Is religion a necessity?

Question

I was viewing one of the questions posted a short time ago and realized that some people were absolutely depressed and angry at the world. I have often encountered Christians that say that before they believed in God they were doing drugs, sleeping around, angry at the world, just being immoral in general.

I don't do any of these things, I don't believe in God. Could it be that some people can not handle the way the world is without believing in their God to the point that they would go crazy anyways? Religion seems to ease their minds, and make some of them less vicious. I am starting to doubt if I am contributing to society by trying to show that God is not plausible. It is evident that people can not handle life without believing in a God. I find it amazing because for me it is no big deal. Perhaps some people are truly only moral because their religion makes them so. That is a scary thought.

I wonder if some of them feel that we Atheists are so immoral because they could not be moral without a God. What do you think?

Answergirl,
You have misread my question. I do not claim or even believe that I am better than the majority of people. I rank myself as okay, but I am not that vain. I never stated religion is only for those unable to think, I basically was saying that some people can not handle life without a God. I was not even trying to say all Christians are in this boat. I tried to word my question as to not make a generalization. Thank you for your response, but please read my question again.

Answer 1

I think the reason they believe atheists have no morals is because they truly believe that morals come from fear.

Answer 2

Wow, I like the way you reason although I do not agree with you.

Nobody can be moral without God. Do you honestly think you are sinless just because you don't do bad things that are obvious to everyone. Sin has deep roots, that's why Jesus said that if you even think with anger or haterd about someone, it's the same as being a murderer. If you wish death to somebody why would that make you better than somebody who actually acted on his thought. Or having fantasies about your best friend's fiancee - how do you know you are not going to act upon your thoughts if given a chance? You can't get rid of sin. It's stronger than you, that's why people go to such length describing what they were before they believed in Chirst - because Jesus literally set them free. They have the power to overcome sin. While a person without God does not have real power to do that. And then there is no true morality without God because God is the standard for absolute morality. But faith is not so much about doing or not doing good things. It is about being a different person whatsoever.

Answer 3

Religion is a conduit for obtaining a greater understanding of who one is and what the purpose of ones life is. If you, as you claim, are so much better than the vast majority of people on earth; then you may have a grasp on who you really are, where you came from and what you should be doing with your limited time here on earth. If you believe, as you stated, that religion is only for those unable " to think for themselves", you do not have that understanding. You have decided to lock yourself away from a venue that might create in yourself a doubt of how great you are. You are afraid that there might be something greater than yourself existing in the Universe. You are correct that "it is no big deal", because whether it be in this life or the next you will discover the error of your ways and will be able to accept it. Plausible or not God does exist and He is your loving Heavenly Father. I am Christian. I have never been a drug user and don't spend my life's energy hating or in anger. I am contributing to the world through my scientific research (I am a geology teacher and researcher at a local university.) and through my love of God and my fellow man. I do all that I can to bring joy and hope to believers and non-believers through kindness and charity. It is "no big deal" to me if you believe now. It is a tremendous deal to me that I believe. You are, regardless of your denial, a true son/daughter of God and I see in you, as in all people, a potential for diety.

Answer 4

I remember being in Montreal Canada when they had a police strike and lots of so called good people went wild.
This only shows that we are govern by laws, be it civil law or divine law.
Take away the ones that enforce these laws and the world will not survive.
The good people, like yourself would be trampled over.
God's given us a hope of everlasting life on earth, in conditions that we would all like to live in. No wars, no crime, no sickness. To some this might seem crazy, but it's a hope that some have and their lives are lived with that hope in view.

2 Thessalonians 1:6-8.........This takes into account that it is righteous on God’s part to repay tribulation to those who make tribulation for YOU, 7 but, to YOU who suffer tribulation, relief along with us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels  in a flaming fire, as he brings vengeance upon those who do not know God and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus.

This shows that it doesn't matter if your good or bad....................but it's the ones that do not obay the good news about our Lord Jesus. These are the ones that will not survive .

Answer 5

We cannot by our own strength and efforts by obeying moral codes (ie the law) overcome sin. Nobody has done it and nobody will ever do it. Sin is not just doing drugs, sleeping around, anger but includes worry, unbelief, jealousy, envy, greed, selfish ambition, and so on. The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law - 1Cor 15:56. We need God's grace and the gift of His righteousness to conquer sin (Rom 5:17). When you are under grace and not law sin will have no power over you (Rom 6:14).
When we walk by the Spirit we are not under law and will not fufill our sinful desires (Gal 5:16,18). We certainly need God, His grace, His righteousness and His Holy Spirit to comquer sin and live abundant and eternal lives. This is God's only remedy.

Answer 6

No one is truly an atheist. The Bible tells us that God has set eternity in the hearts of men. In other words, all people know that there is something more to this universe than just us and something more than just this life as we know it. Also, in the book of Romans we are told that God is seen through all that He has created so that men are without excuse. You can deny His existence verballly, but deep down inside all people know better. As far as religion being the key to a life of peace and joy, that to is wrong. Everyone needs a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life." He went on to say that He is the only way to God.

Answer 7

religion is man made and not a necessity.

What is a necessity is the gospel. What is important is what happens when you die. Ask yourself a question, "are you saved?" "If you died tonight would you go to heaven or hell?"

Imagine you were offered $1million for one of your eyes for a transplant. It could be taken out painlessly and you'd be given a new glass eye that will look just as good as your other eye, but If just wont LOOK as good. Would you sell an eye for $1million? How about both for $20million? No one in his right mind would. Your eyes are priceless, yet Jesus said that your eyes are worth nothing compared to the value of your soul. "If your eye causes you to sin pluck it out. It is better to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be cast into hell fire"

Have you lied (even once), stolen (value irrelevant), committed adultery (Jesus said "whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart") or killed (God considers hatred to be murder). Be honest, you know you will be guilty when you stand before the judgment of almighty God on judgment day, and therefore end up in hell. If heaven is a perfect place, why would God let someone imperfect in to spoil it? Today repent (confess your sins and be willing to change) and trust in Jesus Christ who was put to death to pay the price for your sins. Then your record is wiped clean and you are made acceptable to the Lord.(From a Gospel tract by www.livingwaters.com)

To my atheist friends I always ask something along the lines of "If you cannot prove the existance or non existance of God, is it not better to assume there is a God and that we will face judgement than to decide God doesn't exist and potetially end up facing judgement anyway?"

Answer 8

Are you saying what has been said before.. Religion is the opium of nations?

Did you consider that not believing is a belief in itself, which is also a religion in the guise of the false appearance of not being a religion. Therefore, you as being an atheist are under the influence as well. Think about it.

Answer 9

You raise a good point. I feel it's unfair to judge someone just because they only started being a good person after they "found god." I'm like you, I have no faith in any religion, but I am still a law abiding, moral person (or so I like to believe). However, it's hard to fault someone who does good things just because they swallow the stories of the clergy.

I don't believe that religion is necessary to lead a good life. And I do believe that we can replace it with trust in each other. People aren't as bad as religions make them out to be. We just have to have a support system in place to help those who need it... and it doesn't have to be there because we're afraid of god.

Answer 10

We are all sinners mate, every single one of us. If you have ever lied in you r life, or sworn, or looked at the oppisite sex with lust in your heart, if you have every had sex our or marriage, if you have ever been drunk, if you have ever stollen anything even if it is small, if you have ever fought with anyone, ect then you have broken Gods' law, and deserves death. God's standards are so high we all have broken his law, that is why God sent his only Son into the world to die a horrible death so we can have eternal life. Jesus is the savior of the world, and Jesus forgives sin if you ask him. You see you can be a good person in mans eyes, but in God's sight the only one that was rightous is Jesus, as Jesus came to do the will of his Father. God's word is not one is righout, not one, and all our good works are like fithly rags to God. You be a good person and because they are too sinners then if they die without ever excepting Christ unless you are a baby or a small child you will end up in hell, and as for me I have passed from death into life, the moment I excepted Jesus, I recieved eternal life from God as a free gift. It does not matter if you have commited a big sin or a little one, it is still sin. If you say you have never sinned in you life there is no truth in you.as God's world states. You can be a bad sinner as Jesus died for the sins, and confess Jesus as Lord and invite him into your heart and confess your sins and be on you r way to Heaven. I know where I am going, the question is do you? have you invited Jesus into your life. If not, please do it, you will become a child of God then and your citizenship is in Heaven. Me I am a stranger in this life passing thorugh, and one day as this life is temperary, I will be in Heaven, and guess what? If you are a child of God, it makes you royalty. And you can only become a child of God though faith in Jesus. Saints in Heaven receive crowns, and live in mansions. No more sickness, death, depression, etc. God will make all things new. I may have been a huge sinner, but now I am royalty and am the daughter of the most high God, and God has forgiven my past sins and remembers them no more. If god is for me, then who can be against me? I am now a saint through the blood of Jesus, and Heaven bound.Stuff my past, Heaven is my home now. Thank you Jesus.. you too can have that of you confess Jesus.by faith.

Answer 11

There is no consensus among researchers as to the best methodology for determining the religiosity profile of the world's population. A number of fundamental aspects are unresolved:

Whether to count "historically predominant religious culture[s]"
Whether to count only those who actively "practice" a particular religion
Whether to count based on a concept of "adherence"
Whether to count only those who expressly self-identify with a particular denomination
Whether to count only adults, or to include children as well (abuse and the escape from religion)
Whether to rely only on official government-provided statistics
Whether to use multiple sources and ranges or single "best source(s)"