Do you think that believing in a particular religion is necesary?

Answer 1

That will depend entirely on whether there is a "right" religion.

Think about it this way. Either there is a God or there is not. If there is a God, then those who believe God does not exist are wrong. (We are talking about a matter of fact here, not just belief.)

In the same way, if there is a God then there may be certain things that God expects of us. For example, in Christianity Jesus said, "No one comes to the Father except through me." If that is true, then anyone seeking to gain access to God in other ways will fail.

So the question you are asking is whether there is a religion that knows the truth about God. And the answer to THAT question may be a matter of belief--because it is very difficult to prove anything about God in human terms.

Answer 2

Necessary to whom/what? Necessary to survival? Maybe. Often times, religion can be used as a mental "crutch" to lean on, something that answers questions for you that you might not understand, or choose to not think about. Religion is a set of rules, of beliefs and motto's to live by. The funny part is, the world's major religions are all so similar, and all connected! Christianity and Judaism are obviously linked, as the former was born from the latter. Islam is also heavily linked to Christianity, although the way things are so polarized in the media, one might never realize that or bother to do any research. Buddhism is a philosophy, but practiced as a religion in some parts of the world, much like Catholicism. But the Buddha is very similar to Christ. Buddhism was born from Hinduism, another large religion that believes all religions are the truth, and has helped develop many eastern metaphysical schools of thought.
The answer is no, I do not believe adhering to a particular religion is necessary for everyone. However some people just can't make it through the day without holding fast to the creed that when they die, Jesus will take them in His arms and they'll go to heaven. For me, therapy has broken me of my own mortality, so I don't need religion.

Answer 3

people give the most credibility to things they have seen with their own eyes. next most credible after that is what they have been told by close and trusted persons. after that comes hearsay and as long as it conforms itself to our perception of the world in general people won't give it that much credit but won't question it too much. as a human being there is no way that you can go through life only believing things which are indisputable. at some point you will have to make a stand, or a leap of faith, or make a value judgment that will be based on your limited understanding of the universe. and life is long. it won't just happen once, but many times. eventually these things become patterns, develop ritual and forms of practice whose meaning and origin are forgotten. if you want to you can deny that this is religion, but I know that if I question a scientifically minded person about evolution or the big bang there are only a limited number of responses I'm going to get. that's fair enough, you can't reformulate all your beliefs and values every moment of the day. try questioning a liberal minded person about the value of globalism, and you will again hear the recieved doctrine. it's easy to spot. and if you travel forward in time 1000 years and try to talk to someone about the war on terror or healthy eating habits or neurosurgery it's going to sound like a lot of ignorant mythological mumbo jumbo to their ears. but, life being what it is, you can neither deny everything, nor simply accept everything. you will have to believe something specific. and you will have to turn it into a set of rituals and practices which will all have their reasons even if you can't remember why you started doing them in the first place. since these are necessary things, isn't it better to open your ears and your heart and hear the wisdom which comes down to us through time? those people lived and suffered and loved and died and they knew many things that we do not know. that is no reason do dismiss them. saying that science or humanism or economics is not religion is like saying that Buddhism is not a religion because there is no central deity or Islam is not a religion because they don't accept Christ as their saviour. you're just nitpicking. people live by specific recieved wisdom and there's just no escaping it, so yes, I do think a particular religion is necessary. saying 'no, I don't follow any of that dark ages ignorant nonsense' is just a way of asserting the validity of your own credo.

Answer 4

Absolutely not. You can believe that there may be a higher being that knows and watches the earth and its creatures without joining a particular religion. In fact, a particular religion is another name for a group of people that try to explain something that is not explainable right now.

Answer 5

Do you mean, is agnosticism enough to satisfy one's desire for spiritualism? If one desires an outlet for the soul, it could be. While religion offers a feeling of community and a set of rules to abide by, sometimes people can maintain faith without submitting to a group, and sometimes one prefers one's independence while still remaining a spiritual person. Agnosticism, which is faith in a higher power without religion, is pretty much the default for these people. Again, some are independent enough to want it, and some are able to keep faith in it. In this sense, one doesn't necessarily need any particular religion.

Answer 6

Religion is certain a point of existence for some . The problem I see with Religion is that in stead of bring harmony among men and woman of the earth , there is war and violence and alot over religious conflicts . You can look in the new and see for yourself an example of this . Israel and Palestinian Authority , Iraq, Afghanistan . just as examples . a person does not need a building or a book made by man . what a person is looking for is is inside them and and that they will not find it through a book or preacher , or church , but through exploring there own mind .

Answer 7

Believing in a particular religion is only as necessary as you deem it to be for yourself. Some people find it easier to navigate the world and their experiences of it from within the context of a particular religion and the template of beliefs that it provides them to understand their life and their world. Many people like the community support and fellowship of attending a church, mosque, synagogue, or temple. Participating in a religion and its practices is one way to feel that you are a part of something much greater than yourself. It may help you to feel significant in at least a small way. It may also help you to feel that you are not alone: you have the community of your fellow believers and whatever deity you believe in to hopefully come to your aid when you most need it.

Accepting faith in a particular religion is by definition neither rational nor is it amenable to scientific scrutiny. However, many people continue to believe because, for them, it is comforting and makes life easier for them to understand.

It's your choice to believe or not to believe.

Answer 8

Religion is not the key---religion is a man made entity and chopped full of failings and shortcomings--it is the Belief System for one's eternal soul that is key here----The Belilef System can be attained through a personal search for the answers or many people to turn to religion to be the guide--but the guide can not be confused with the distination here--religion is NOT (or should not be) the destination

Answer 9

necessary for what? Obviously many people live without believing in any religion. Its not necessary for explaining the natural world, since science does a far superior job in this department. Its not necessary to maintain law and order, as the governments of many eurpoean countries with few believers demonstrate with their low violent crime rates. It is not necessary for a sense of purpose and joy in life, as many nonbelievers are very satisfied with their lives and find their purposes. It is not even necessary for morality, there are many secular codes of ethics and many highly ethical nonbelievers.

In fact, Bertrand Russell argued quite persuasively that religion cannot be the basis of a "true" morality. A person that does a good deed out of fear of punishment or desire of reward has not acted morally. We would say that if you are forced to give to charity against your will, or only do so in order to be rewarded in some way, you have not really acted morally. Of course not every religious person does good only on the basis of punishment or reward, but the point is that they must in fact look past their religious teachings in order to do true good. So in the area of morality, I would say that not only is religion unnecessary, but it is not even helpful. It is at best, neutral.

Answer 10

If you wanna be the President of the United States - Yes
If you are rotting in prison for serial killings and wanna sell a book saying the devil made you do it - Yes
If you want a bank mortgage - Maybe, (if you don't believe in God, why should they believe you can repay your loan?)
If you are MJ - Yes, it can sway the jury from putting you in the slammer
If you wanna be a bum on the street - Not necessary, (but it complicates which cemetary they eventually put your pine box in)