Does religion take advantage of residual animalistic emotion?

Question

Fear is the predominant emotion for animals. It is an essential teaching aid for them. But humans have progressed beyond requiring fear to instill essential knowledge within our minds. We still need it to an extent but the majority of the knowledge within our minds comes not through fear but through rational thought, except religion. Religion needs fear to survive like organic life forms need oxygen to breath. Religion denies links to our animalistic heritage but at the same time treats us like animals.

Answer 1

Years ago I saw a science program about something called
The Child-Animal Identity Reflex Mechanism that backed up what you are saying about Religion's denial of our natural animal instincts (which apparently kids have too, until we socialize it out of them) through various things, such as Gender appropriate behavior, being monogamous, wearing clothes, being charitable, etc. These are good or bad, depending on your individual viewpoint.
Mainstream Religion tends to pick and choose from the wider world what it accepts as "natural" and what it rejects as "unnatural" or "animalistic". Pagan cultures tended to be less fussy. Perhaps the scarcity and climate of the desert explains why mainstream religion is so fear based, the prohibitions on eating shellfish and pork both make sense in the desert (especially prior to the advent of refrigeration technology).
Since most of us no longer live a Nazorean lifestyle, maybe dogma will change (albeit too slow for many of us), and perhaps fear will be overcome by either love or rationality
(I'm hoping for some of each).

Answer 2

Mainstream religion does seem to rely on fear more than anything else. You do make a good point with your last statement "Religion denies links to our animalistic heritage but at the same time treats us like animals." Though I can't say generally religion uses fear... I have a religion and I was not brought to it, nor keep to it through fear of any kind. Though I'm not sure my "religion" would fall under your general idea of religion to begin with =)

To the first answerer - there's nothing flawed about this logic. It is as plain as day that Christianity and Islam (though I can't really include Judaism in this as they don't use Fear the way the other two do) use Fear in order to keep followers in check and the followers use Fear to try to gain converts. It is more often than not that we see someone saying "You'll be sorry for not believing when you're in hell". The Hell concept is Constantly used. I just find it odd that some act as if they wouldn't do anything good for themselves or others without having that consequence hanging over their head constantly.

Heathen

Answer 3

Spoken like a true atheist. Your statement about rational thought except religion is not substantiated. In fact, the Jewish religion served to wean people from their animalistic heritage. Modern Judiasm, having no central temple to conduct sacrifices, reverted to prayer and charity (tzedukah) in lieu of them. The Conservative movement even goes as far as to exclude the mentions of animal sacrifices in its English translation of scripture. That's hardly keeping people in bondage to their fears.

Answer 4

I think your statement is ignorant and underinformed. We live in a fear based culture, open your eyes. Rational thought may be the justification for minimizing the neccessity of spirituality (as opposed to dogmatic religion), but fear is everywhere. Have you watched the news lately? There is violence and fear everywhere around you. Fear is NOT the dominant emotion for animals. A desire to live is the dominant emotion. Fear is ruthlessly consuming human kind sister. You are making a very broad generalization about "religion" that is not based in anything fact based. I certainly agree that dogma, in the structural, judgemental "organized religion" context is detrimental and fear based...and so is the government. And so is mass media. Please do not tell me that humans have evolved beyond FEAR. That is nonesense. We have a long way to go before we overcome the pestiulence of fear in our race.....Fear manifests as hatred, prejudice, anger, violence.....
Religion does not have to DENY us anything. Religion in the right perspective can give us HOPE to overcome social fear. So, does religion take advantage of residual animalistic emotion? I think that society in general promotes fear. Fear thy neighbor, fear thyself. As far as animals, they are a lot more at peace with the cycles of life and death than humans are if you haven't noticed. Mortality is our biggest fear as humans because we are so immersed in the ego based FEAR BASED ego.

Answer 5

I feel that you have either not researched your question or you do not have a relationship with the Lord. God did not give us a spirit of fear. This emotion is derieved from satan (I refuse to honor him by capitalizing his name.) Religion is only religion. Religion can neither save you nor conquer your fears. Spirituality is what is in your heart and your spirit. As humans we all face fears. This is "human." God does not expect us to be perfect. Jesus feared what was to come at His crusifixtion. This is God in the flesh. How much more as Jesus, the Son, does He realize and accept and helps us overcome (if we allow Him to) our fears? We are created in Gods image, we are His children and He loves us. He proved it when He died on the cross for us. God Bless.

Answer 6

Christians are told in the Bible that perfect love casts out fear. We do not fear because we have faith that gives the evidence of the love of God. Why should I fear when I have God on my side? I may be dumb, but I don't know why I should be afraid of anything. I realize this life is nothing compared to eternity.

If I had no hope, I would suggest fear. God is an awesome God.

Answer 7

I would have to say yes. Fear and guilt can be motivators/reasons to keep the flock in line, as well as fleece their wallets. If only more people can question religious teachings and investigate other viewpoints for themselves, the world would be a more rational place, I believe.

Answer 8

Good points. And I think goes even deeper than that. Religion fulfills our primitive need for an alpha male or dominate ape to dominate the tribe. Since our tribes have grown into large nations, no human being is alpha enough to fill that role, so we created virtual, dominate apes in the sky.

God is our dominate ape.

Answer 9

Well, yes!

Fear and self-loathing are some of the tools used for control in religions. the other thing used is family, and that really is bad.

Answer 10

Religion takes advantage of our fear of death.