Why doesn't religion make us feel this way?

Question

Last night there was no moon and the stars were very bright. My boyfriend and I drove further up into the mountains where there was no light pollution, and went star-gazing. The mountain air was extremely clean and pure, it was completely silent, and the only light was from the stars.

It was a completely awe-inspiring experience that made us feel very much in touch with the numinous, and extremely humbled, yet full of joy. When we got home, we wondered why going to church or reading the Bible doesn't have this effect. It's like religion SHOULD make us feel this way, but it doesn't.

Why is this? And does religion ultimately fail as a spiritual exercise, because it tries to trap lightning in a bottle?

Answer 1

This is only my beliefs and am not trying to force opinion but, being in nature makes you closer to God. After all he created it. Churches get caught up in commercialism and social conviction to the point in a way the become social clubs. My opinion is that to really worship God it to put, a hug tent in the middle of no where and call it your church since buildings are man made along with organized religion and the natural world is God made.

Answer 2

You don't need church for a religious experience, as you've just found out. Good for you! Most people think they need an intermediary to speak to God, but in the Gospel of Thomas (which was earmarked as a Book that would not be reaching the final editing stages of the Bible) it's written that we all contain a spark of the Divine within us, so we can speak to Him directly.
Also, Jesus says, "The Kingom of Heaven is within you."
Don't worry so much about church. He'll notice every time you think of Him while standing in awe of the beauty we're blessed with!

Answer 3

Because you want to enjoy the absolute fullness of this world and the universe without knowing who or what is behind it. In other words, you were humbled by the creation but not by the Creator. Religion does not demand anything (and therefore is hard to adhere to) but Christianity does. It demands that we are to recognize Him as the Supreme Being and to obey him and love him also. Genesis 1 of the Holy Bible tells about the creation, where Romans 1 tells about the consequences of thinking that we humans are in control. Enjoy!

Answer 4

Wow I think that's really neat. The awe inspiring experience is real and I feel it alot, the closer I get to God, as it does make one feel very small and humble. The closer we get to God, the more we feel this way, and yes this is a spiritual experience. I also get this way when I sing to Him in church, it is a one on one experience with Him. It takes focus.

Answer 5

"religion" shouldn't make you feel any way. It's all in what you believe. I believe in God and ever time I enter His presence, it's awesome. Every time I look around and see the stars and moon, it's awes om. The mountain air and all that He made, it's awesome. He's awesome. I don't need "religion" to make me feel anything. I have relationship with the Lord.

Answer 6

I don't know about your church, but every time I attend mine, I experience a deep joy and feel the reasssurance of God's love.
Interestingly I never experienced the same in a protestant church.

Answer 7

i've got self belief that organised religions have been created to maintain us in verify and attempt to make us no longer think of for ourselves. In organised religions each physique is given set issues that they are informed to have self belief, organised religions attempt to make people have self belief that in the event that they question the existence of issues like God, the bible or something that it is incorrect or an evil act - sinful etc. Organised religions do no longer want you questioning for your self, or gaining knowledge of your very own spirituality for your self. I dont think of that organised religions like Christianity are approximately making you sense greater suitable approximately existence or dying, i think of that those religions are all approximately administration. Controling what you think of in the experience that they want to regulate lives, in the event that they say that to do some thing is a sin and as a result against your faith then it quite is approximately administration. you do no longer want any variety of organised faith to declare which you're a sturdy individual or you reside a sturdy existence, there is undesirable and sturdy interior us all. each and each decision that we make makes a decision notwithstanding if we are residing a sturdy or undesirable existence. the reality's of spirituality and existence is a few thing we can all locate out for ourselves as walk by existence. dying isn't something to worry it is aside of existence and as quickly as all of us die we purely flow to stay and exist in yet another airplane of existence. So there isn't any longer something to worry, in a feeling it may be like being afraid to be born. The physique is in simple terms a shell, like a snake upon dying we shed our epidermis, our shell all that we are, are character, character. each little thing that makes us who we are is interior the soul and the soul on no account dies. It purely strikes on, ever changing from the actual to the spirit airplane and if chosen or desperate we could acquire yet another shell to stay on the actual airplane returned. what's so frightening approximately that?

Answer 8

Religion does feel this way, if you've found the right one for you.

Going to church or reading the Bible doesn't make me feel that way either. That's why I'm not Christian.

I found that warm yet cool, connected yet unattached, peaceful yet excited feeling with eclectic Wicca.

Answer 9

as you know societys use controls, the first mass media was religion and it was all controling, then that dwindled becaues the magic in the box, and know that dwindling becaues it is burning us out. we used to be only able to fill are cup on sundays and now its 24/7. I worship the sun becaues i know that one day it will engulf me and then shoot me back out as energy to another part of the universe. and at night i tend to get into more trouble becaues i am away from its loving glow

Answer 10

What you are describing is common in the Pagan religions. We turn to nature for our inspiration and enlightenment.