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A 12 year old boy lays trapped between 4 walls, confining him to his so-called new home. He has no hopes, he has no glory , he has no future. Why? He is a Jew. Though strangled by the hauling walls of the room, his mind ponders "why am I here? Why is there so much pain and suffering? Who am I? Though most of us aren’t faced by the same situation, we too are trapped. Life is like the grey walls of prison forcing us to implore the reason for our existence. Who are we? Why are we here? To answer these questions and to place our mind in this false sense of security we cling to the idea of religion. Why? Why are we inclined to immerse our selves, in the idea of an 'omnipotent omniscient benevolent supernatural being who created a world full of disease sorrow accident hardship and death," rather then follow the path for science? Why is religion the distinctive response for the human search of ultimate meaning?
Well, at some point of our life, usually before we embrace death, we all embark on a journey in search of meaning. Some just accept that our existence is a 3 step process, life-routine-death, while others reject the idea of a cold, bitter , purposeless life and thus convince them selves that death cannot be the end. They find comfort and warmth believing that they play a vital role in a game-plan controlled and overseen by a supernatural force namely "god." This is human tendency "we’re thrown into a world , the only animal with the capability to conceive of one self, self reflect philosophize , to make meaning of the world, only to see that there is no pre-meaning given to us." This can be both liberating and horrible as there is no guidelines we can follow. Thus we begin to create our own set of morals our own set of values and in essence we create our own spirituality. Why god? Why believe in a purpose without evidence? The answer is simple; believing in a set of guidelines without evidence far suffices believing in nothing at all.
Another reason we respond to the search for meaning with religion, is because we are conditioned to do so. Society continually aids us if not complete dictate our search for meaning. The create rituals and text that engulf us while attempting to answer questions that perplex us.
Without God live is meaningless. We have no purpose for existence except to exist and at the end of life all that is left is death. If there is no life after death and no offer of immortality then life itself is absurd (Craig).
In order to understand the truth, people must have solid justified beliefs to prevent diminished autonomy. As humans, we are motivated to practice morally good actions since God provides love. His act of caring is compelling and promotes gratitude.
To many people religion is a sanctuary. It helps them escape the chaos of their normal lives and become a part of something much bigger. For Jews during the Holocaust, religion helped them survive at first. They remained adamant that God would not allow the genocide of millions of his people. But as time went on, they began to question the existence of god. Elie witnesses the death of one of the inmates Akiba Drumer; recalling, "He just kept repeating that it was all over for him, that he could no longer fight, he had no more strength, no more faith" (76). Many people live for religion; they go on with their lives and no matter how horrific the situation may be, they remain resilient of the fact that god will pull them through any situation. But when this faith is lost, people begin to question their existence. Jewish people grow up knowing that God would always be at their side. The realization that God was not there for them took its toll. Elie loses his faith in God...
Religion gives rise to and is born with the unreasonable and uninviting desire to make man at home in what seems to be very close to an uncaring world. With this being
Religion is not just a collaboration of spiritual ideas and writings from ancient books. Religion has become more than just that within our modern society. Some have went as far as to say that religion is the ultimate drive; that guides our human emotions, our actions, and even to some our very own existence. Though religion can be considered a broad topic, there are rooted ideas and concepts that almost all spiritual beliefs entail. Any person with some religious drive will ultimately face their own inner resistance at one point or another, and will be forced to overcome the profane world in which they live to understand the more spiritual and sacred life they choose to lead. These revelations within ones spiritual journey allow personal transformations to occur; resulting in greater religious understandings within their own lives.
Jesus. Buddha. Anubis. This has always been one of the most controversial topics throughout history. There have been many civilizations and many wars waged due to religious beliefs. Regardless of who is who and what one believes, all beings believe that what their God, gods, or deities spoke is the truth, the way, and the key to having an everlasting life. The Hebrew seem to now have a religious monopoly with the modern day Christianity, the ideas of the Buddhist reconcile with many of the beliefs of the Hindu, the Egyptians believed in their many gods along with their god –king, and in the midst of all the ancient religions still lies the oldest religions Judaism and Hinduism which are alike in many ways yet completely different. However, the real question is who was right and who was wrong?
Religion is defined as a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs. Throughout time, religion has been debated to the point where many have philosophers have claimed it as a crutch for individuals in times of depression or despair. However, the purpose of religion has been argued numerous times and now the age old question remains whether or not religion is a want or a need. This question has been debated, and it is clear where philosophers such as Kierkegaard, James and Nietzsche stand, in regards to such prominent men as Marx, Skinner and Freud. Both sides pose salient arguments and each present strong points. Based on each argument presented, religion is therefore both a want and a need under certain conditions.
With this one can see why people practice religions in general, because religion gives a sense of security through stressing that faith is the key to getting through suffering. Faith in the everlasting soul, faith in God, or faith that one will end in the right place. Faith is the common factor among religions, and suffering brings out the faith in people.
Religion is a symbolic representation of society. The sociological approach to religious belief looks at how society behaves on a whole, to answer the question, “Why are people religious?” We express our participation in religious events through plays, acts of confession, religious dances, etc. To begin to understand why we have such term, let’s understand the common elements of religion. There are different types in which people believe in or follow and that is: animatism, animism, ancestral spirits, god and goddesses, and minor supernatural beings. Beyond these different elements, such one is to have religious leaders to follow.
Lonegran states that being human means having an unlimited number of questions regarding life and the universe; in order to answer these questions many turn to religion. Religion has traditionally been a major force in humanity’s search for meaning. Religi...
Life is an interesting journey that every living creature is a part of. Human beings are born into a family they do not pick and society that they do not choose. Within this unit, they are taught values and morals, which are ingrained into their daily lives. Ever since I was a child I have been exposed to many different influences, religion being one of them. To this day I can still remember my grandmother saying “God has a purpose for your life, follow Him.”
Religion is an organized collection of beliefs and cultural systems that entail the worship of a supernatural and metaphysical being. “Religion just like other belief systems, when held onto so much, can stop one from making significant progress in life”. Together with religion come traditions that provide the people with ways to tackle life’s complexities. A subscription to the school of thought of great scholars
A belief is a feeling that an idea is real or true. Beliefs are shared
Religion can be defined as a system of beliefs and worships which includes a code of ethics and a philosophy of life. Well over 90% of the world 's population adheres to some form of religion. The problem is that there are so many different religions. What is the right religion? What is true religion? The two most common ingredients in religions are rules and rituals. Some religions are essentially nothing more than a list of rules, dos and don 'ts, which a person must observe in order to be considered a faithful adherent of that religion, and thereby, right with the God of that religion. Two examples of rules-based religions are Islam and Judaism. Islam has its five pillars that must be observed.
“Either God can do nothing to stop catastrophes, he does not care to, or he does not exist. God is either impotent, evil or imaginary. Take your pick, and choose wisely.” –Sam Harris