Is structure that religion provides really necessary for spiritual growth?

Question

this was an answer from another user of why we need religion for today, as if fabric of society would fall apart without it...as if we are seeing holy and perfect world in it's current state under religion's grip

and what is this "structure" anyways....

Pavlov's conditioning? tradition and habit so they never know why to believe, but just do, and not understand scriptures and just mindlessly believe, seeing the bible is full of felony acts and crimes that if done today, the Heroes of the Bible would be in Maximum Security Prison?

Answer 1

For some maybe structure is needed but true, profound spiritual growth is done on our own and outside of structured institutions.

Answer 2

No. structure can even prevent spiritual growth. Just as you must spend time out of your mind to become truly sane you must transcend structure to become truly spiritual. Each seeker must find their own path. The journey is part of the process.
The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.
-- J R R Tolkien

Biblical times VS now?
If The UN forces in Iraq went by biblical battle strategies if one man in a Iraqi village killed a US soldier the troops would round up every man, women and child, Slaughter the unarmed men and male children outright. Likewise any women who were mothers or no longer virgins, then rape any girls above 12 and sell the younger girls into slavery or keep them for later use.

Answer 3

For spiritual growth, probably not, but for social stability and cohesion, the historical answer has *always* been yes. However, that's a qualified yes, in that the more unified the *public religion,* the more orderly the society. Look at the decadence of the Roman Empire following the rise of imported "mystery religions," or the fragmentation of modern American culture with the rise of sectarianism, for the flip side of the argument.

A strong cultural identity can and does achieve the same social ends---witness the Scandinavian countries, which are nominally Lutheran, functionally atheist, but where pre-xian polytheism and folkways are again on the rise. Ordinarily, that would be a recipe for disaster, but the strong sense of cultural identity as Danes or Swedes, etc., and the prevailing sense of "die Sitte" (custom, thew) create stability instead. America used to have a similar sense of "we're all Americans first" but we've lost that with the rise of multiculturalism and solipsism . . . IMHO, that's at least ONE of the reasons for the rise in fundamentalism here: filling that gap.

Complicated times have always generated simple, easy to understand, WRONG answers. :-/

Answer 4

The structure of a religion can help as a starting point, or a way to see how much growth has been accomplished. Beyond that sometimes religion can actually to help block growth or provide shelter in such a way to discourage the need for growth. It all depends on the religion, the church (what ever form it may take), the religious leaders and the individual.

Answer 5

Yes, that was my answer.

I didn't say for societal growth..I said spiritual growth.

It's like your skeleton. You need it to stand upright, walk, etc. Our soul needs a structure to. We need a place to grow. This does not mean mindless belief...it means mindful belief. The structure of religion gives us the checks and balances we need so as not to run a-muck with our interpretations and misinterpretations of scripture.

The heroes of the Bible lived thousands of years ago in a pagan land. Pagans were much worse...the Bible heroes are heroes because the began to bring humanity out of paganism and towards the true God. If you look at the Bible as a whole, you will see the spiritual growth and progression...away from paganism and into the teachings of Christ. All the way from a world of death, superstition, fear etc. to a God who became man and sacrificed himself for love. This is a far cry from any pagan god.

The Bible is our spiritual history and guide. It also provides us the necessary structure for upward growth.

I do not believe out of habit. I know what and why I believe.

Answer 6

God has always been very particular about how he wishes to be worshipped, and about how his will is made known to the world.

Without both authority and proper "structure" there is little or no assurance of ever pleasing God.

That's why Jesus founded only one Church, and he remains at the head of it, with the Holy Spirit as the divine arbiter of truth.

As for your criticism of the state of the world ... it's irrelevant. God has the power to save and sanctify anyone he chooses, no matter how corrupt they might be ... and throughout history, plenty of people (including entire cultures) have changed their evil ways, as a result of his grace.

Answer 7

what is religious as to say what is belief? if "structure" is the act of following what was done before for the sake of not being shot or put in a max sec prison, then why do people freely follow what has no control? people are the sheep of themselves and nothing more. holidays should be everyday not on a designated day.

Answer 8

Religions have a tendency to be many matters to one-of-a-kind humans. They frequently mix one-of-a-kind traditions and plenty of generations of revel in. The older they're, the tougher it's to mention what they're they acquire such a lot of contradictions. So it turns into very tricky to arrive any contract approximately them, and really effortless to offend. Often we aren't even speakme approximately the identical matters after we speak about a devout challenge, there's such a lot that's undisclosed, like an iceberg beneath the water. In my revel in all of them coach exploration at a few degree and so they all are dogmatic. But in my know-how, the prophets round whom the religions have been situated frequently stimulated the type of religious exploration and primary hand revel in with God, that you just search. It is the humans across the prophet, and people who later control the forms of the faith who position the obstacles on fans. So what's the faith? What Christ truthfully taught, economically recorded within the Sermon at the Mount? Or what Paul discovered it to be after he stopped torturing fans of Christ? What Buddha skilled while he sought fact via many one-of-a-kind devout paths? Or what his fans distilled into myriad lists: four of this, eight of that but 12 of yet another and so forth, which are nonetheless drilled into dulled minds at present? Religion is many matters and we ought to differentiate cautiously if we wish to converse with each and every different, and debate our viewpoints. I suppose it is not likely you'll be able to get a definitive reply as as to whether a certain faith teaches religious exploration. It's much more likely any given faith each teaches in opposition to it and for it if you happen to seem deeply adequate.

Answer 9

Leviticus 20:9 any child that curses his mother or his father shall be put to death.

They scream about removing a clump of cells when God clearly thought it acceptable to murder you children for cursing you.

Religion inspires feelings of superiority . My way is the ONLY True way and all of you are doomed to hell. That is beyond asinine.

The bible and the koran are both used as justification to spread hate and bigotry.

I think there is a God but He is NOT that monster in the bible.

Answer 10

People that are not ready to deal with their Egos are the ones that need a religion. People that prefer the easy way, to follow a leader. The ones that are ready to enter the spiritual path don't need anyone, only themselves. It's all inside us, and that is what Jesus said: The Kingdom of God is within you...