Why is religion still so necessary to so many people?

Question

I understand why ancient civilizations needed it. This is how they explained everthing they did not understand. Why, in our modern age of reason do so many still cling to these ancient ideas? ...and many times in the face of evidence that suggests otherwise..

Answer 1

We all need something to believe in...

Answer 2

if you gave buddhist practise a good try you might experiece some of the benefits:

Higher Consciousness (dhyana) - unification of ones consciousness which leads to (physical)rapture, (mental) bliss, and insights.

Insight - direct experience of the way things really are (the nondual) which is a kind of letting go of a false experience of self view, is some times described as a wish fulfilling jew, so it's like all your dreams have come true. Let's just say you wont have anxiety, fear, etc normally caused by our normal experience of the self.

to be honest all that I think is real but bloody hard. I don't know anyone who is Enlightened (although how would you really know?) I also get a lot out of just knowing it, enlightenment and everything, I have a connection with it all, I experience meaning and orientation in this mystery we call the universe.

I know that what is most important for me is that I can by my own efforts improve myself and I know roughly how. So I'm not lost anymore.

I seem to have found the exit door to my little trap.

Answer 3

I see you are doing a soul searching. Hope you are true.

How ancient is ancient. A few thousands years from now will be ancient too. Would it be fair to you to call you primitive by them future civilizations. The need is for ALLAH and religion is his guidance.

The term Jahiliyya, which traditionally refers to humanity's state of barbaric ignorance before the revelation of Islam, to modern-day Muslim societies. The removal of Islamic law and religious values (particularly after the period of barbaric European colonization) had left the Muslim world in a condition of debased ignorance, similar to that of the pre-Islamic era (i.e. Jahiliyya).

Mankind today is on the brink of a precipice, not because of the danger of complete annihilation which is hanging over its head-this being just a symptom and not the real disease -but because humanity is devoid of those vital values which are necessary not only for its healthy development but also for its real progress. Even the Western world realises that Western civilization is unable to present any healthy values for the guidance of mankind. It knows that it does not possess anything which will satisfy its own conscience and justify its existence.

Answer 4

Religion can mean alot of different things to alot of different people. One of the fundaments behind any religion is social order. That is a a fact that has persisted through the ages. Social order means security and security means comfort. It gives people a reason where sometimes there is none. It gives people a purpose in situations where they might feel they have none. Religion, for some, can go beyond believing in deity or deities. It can go beyond scientific explanation and rational and cut to the core, our spirituality one of the most fragile strengths known to man. I am not a religious person, but I can understand why people need religion in their lives and I can see why it will always exist in one form or another, as long as man exists.

Answer 5

There is a group mentality within religion, so if your family, friends, or geographic community believes something, there is a likelyhood that you probably will, too.

Religion builds community in certain areas and gives a sense of conviction that there will be an eternal life. That probably feels good if you are about to die or one of your loved ones have passed away.

There are still plenty of unexplained things in the world, and thus a need to explain the inexplicable.

Answer 6

do you mean that ancient people had the Creator, and we dont have any Creator????

If the creator has created us ,, there has to be some guidelines assigned by Him for us. > Because there is only one human race, there has to be one perfect way assigned by God for the human beings as a way of life. That is Islam which means submission to the will of God. The Religion in the sight of God is Submission to the will of God." (Quran 3:19)

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Reason has to be the test of Revelation. and Quran( holy book of islam) passes this test. If Revelation always covered over reason, How would we know which is the true revelation? Since God bestowed reason and intellect on mankind, its our duty to use it to distinguish truth from falsehood. The only organ that sees the truth is "Mind". True undistorted revelation from God must be rational and can be reasoned out by all unbiased minds. Thats why in modern age, islam is the fastest growing religion in the world.... because its truth and it encourages reasoning.




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Answer 7

There are questions that science is not qualified to answer.
What is the meaning of life?
What is valuable?
Where does hope come from?

There is no mathematical or scientific proof of "quality" or "worth" in human terms. How do you evaluate whether a good deed, or an act of charity has worth by only manipulating symbols?

Human beings need answers to those questions both 1000 years ago and today, and it is outside of science to provide their answers. All science can do is say that the evidence disagrees with a conclusion, if it does. It can not give an authoritative statement about the fundamental nature of an unmeasurable like the human spirit, or meaning in life. Those are outside of it.

Answer 8

I think people still need to believe that there is something that exists after this life, but beliefs are more about making people feel better than to have actual answers to the meaning of life. Maybe after so many years people won't live in fear and have a greater interest in truth.

Answer 9

Kinda makes you wonder doesn't it. Maybe people have a spiritual need to fulfill. Maybe we were created with that need to worship? Some even worship at the alter of science. After all even science is a system of beliefs supported by empirical evidence and a little faith mixed in to boot.

Answer 10

Relgions isn't only to explain what we don't understand. It's a moral code that believe choose to live by. It's something that science can't explain because it is not meant to explain it. Science has to have falsible hypotheses, which means that many religious concept cannot be explained by science. Science can't tell you how to live, what you should do to other as it deals with other more concrete things.
What people need to understand, religious or non-relgious is that religion is a belief. People believe in it so strongly that they forget to respect that other people can choose not to believe (or maybe they be inclined to save them). Those who don't believe can act defensive from people who might say their way is wrong. Nobody wants to be told that they are wrong. However, what belief you choose is up to you.
So maybe there is proof for things that didn't happen the same way as the bible/torah/koran/ but maybe there are other things in there that people want to choose to abide by.
My mother is extremely religious and I guess it makes her happy. So as long as she keeps it to herself then its good for her, i have my own beliefs as all of us have.

Answer 11

I agree completely..... alot of religions prey on and encourage people who have little or no faith in themselves. "helping" them to find comfort in cults (because that's what they all are no matter how many are involved) and become reliant on external power. instead of encouraging people to discover that they have the power within themselves to succeed, therefor having faith in themselves, serving themselves, instead of false "gods" and places of worship too which they give too abundantly thus increasing that religions power.
Ancient civilians probably had it closest to the mark.... thousands of years BC. (wood then stone circles alined with the the sun and moon in some cases.... and pyramids with shafts alined to stars....) Worshiping the Sun, Moon and Stars, which has now been proved through science to create the climate we now live in. It was more recently that people began to get carried away with the idea of "god" in whichever guise & use it to explain any natural occurances that at the time were not otherwise rationally accounted for.
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