In todays world is there really a need for religion?

Question

Now a days we appear to have become more of a secular society. On a small scale (because the question is not about wars started by religion) within communities and countries is religion important, do we really need it, or is it out dated and can we only rely on ourselves? Let me know?

Please give reasons for your answers.
This question is not set out to offend anyone, all serious and honest questions are welcomed.

Answer 1

As a country i don't think we do need religion however, man kind as a whole does. Although major religions are focused on, widely religion is apparent,In tribes with no external influence from any other culture. Religion is an easy way to make a society work without having one person with more apparent power than another. There is a need for this higher power figure within life, I personally go with Freud's theory that we are born with Thanatos ( Death) and Ethos ( Love) Insticts. We are born with these drives and through oiur fear of death and want for love we find something to protect us. Religion is important it does hold merit in the world, creates a morality structured with threat and reward which without parental figures could be lost in someones life. It prevents loneliness and creates communities. Some people do need it others don't is the only way I can answer this. Until there is no more fear, need for a powerful being and all questions are anwsered noone would turn away.

Answer 2

First you will need to define what YOU mean by religion!
I am a believer but do not do religion. If you ask me the egg and chicken question i will tell you i believe the Universe is the chicken and everytime it lays another egg is when a star is born. Makes sense, the universe is expanding too... the cicken is still growing you see!
Secular doesn't mean there is no need for belief. It doesn't even mean the people are not allowed to believe. It means the organisations that rule the beliefs have no real power in matters of state. Religion should not have a political influence. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secularity
Britain isn't secular. Church, state and education are intertwined. The Dutch and Belgians have a word for it. They call it 'verzuiling', which basically means pillarization or denominational segregration as in this excellent explanation http://www.quirksmode.org/politics/zuilen.html
Within communities belief is important. Which is why ethnic groups will come together on basis of beliefs. And the more the countries with non secular governing carry on being religious, the more that those who don't believe the ruling religion will form enclaves of their own. And the less communities and people will lern to tolerate the other since they will grow up in a seggregated society.
I see it everyday at the moment in the playground. Very few children from immigrants under school age speak english or even understand it. Which leaves me having to explain the why's of it to my almost 4year old. She is being made aware of other cultures. But are those non-english speaking children? They grow up in a seggregated society. Wether we like it or not :-(

Answer 3

Once we find a better way we will be shipping off of Earth and Exploring the Universe. It always gets better when we work together.

Religiously means: doing something the same way over and over. Some times someone finds a better way. Which becomes the new repeated religiously function.

Religion hasn't faded or gone secular anymore then it was back in the days people agreed that it was a great leaders book called the bible, who they read from and about.

A godly person, omnipotent and omnipresent wise one, or a Saint, or even a God is a form of recognition for good works. When you speak of a Great Great Grand Parent who left a goodly amount of worldly knowledge to know; that is praise.

One religion calls studying praying, another calls it cogitation; while yes, another calls it reading.

I got an education and found out that religion is another scholars work at describing their better way of doing things. Absolutely every book has good advice if you can understand it, and only bad if you can't, or bad if you don't agree with their method of delivery.

Aristotle, Socrates, Plato, Jesus Christ all were teachers in their times, and if you 'could not understand' one of their meanings of meaningful wisdom, one of the others would usually suit your language style and life style.

Now-a-days we have thousands of more books with teaching instructions.

Lessons on how someone, more recently, lived and how they agree with one author in the bible.

The same as the same person might find interest in another authors modern version of it.
Like the King James version, or the Latter Day Saints version, or the women Masonic temples version, or a local writer's words from a book they wrote which was this years book.
What I am saying is that, someone who found various parts of several books and agreed with others of the greats great works of the past collective made another book.

We just keep doing the best we can to hand down what our experiences are to the youth who find they are interested in learning that method, yours or mine, or someone else's.

Like I wrote at the beginning, "Once we find a better way we will be shipping off of Earth and Exploring the Universe. It always gets better when we work together, nice, though."

Did you notice the change?

Answer 4

Religion has started no more wars than greed, power, fear, racial bias and intolerance, and atheism. All have contributed. Religion is really the basis of morality. Without it the only reason for moral standards would be the protection of society as a whole, but based on a viewpoint of there being no God to accept any certain moral viewpoint of right and wrong personally. If natural selection and survival of the fittest rules, such as in the animal world, it would be acceptable to drive off the alpha leader in politics, business, social clubs etc..etc..

Answer 5

Well, because we appear to be in moral decline, I would argue that we need it more than ever. Without religion, where do we get our morals from, our sense of right and wrong. If we try to invent it for ourselves, like Philosophers believe that they can, how do we know whether it is right or wrong. I think that it is precisely because we try to live our lives without religious guidance, that we are suffering moral decay. The Government, TV media and teaching professions are under the control of left wingers, and it is well known that they don't believe in God or religion, so, that probably explains some of the things that are occurring in society because of the lack of a moral template.

Answer 6

I think we have to rely on some kind of higher power. We don't seem to be doing to good of a job as a whole on our own.

When things are so overwhelming and there seems to be no one to turn to, it's nice to believe that there could be a something higher than ourselves. In believing, it can at least give us hope that a situation may get better.

Don't know if I explained myself very well, but I guess my final answer would be, yes there is a need for people to have something to believe in.

Answer 7

More now than ever, we're in a world of moral decay. Today evil is in fashion, and morality is mocked. Bad people are misunderstood, good people are losers and dweebs. We have at risk programs for kids who should be in jail. The ones who work hard to get where they're going, and follow the rules, are either victimised or ignored. We worry more about saving the celebrity criminal from jail or execution, than who he'd terrorise when we let him out. The ladies love the bad guy. The good guy is too busy preparing for life, to be excieting, or cool. All the guys want to be gangsters, all the girls want to be tramps. Anyone stable with a moral compase guiding them are treated like crap.

Answer 8

People rely on religion because it soothes their mind. It gives them the guide they need in their lives. Everyone needs a hand to hold and for some, religion does just fine. It has existed since the beginning of man in one form or the other and still exists in abundance. It exists because it is needed.

Answer 9

single faith is debatable. probable Roman Catholic at a pair of million.a million billion regardless of the undeniable fact that it an in depth race with Sunni Islamics. Now, while you're making it regular then Christianity is almost two times the dimensions at nicely over 2 billion to mixed Sunni Shi ite Islam at a million.3 - a million.4 billion. in case you save it SECT specific Catholics and Sunni almost tied. Then comes Hindu. Shi ites are way down the checklist. Even the subsequent Christian Protestant team is down previous Buddism and that stands out as the Lutherans, because of the fact even the Presbyterians are splintered as are the Baptists.

Answer 10

tom cruise himself wanted to experience new religion because he believe the miracles from the religion gave birth for his wife,this is very good examples where the world nowadays rely on themself but they forgot 1 thing..the science still can't solve so many things in this world,life or space..there so many religion now but basically only 1 completed religion exist..depends on people to search for it and having a perfect life