Is being part of a religious group important? Do we as humans need a group?

Answer 1

i dont know about religious groups but humans are a social animal but me im kind of a loner

Answer 2

I think many, if not most, people really do need the rest of the tribe, the club, the pack, if you will, to be comfortable. They need to fit in. That's much of what teen-age gangs are all about: if you don't fit in with one group, you will with another. Just keep looking lower and lower down the social ladder until you find your crowd, and they pledge to live and die for them.

So it is with religions. For many people, the group effect is really more important than what it does in terms of a personal relationship to God, however defined.

Then there are people who are on a very solitary spiritual quest, and there are people all in between. Like everything else humans do, there are different strokes for different folks. Don't you think that's a good thing? Of course, it lays on you, personally, responsibility for what you believe, and how you behave, and what you consider honorable and dishonorable, right and wrong, etc. That's too much of a burden for some -- that personal sense of responsibility -- so they are more comfortable in a structure where they they get a set of rules to follow.

The problem comes when they find those rules impossible to follow, for whatever reason.

Answer 3

Humans need other humans, surely - and it is important to many of us to congregate with likeminded others. I do not belong to a religious group but I have found others that share my spiritual views and values - even though they come from a diverse religious background. I mean, I am kind of a Universalist, my husband is catholic - all of his friends are of different religions and have been for most of his life (he's a programmer so he knows muslims, hindi, chinese, and church of england folks, mostly) and I was raised jewish - my point being that we have been able to find common values and common interest and respect for each others faiths and views, without sharing a religion. Of course when I need spiritual assistance I turn to my most like minded friends, because their advice is often easiest for me to follow - and I think that is also the case when you belong to a religion, you still have only a couple trusted friends that you turn to - though you do get the added bonus of clergy member if you need.

I will say no - we do not need a specifically religious group to belong to, though we do need friends or some kind of personal community.

Peace!

Answer 4

It depends on what you believe in life. We need a group of people but it doesn't mean that it should a religious one. I don't belong in any religious group I don't even go to church,but do respect any religion for as long that you will not convince me to join you. I read different religious book to know what is the different between one another.

Answer 5

I think it is human nature to form groups. Religions seems to be one where the memebers generaly tend to back ans support each other. Quite a few people anymore dont need them but then you look at, for example, some Wiccans who left a mainstream religions, and state they don't like like "organized religion" but then they join a coven that has rules and proceedures just as an organized religions would.

Then you look at people who are not in groups, they are called outsiders, loners, hermits - kind of looked down on in society.

Answer 6

Yes, humans NEED groups/family/community.

Answer 7

Evolution-wise, Humans need social interaction. It is a remnant of our ancestors, who grew in intelligence as they communed with others, learned about their world, and eventually created tools.

Humans are social animals, so yes, we need a group. Loneliness can be deadly to humans over long periods of humans---its called suicide.

Religious groups, although not essential, do help spiritually.

Answer 8

I guess there is something symbolic to be said about having parents and the need of two to have a baby. That being a part of a family. What do you get from it and where does the need come from. I think it is in us from the orgin of creation.

Answer 9

Most of us need groups. They do not need to be religious ones.

Answer 10

I think we do. We need spiritual and emotional support. We need to be challenged. And we need real world support, like people to come visit us when we are sick.

And of course, religious groups also provide us with religious teachings.