love and care. Since Christianity is currently the world’s most popular religion, I’ll slant this article towards Christianity’s ubiquitous failings. Why assume that religion is any less complex and even contradictory than culture in general? With no independent history, it is a creature of productive forces. There are many others—or make up your own. The right religion is simply this: to love our Creator and all the people He created. Asked by Wiki User 7 8 9 See Answer Top Answer Wiki User Answered 2009-01-05 20:50:36 Lack of love and … Followers of Judaism believe in one God who revealed himself through ancient prophets. Religious beliefs reflect our unique cognitive ability to detect agency and intention in others and, by extension, in the natural world. Why do you think religion means so much to some people and groups, and not to others? More, Evolutionary psychologists have focused much their research on the human pursuit of love and sex, but a global study shows that people’s strongest motivations lie elsewhere. Now that laws are driven by nations, the need for religions slowly started vanishing. A more secular explanation is that religious priming makes people more concerned about their reputation in the community, leading to more careful self-monitoring. Given the importance of religion to people’s lives and culture, the answer to this should be obvious. While exceptions to this rule do exist – religion in Japan plummeted following World War II, for instance – for the most part, Zuckerman says, we adhere by the Christchurch model. Throughout time, it may have proved beneficial for humans as a species to be religious, especially for particular groups to practice the same religion. Religion also has an important function, which does not explain directly why we are religious, but is indirectly related to the origins of religious behavior: religion, at least in its recent institutionalized form, is a way to impose social order. If you say "So we have a moral guidelines to follow", you might as well not comment at all. It’s also used as a source of comfort, i.e. Notably, almost a third of the volunteers in these studies were self-defined atheists or agnostics, suggesting that these robust effects have little or nothing to do with the suggestibility of the most devout. For example, one king might say all food is common for the village. Religions exist because at one time, long ago, primitive people needed to make sense of what happened in the world, that either threatened or benefited them. Researcher Kevin Rounding and his colleagues are arguing that the primary purpose of religious belief is to enhance the basic cognitive process of self-control, which in turn promotes any number of valuable social behaviors. None has been empirically tested. The third experiment built on an understanding of this process, often called “ego depletion.” The scientists wanted to see if cognitively depleted people are “refueled” with reminders of religion, so they had only half of the volunteers perform a mentally draining task while listening to loud music. This is the perspective that religion gives people a sense of empowerment. In fact Kenneth Dick said in "Man, Father of the Gods" "All religions start as a mere imaginary explanation for something not understood, and that is … The question of God’s existence is one that is often raised in gatherings, classrooms, television, and movies. They were told, further, that they could either return the next day and be paid $5, or come back in a week and get $6. Some people choose religion to get over a bad experience in their life such as addiction, or a tragic death. Eliade only focuses on “timeless forms” of ideas which he says keep recurring in religions all over the world, but in doing so he ignores their specific historical contexts or dismisses them as irrelevant. And you just can pick up anything you want and eat it. There are many worries and doubts that one must deal with on a daily basis. In other words, religion doesn’t make people feel happier, it makes them feel in control of their lives. What rules to follow? It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Or a head gear, a mark in the forehead, long hair and such. The more OJ and vinegar they forced down, they greater their self-control. Because religion has such complex origins and motivations, all of the above could serve as a valid response to the question “Why does religion exist?” None, however, can serve as an exhaustive and complete answer to that question. Which for him lies at the unpleasant task why the coin still has sides. 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