Does religion offer hope or a false sense of security?

Answer 1

Religion is the same as anything else you might call a false sense of security. It lacks evidence, reason, logic, etc. People like to say it's different because they feel so strongly about it.

Answer 2

To some people it clearly offers hope. Many people may call this misguided, but hope is often in vain. People need hope in times of difficulty and will cling to whatever provides that hope. William James, the American Pragmatist and Philosopher said that any belief is justified if it has a net benefit to the believer. The example often cited is that of the bereaved mother who has lost her child and finds consolation in her faith. What compassionate human being would begrudge her comfort, however deluded (if that is what you believe). Note: I am including all deist beliefs under the umbrella of "religion" in this example - the particular variety of religion is not important.
Hope and a false sense of security may be one and the same thing, depending on your perspective. Such a mother would not consider the intellectual merits of her position of any significance at all. Such a tragedy may strengthen or break her faith.
An argument for religion in general, is "what is the downside of such a belief?" For most people it is of net benefit. Whether your belief system is rooted in logic or superstition is not important in your daily life. What is important is how that affects your outlook as a person, intellectual arguments aside.
As someone said "Better to be a believer and be wrong, than a non-believer and be wrong."
As is normal with human nature, most people tend to take the safe approach.
Is this always intellectually honest? Probably not. Does that really matter? Again probably not to most people.
Let's face it life can be pretty tough and any mechanism that gives you a boost to get through and survive can't be all bad.
One more point, how would you ever know that the sense of security was false. I would submit that all through your life you never will.
The argument of religion or belief in the supernatural versus science and logic is on-going and unlikely to be resolved for a very, very long time. It is more important to have a well founded belief system, based in religion or logic, as a road map for your life. Sure you don't need a map to get to your local store, but when your destination becomes a little less certain, it's good to have something to refer back to.
The principle problem with most religion is not the belief system in itself, however irrational, it is how people use it to justify their actions.

Answer 3

I don't believe that religion offers any kind of hope at all. If you think about it, religion is increasingly becoming a problem. I believe in God but not religion. For me God is a sign of hope, not someone I should be fearing or worshiping a zillion times per day! God can be a star that I would look up to when I feel down, not someone who's there to punish me but a good example as to what I should be! Religion is nowadays becoming like a law for every followers. It is ridiculous as religion is becoming reasons for wars and divisions. Religion offers a false sense of security but God can be whoever or whatever you believe God to be, and that is a true source of hope!

Answer 4

If the followers try to draw comfort from blind belief, then it does just that, to the much potential personal advantage to the religious leaders etc. Most religions were started without the permission or knowledge of those great masters who were chosen as the symbol of those religions. It is the followers who come later, who form that religion. If the teachings really 'show' the way, and insist on the possibility of experience rather than blind belief, then religions could work, or else, as you rightly suggested, it merely offers a false sense of security.

Answer 5

Religion itself is a hope thats why Humans created it in the first place.. The people who 'run' the religion are the ones who are responsible for creating false sense of security and all the hatred, this world has seen.

Answer 6

There is little security that is offered in the disposition of faith as it represents the surrender of one's will to a purpose that one cannot control or fully understand. Those who seek security in religion will find themselves to be ultimately disappointed. As far as hope, hope is a theological, rather than a natural virtue. It is, in spiritual terms, a gift, rather than something that we muster out of our own will. It is not religion that offers hope, but the mystery of divine grace. Religion mediates and expresses hope, but it does not engender it. For that, a higher power is necessary, a power that many people call God.

Answer 7

False sense of security.

Answer 8

While you do not know whether there is a God or not, there could be and therefore "false sense of security" could also be wrong. People rely on faith and that offers hope...faith is the way God (lol) works I guess.

Answer 9

the difference between religion and spirituality is.A religious person is afraid to go to hell.A spiritual person has already been there.

Religion is for stagnant people that do not believe that they are created in Gods immage as himself,but they believe in punishment.

I also was religious untill i met God,now i dont believe in religion anymore.

Religion is used by clever clergy to make people pay them to forgive their sins.

Now the answer to your question.Spirituality offer hope.Religion is a false sense of security

Answer 10

Religions provide order and philosophy. Like any philosophy, your hope resides in how accurate it is.
as for religions, if it is false, your hope is false.
if it is true....then yes you have hope.
Finding the truth requires that the individual do his homework. You will find plenty of people on both sides of every issue saying yea or nay.
I, for instance, believe in Christ because I have an ongoing relationship with him that demonstrates clearly enough to me that his words are true and that gives me faith.