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Why Does Religion Work?
by Aj Foster on Jul.08, 2009, under Afterthought
Normally I would never approach a subject such as this one, as too many people feel too strongly about religion. I am posting this with calculated risk, and I hope that anyone who reads this can understand that I write with purely a psychological viewpoint. I have written without to regard to my own religious views, and as such it is not meant to go for or against any views that others may have. If you have comments, please keep them in line with my writing, focusing only on the psychology of religion.
I am not saying that all religions were created this way, and I am not saying that any religion is not true. Also please note that this was written at approximately one in the morning.
I will use primarily Christianity as the base of this, only because I am most familiar with it.
Religion in general appeases several important weaknesses in man. By filling the gap with a plausible or remotely possible answer to man’s fearful questions, religion opens up the mind to believe other things as well.
Christianity puts its foot in the door by promising an eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven after your death here on Earth. Up close to man’s number one fear - the fear of death - is the mostly subconscious fear that we may cease to exist after we die. The idea of Heaven quells that fear, and it gives us hope that we won’t just cease to be once our physical body has turned to dust.
If you look at other religions, also, this is a defining fact; be it a Kingdom of Heaven or 72 virgins awaiting us.
The craftsmen of any religion knew they could make this promise, too. It’s a safe bet that nobody is going to come back to prove any religion wrong.
They offer us a key in many aspects; hope. Hope is not only a gift in the form of quelling fear, but we are also given hope of a better life in the future. Hence, we introduce the God figure.
God, or any omniscient being, is an integral part of a religion too. With simply a promise of life after death to the followers of a creed, the religion would be comprised of the sickly and elderly, who wished to secure their place in harmony before their death. Instead, a religion has to be appealing to the whole of a population; offering something that everyone could use at that very time.
Religion hence promises a better life to its followers, lest the fall astray and commit sins. Everyone could use a better life, at any age.
Along with this comes a figure. Naturally, if favors are to be given to some who have merit and not to others who do not, there must be some one or some thing who makes the decision of who is to receive. To sabotage any ability to bribe or misconceive this person or thing, he will be in heaven himself, and will be all-knowing and all-seeing.
Somewhere down the line, entrance into heaven and the God figure are connected, if not immediately. The common person will likely still have fear that the God will not notice them, will not hear their dire want for a better life and secured afterlife. Prayer and worship now enter the scene.
Beginning as individuals, the populus or a religion begins to devote time to prayer to the God, an active relationship between the person and heaven. This extra step eases any worries that the perosn is not doing enough, as they are actively working.
Over time, as many people begin their active relationships with the God figure, they bring the action into a group setting. When many individuals devote their personal time into a relationship with the God, in a group setting, we have reached the climax of religion: worship, and the church.
It should be noted that man has a primordial need or craving to be a part of a larger society. While this primarily brought us from self-sufficient families and villages to urban cities, it also promotes a man’s enlistment into religion.
In all, religion appeases man’s weakest points; the fear that we will cease to be after death, the want to secure a better life for ourselves and our family, and our ancient tendency to join larger groups, causes, and societies.
As always, I am open to your comments and criticisms.
- Aj Foster
by Aj Foster on Jul.08, 2009, under Afterthought
Normally I would never approach a subject such as this one, as too many people feel too strongly about religion. I am posting this with calculated risk, and I hope that anyone who reads this can understand that I write with purely a psychological viewpoint. I have written without to regard to my own religious views, and as such it is not meant to go for or against any views that others may have. If you have comments, please keep them in line with my writing, focusing only on the psychology of religion.
I am not saying that all religions were created this way, and I am not saying that any religion is not true. Also please note that this was written at approximately one in the morning.
I will use primarily Christianity as the base of this, only because I am most familiar with it.
Religion in general appeases several important weaknesses in man. By filling the gap with a plausible or remotely possible answer to man’s fearful questions, religion opens up the mind to believe other things as well.
Christianity puts its foot in the door by promising an eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven after your death here on Earth. Up close to man’s number one fear - the fear of death - is the mostly subconscious fear that we may cease to exist after we die. The idea of Heaven quells that fear, and it gives us hope that we won’t just cease to be once our physical body has turned to dust.
If you look at other religions, also, this is a defining fact; be it a Kingdom of Heaven or 72 virgins awaiting us.
The craftsmen of any religion knew they could make this promise, too. It’s a safe bet that nobody is going to come back to prove any religion wrong.
They offer us a key in many aspects; hope. Hope is not only a gift in the form of quelling fear, but we are also given hope of a better life in the future. Hence, we introduce the God figure.
God, or any omniscient being, is an integral part of a religion too. With simply a promise of life after death to the followers of a creed, the religion would be comprised of the sickly and elderly, who wished to secure their place in harmony before their death. Instead, a religion has to be appealing to the whole of a population; offering something that everyone could use at that very time.
Religion hence promises a better life to its followers, lest the fall astray and commit sins. Everyone could use a better life, at any age.
Along with this comes a figure. Naturally, if favors are to be given to some who have merit and not to others who do not, there must be some one or some thing who makes the decision of who is to receive. To sabotage any ability to bribe or misconceive this person or thing, he will be in heaven himself, and will be all-knowing and all-seeing.
Somewhere down the line, entrance into heaven and the God figure are connected, if not immediately. The common person will likely still have fear that the God will not notice them, will not hear their dire want for a better life and secured afterlife. Prayer and worship now enter the scene.
Beginning as individuals, the populus or a religion begins to devote time to prayer to the God, an active relationship between the person and heaven. This extra step eases any worries that the perosn is not doing enough, as they are actively working.
Over time, as many people begin their active relationships with the God figure, they bring the action into a group setting. When many individuals devote their personal time into a relationship with the God, in a group setting, we have reached the climax of religion: worship, and the church.
It should be noted that man has a primordial need or craving to be a part of a larger society. While this primarily brought us from self-sufficient families and villages to urban cities, it also promotes a man’s enlistment into religion.
In all, religion appeases man’s weakest points; the fear that we will cease to be after death, the want to secure a better life for ourselves and our family, and our ancient tendency to join larger groups, causes, and societies.
As always, I am open to your comments and criticisms.
- Aj Foster