What is the primary motivation for the wide exceptance of man made religion in the world?

Question

Try to answer this question as though you had no prior knowledge as to what others think about what God is or is not. Try to imagine that you were raised on some lost Pacific island in a society that never spoke of such things but simply relied on five senses and lived according to the demands of the natural world around them. How would they see a culture that depends on subscription to man made religion for it's moral bearings?

Yes thank you, I meant Acceptance not Exceptance.

Answer 1

While I can answer your question, your imaginary situation doesn't help because it precludes the real history of the world.

The motivation for the acceptance of religion comes from several sources. In terms of social evolution, religion has been an important stepping stone, taking mankind out of an age of barbarism. It is, in its many forms, responsible for vast amounts of culture and history, and has had a unifying effect on people that allows them to see past a relatively small social grouping to a larger community of humankind.

Religion also offers a package deal. Do this, do that, pray hard, work hard, and a better life awaits you after death. Without a blueprint for living, many people are comforted by the routines and codes of ethics various religions offer. Fear of death is also addressed by most religions in the form of a promised afterlife.

The problem with almost all religions, at least the theistic ones, is that they are mutually exclusive. They always offer an "us" and a "them". The right and the wrong... and the tenets and teachings tend to send one group against another for being different. And when a supposed god is in the works, people feel they are righteous and are doing the work of an immortal being when all they are really doing is getting away from the core of most religions, which is peace and love. But by the time you mix in politics and the idea of other religions being wrong or morally unacceptable, you have an intolerant mass of worshippers and a recipe for war.

Religion has been vastly important to the development of the human race. But we need to outgrow it, and quickly. As of now, people are not ready for that. They believe whatever they are brought up to believe, for the most part, somehow imagining that they just happened to be the lucky ones born into the right one.

When we have altruistic social institutions that are non-theistic, or agnostic, or theistic but non-exclusive, then we'll really be getting somewhere. I hope that time is soon.

Answer 2

People often believe that things don't happen in life 'just because', that there is a greater force controlling things. Maybe it is scary to think that we are all alone. Then again, it is difficult to look at the incredible things in this world and universe and NOT think that there is a higher being. Religion is man's way of celebrating and revering that higher force or being.

Answer 3

All human being take something to worship. Even the most primitive of tribes was examined for their beliefs and found to accept a higher power (God) in their lives.

I am assuming you meant Acceptance not Exceptance.

Answer 4

back then, religions were formed as a way to describe how the universe became created and what human beings want to do. yet sure, I do trust that it really is type of an impediment for some.

Answer 5

i think it is the spiritual man inside the man trying to find his maker therefore creating an avenue which is the manmade religion

Answer 6

Violence.

Theists of all types constantly commit violence against non-members for not joining, and theists talk gleefully of the violence their "god" or "gods" will do to non-believers.