What is the importance of religion to a civilzation?

Question

What is the importance of religion to a civilzation? What problems would a civilization have if the religion component was removed?

So far I have "The religion was very important for the civilization because religion provided a sense of security and timelessness"

Answer 1

It's not important anymore.

Answer 2

Before organized societies, governments, and law enforcement bodies it made perfect sense to have religion and give people some moral constraints (and take away most thought processes to make them more pliable - see Byzantine history)
Now however, I am afraid that religion is a setback.
Let me clarify:
If religion had a set of standards that was equivalent to the year 1800, then it would have been a great thing in the year 1600. Now it is 2007, and religion is still in the 1800's. Does this seem to be progressing or regressing?
Right now in the world there is a real problem with 1800 religious mentalities going up against the more secular West. This is a real problem with real implications on the world today.
Which is better? who knows... but I do know that religion is a throwback in time for better or for worse.
There is no question that religion is important to civilization and its creation. whether it is important because it is good or bad is another issue :)
Peace

Answer 3

There is no advantage to so many different beliefs, all it does is create more confusion. The Bible has been changed when it was being translated. The King James of 1611 is far different then the King James we have today. John Witcliff a Catholic priest tried to bring the Bible to all in a language all could understand, the Catholic church banned him, William Tyndale a Catholic bishop wanted to make the Bible excusable so that even a man working in the fields would be able to read God's word, he was hunted down, strangled and then burned on a stake by a man that the Catholics made into a saint. The King James of 1611 had John W & W. Tyndale's work Incorporated in its writings. With the clergy supervising the translating many things were left out or changed to fit their way of thinking. Try as they might the Bible still has the truth and they were not successful in changing what God's message is to man. But with there changing, deleting, and adding they have brought about all the different beliefs, no way is it advantageous for the public that has to read and then discern what is fact or fiction. What is advantageous is technology, with the computer one can research what is truth and what is false, most don't, they are the blind being lead by the blind, they are goats, stubborn and as Rev says they are being put to Jesus' left. All the different beliefs today is not to the advantage of man, it's meant to confuse and scatter, Satan has done a good job so much so that people will kill those that don't believe the same way they do, just as government will do the same, kill if your political views are different. One should seek out truth, not go to a smoggiest board of different beliefs and pick what ever one looks good.

Answer 4

Humans by nature are curious, and want answers. In the earliest civilizations, the concepts that people could not understand must be the work of a higher power, thus religion was born.

As history shows, civilizations have come and gone, as have their gods. When the more advanced civilization prevailed, they would introduce their gods, having eliminated the need of more primitive gods (sun gods, sea gods, etc.).

We have now advanced to the point where only the ultimate question remains unanswered: why do we exist? That's why the creator gods of the various religions today are still around. If we could find the origin of existence, the need for a god would be eliminated, and thus the need for religion. This would be our last step in spiritual fulfillment: we now realize that life is too short and valuable to waste on religious fantasy.

Answer 5

Religion is important because there are so many idiots out there that we need at least something tp keep them under control. They're less likely to commit crimes when you put the fear of God into them.

I've seen first hand the difference religion can make in a person. Whether it's real or not.

Answer 6

Religion is a way for a culture/civilization/person to help explain the unknown in the world. Thousands of years ago the answer to 'why is the sky blue' probably was'because it is the divine's will that it be blue'.
Also, sometimes religion is a comfort to people in horrible situations.

Answer 7

That's a good start. It also can be used to control the masses. Religion also serves to give magical explanations to societies that don't value or can't understand reality (science). By giving misinformation, people can be comfortable believing they have the answer.

If we remove religion (such as what's happening in Europe) I'd say we would only improve. Look at America, it's crime, prison population, academic scores, etc and see how many people aren't religious (10%). Compare that to countries in Africa that are very religious and look at their academic scores. Now check out Europe's crime, academic scores, etc and see that atheism hovers around 40-50%.

Answer 8

Turn it around. What use is civilization to those behind the one true religion which in some form is the worship of the Almighty, the Creator, The Great Spirit , The All One, the One who made us all. Civilization is what He is workikng for, which is what we want too.
Lack of civilization is lack of humanity.

Answer 9

Contrary to the above, the sole purpose of religion is community. Mankind learned aeons ago that in order to survive, he had to unite with his fellow man. So he developed a common language, writing, religion. All these drew people together because people are just naturally more comfortable with and trusting of those who look, speak, act and think like they do. Of course, the natural terror of dying needed a counterfoil, so the idea of a life after death was invented, and the mythology to support that is - religion.

Answer 10

religion "per se" is of very little importance.
what is important is YOUR personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
don't get hung up on "religion".
John 3: The Words of Jesus Christ (God in the flesh)
3. "Verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God."
4. Nicodemus saith unto Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?"
5. Jesus answered, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God."
6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again."
16. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18. He that believeth on Him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

Answer 11

Religion is one way that humanity has devised to deal with death.
It's not the only way, but it is one way.
Unfortunately, the spread of religions who claim to be the "one true way" are do more harm than good. There is simply no way to be tolerant of other people if you believe your faith is correct and theirs is incorrect. It leads to all kinds of physical conflict and death.
Which far outweighs whatever psychological good people get from holding on to the misguided hope that somehow they will survive even death (an oxymoron).