Why, in the 21st century, does religion still exist?

Question

With the advances in modern science quickly explaining the mysteries of life, why do we still hold on to cultural stories and practices as truth, enough to kill for them?

When is the human species going to finally grow up and start facing reality, instead of clinging to the safety blanket of religion?

With the advances in modern science quickly explaining the mysteries of life, why do we still hold on to cultural stories and practices as truth, enough to kill for them?

When is the human species going to finally grow up and start facing reality, instead of clinging to the safety blanket of religion?

EDIT: You need only look at all the vile spewed by the religious to see my point. They have beliefs that are so threatened by any other belief that they will attack it in any way they can.

Humans need to start taking responsibility for the world and stop thinking there is a god that will do it for them.

Answer 1

Like it or not, we’re still a primitive tribe ruled by fears, superstition and misinformation.

Answer 2

The year doesn't matter. Religion is instinctive in man. The ancient Greeks acknowledged that man is a religious animal. Nothing, not even science, can change that. All science can do is to replace God as the object of worship. That's called Scientific Rationalism, or Secular Humanism. Which is right? Depends on how deep you wish to dig, and what 'proofs' you are willing to accept. But to be happy, man must worship something outside of himself.

Answer 3

Because mankind cannot put faith in itself to fix the social problems it has.

People need to believe that there is something above that can fix what we have screwed up. War, death, illness, disease. These are the some of the things that people want to have fixed. With the track record that mankind has, people do not believe that we can fix these things. They need to have faith that in the future God will be able to solve the worlds problems and we can live in peace with on another.

Mankind cannot live together in peace. An it is not only because of religious ideals. Mostly it is cultural.

Answer 4

I used to feel like you did. However, follow this logic for a moment.

Darwin gave intellectuals a basis to believe in natural, biological creation. Google evolution fact or fiction. The fossil record is a fact. However, no one can prove how "new" genetic code was created. This "how did it happen" part of evolution is purely a hypothesis, even today.

Now why is this a problem? Check your history. In the mid 1800's, Darwin's hypothesis of purely biological creation led to godless political philosophies that have been and are the most oppressive that have ever existed. The Nazi’s were given a scientific justification for ethnic cleansing (Jews), and many nations use this justification today. The godless Marxists eliminate (kill) capitalists and (kill) believers and (kill) anyone else who gets in their way to create a dreary and oppressive society. Open your eyes, would you like to live in Cuba or North Korea, or during Stalin's programs and Mao's revolution. 10's of millions of people suffered and died.

Yes, fanatical believers do exist, and they are as bad as the godless groups. However, the message of God is to love God with all your heart, and love others as you love yourself. That is a good message.

Some people do go off message, and we need to realize that they only believe in their selves and their own goals, not in a creator.

Here is why this is so important. Philosophically, since God is a creator, he created each of us for a reason. Thus, each of us are unique, and have a god given purpose for life that we need to achieve whether janitor, lawyer, doctor, actor, quarterback, whatever. This totally aligns with the sanctity of human life. Thus, government should protect each of our individual rights and allow each of us to find our destiny. This aligns with a society that believes in a creator and freedom of religion. That is a good thing.

I deeply fear Godless societies. Government should respect the free expression of religion of people and communities. Belief in a creator is vital to the health of a society.

Here is my test for you: when you have a child, just look in their eyes and tell them they are a random quirk of nature and in the grand scheme of nature, their life is meaningless. I dare you. Yet, that is the intellectual dead-end of existence, if we are just random quirks of nature.

Thus, if science can get to the point to showing that genetic code cannot be created naturally, not adaption of existing code, then there will be a complete change in philosophy and political philosophy to align with freedom and protection of individual rights. Until then, is it a choice that works for us, but cannot be justified.

By the way, how did the brain get programmed for eyesight. To accept 2 images, combine them, to provide near instant assessment and response, millions of lines of unbelievably brilliant genetic code, how did that happen. We could put 1000 genius's to work on this today for 10 years, and they would not be able to figure out how to do that today. Not only is there no randomness, there is unimaginably brilliant creation involved.

I respect your right to believe as you do, but I have darn good reasons to believe that a creator must exist.

Answer 5

Obviously you are either young or uneducated. My feeling is both. When I was at University, I too was an atheist because "I was so smart, surely I know everything, I'm in college." I was trained in science, and can outargue any creationist. I am now a creationist because I wised up. Do you understand "a priori". do not waste peoples time with your youthful idealistic ways. You will eventual grow up, and say "I was a real idiot", for you arte an idiot. Go away. Come back when you mature. Have a nice day.

Answer 6

Some are still too weak minded, and have no morals, so they need religion. They say, it is because god still exists. Well, the Greeks, and Romans said the same thing a few thousand years ago.

Answer 7

Because there are people out there that refuse to believe science is the answer. They think a book that is thousands of years old holds all the answers to life.

Answer 8

if you were living in the 21st century you would know everyone does not have to think how you think, and that we all are lucky indeed to be able to follow whatever religion we feel is right and truthful by our own conscience.

when is the human species going to grow up you ask ?
never..we are always going to be pained with faults including yourself.
Do you feel you are more evolved than the rest of mankind

Answer 9

Religion will always be here for mankind will always try to do good things to please God. The the Lord Jesus Christ will not always offer salvation by just believe and trusting in the fact that He died for your sins. One day people like you will stand at a judgment bar and be judged for unbelief and then cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20: 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. Revelation 20: 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. Revelation 20: 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Answer 10

yes you might be able to prove a certain religion is false or some of thier beliefs are not totaly correct, but disprove God!
You can't!!!!!!!!!!
Aithiests can't even do it, they don't believe, but can't disprove, and niether can you!
and the only reason we have made all those advances in modern science is because we came out of the dark ages .
Obviously you didn't think this one through before asking a ?

Answer 11

So as you say.. Religion is a safety Blanket Huh?
So youd rather be sorry than safe?
REmember/
Everythings goes back to whence it came not to whence it became.
meaning things will go back from where they were from not to where they are.

God Exists that is why 'religion' still exists.

God Is Love
God Loves YOu