Is religion just a form of primitive philosophy for the feeble-minded masses?

Question

From prehistory to the present, humans have always had a need to understand and explain the natural laws. Religions provided easy, ready-made explanations, first by witchdoctors, then by gurus, prophets and messiahs. All religions try to teach philosophical principles. But correct principles have to be discovered and require study, honest debate, and intellectual effort. Instead of intellectual discourse, some people discovered that silly rituals, superstitions and feasts (holidays) attract the masses much faster and the leaders stood to gain lots of money, fame, and power.

Answer 1

I'd say you have it figured pretty well...

I take exception with the words "primitive" and "feeble-minded" but I agree completely with your history of probably religious evolution.

The trouble with religion today is that it seems to have forgotten how to evolve as it needs to. It no longer needs its God-heads and its miracles and it needs to find out how to leave them behind without guilt.

Religions could begin to sort out the best of the best of their philosophies and set aside the out-dated scriptures to adopt a modern approach to teaching its peacefulness and brotherhood, and all things which are both favorable and palatable to the greatest portion of our world population.

I think it is highly important to our growth to preserve our religious books and relics and to accurately record the present day postures of our religious bodies for the sake of learning from the past, i.e., for history's sake. But it's certainly time to use the power of our major religions to tear down the divisions between our God-based and secular philosophies and begin rebuilding a common foundation, one which is a well thought out belief system that has its finger tips squarely on the pulse of today's knowledge of reality.

The masses DO need something to believe in - they need truth above all and I advocate for a religious evolution which keeps both eyes open to finding that truth out of science and reason and then to finally set it into a logically-based conclusion of what our human condition really is as well as we can know it.

It's time to recognize that we have all learned as much as "God" intended... It's time to thank "Him" and move ahead together to build a new Eden for all of us to enjoy.

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Answer 2

Maybe "Brainlady" and others on here could occasionally use the spellcheck? The standard of spelling is appalling on these posts. Having said that, it would have passed "dessert" as being a pudding, when what brainlady meant was "desert". Ok, but given 5 kids were put on a desert island (I think they'd actually prefer a dessert one) she says they would not even consider religion. So in that case how did religion ever evolve at all? Someone must have started it! Primitive man did, as a way of trying to explain all the non-understood natural happenings in their fragile world. They assumed there must be some great universal force controlling everything and they'd better keep in its good books by sacrifices etc. The children on the island would eventually invent some religious system, because there seems to be a human need to do so. I personally believe that man created God, not the other way round.

Answer 3

You are 100% correct.

I believe religion served a purpose a long time ago. The human mind can be overwhelmed by circumstances that are out of its control. For example, a flood or typhoon that destroys an entire city. Humans are always looking for reasons, and when they can't find one, they make one up (god is punishing us). It's a coping mechanism.

Primitive man needed explanations but had none, and did not have science to help them out. So they invented god (or gods). It got them through.

Fast-forward to modern times. We have lots of answers now. Many of us no longer need to invent reasons for things happening. But apparently, some of us still do ("I prayed, and god got rid of the pimple on my chin so I looked good for the dance"). Eventually, we will move beyond the need for a god, and that will be a great day indeed.

Answer 4

It is never good to think that the whole human race is feeble-minded.You think because some men do their own thing and get an A in academic studies that they know it all? If you don't believe in God, God calls you a fool. What you call silly rituals, we call, meaning expressions of love to God. what you call superstitions, we call faith, as far as feasts go, well if I have to give that up to be an unbeliever I'll stay where I am at. God loves to party. By the way I got an A in science during my school days, that hasn't stopped me from believing in God. You chose what you what to believe or not, the government has nothing to do with in.In fact most governments today are godless men.

Answer 5

I think you're incredibly simplifying a complex issue. (As a side-note, the tone of your question already shows bias.)

What you are talking about is much more a symptom of modern society than religion itself. When you look at tribal societies in South America and Africa, all members perform vital services, and their religious aspects are what brings them together at the end of the day to remember their dead, loved ones, their history and their ancestors. Religion is an aspect of daily life, and their life is so hard that they don't have time to wax philosophical on any given question. When you're trying to hunt for your villages daily supply of food, you have bigger worries than the chemical structure of water. Water keeps you alive, that's all you NEED to know about it.

Modern religion has changed with our society, so it is more cookie-cutter and greedy--just as our society is. It's a symptom, but not a cause.

Answer 6

Actually, it is the opposite. It's a way of being spoon-fed a worldview so you don't have to think about the hard questions.

Answer 7

religion is for cowards who require a system\organisation with an authority that validates it, sometimes the authority is the fact that it is accepted by the majority.

Answer 8

Religion in it's purest form is beautiful and good. What you are talking about is the bastardization that has occured over the years to make religion a smorgasboard for it's followers.

Answer 9

yup its all about politics and power with some good ethics tossed in just to confuse the masses

Answer 10

yes it is. religion survives because of ignorance