In response to the question, even if there is no god, then religion in some form will continue. Karl Marx viewed it as a necessary tool for controlling the behavior of people in a group, hence the link we still argue about between religion and law. Sigmund Freud thought of God as an internalized surrogate parent figure, the echo of your relationship with your father growing up. Even the least religious "religion", Confucianism, which is almost more of an ethical code has strong religious aspects. I'm not aware of any culture in the history of the world that didn't have some religious-type philosophy, even if it's just sun worship or animal worship. Scientists determined that the concept of a smile is hardwired because every culture recognizes a smile. Chimpanzees do something similar, bearing their teeth when looking at another chimp and not wanting to be threatening. Using the same criteria, even if the most atheistic worldview is correct, religion seems to be "hard wired" to man, perhaps as a result of the nature of the nature of symbolic logic which gives us speech, and contemplation of death and the unknown.
If religion only exists because we need it to exist, then it will definitely go away eventually.... unless we go away first.
how so? if religion only exists because we need it to exist would seem to say that as long as we exist so to will religion.
If we need it to exist to cope with everyday problems, I would hope that society would eventually progress to a point that ends suffering like poverty. Sorry. A little too Star Treky maybe, but the point stands. If it only exists to allow us to cope, then at some point we shouldn't need it. ------ EDIT ------ Actually, I'll backpedal on that... this isn't a topic I've thought about much before. There are plenty of affluent people who go to church every Sunday and are primarily focused on themselves, almost self-help churches. Is there much difference between Joel Olsteen and Anthony Robbins? Religion can create it's own needs I guess. Chapters of Joel Olsteen's "The Best Life Now": 1- Enlarge Your Vision 2- Develop a Healthy Self Image 3- Discover the Power of Your Thoughts and Words 4- Let Go of the Past 5- Find Strength Through Adversity 6- Live to Give 7- Choose to be Happy Chapters of an Anthony Robbins "Awaken the Giant Within": 1- Dreams of Destiny 16- Rules: If Your not Happy, Here's Why 9- The Vocabulary of Ultimate Success 10- Destroy the Blocks, Break Down the Walls... 8- Questions are the Answer 21 - Day Three-Relationship Destiny: The Place to Share and Care 25 - Day Seven-Rest and Play...
God and religion don't have to go hand in hand. God can exist, but there doesn't have to have a religion to worship him. In fact, if God did exist, why would he even care that we worship him? That is why I detest many religions. God is God. If God exists, he exists. If he doesn't, he doesn't. Religion tries to monopolize God, influence our actions, and control our minds.
your point comes from who you are and where you are in the universe. Most people are always able to see the world from their own perspective and why it makes sense to them and should to others, yet it seems like few people can take into account where someone else with a different set of experiences is coming from and why their beliefs hold the same value to them. I was born into a family and from a woman who believed in spirituality over religion, and therefore I have developed along that path. Hakeem was born into a family that valued the Muslim principles as gospel and has developed upon that path. No matter how "far" some in society may think they have progressed, to wit they believe that religion is no longer necessary, It is nieve to think that everyone is or will be on the same plane. Everyone develops (for lack of better term) at their own pace. There is no set series of data that states that humanity will all reach the same belief point at some random time. Honestly, it goes against everything we've seen from history. Humanity/Society as a whole, has never even been close to being on the same page as far as religion and spirituality go. And being that religion is based on belief as opposed to fact, there is no credible way to disprove belief. Therefore, there is and most probably will never be, a credible way to tell a religious fanatic that what they feel in there heart is inherently wrong.
Religion will always monopolize upon the unknown. It could be arrogant to assume humanity will solve all of its inate questions. Henry Thoreau once asked what seperated us from the humans 5,000 years ago...Civilization? Technology? Quality of living? His response was that if you dug up the bones of people then and people now and compared them, there would be no real difference between them. Civilization is only a means to maximize the most people under one area without resulting in general chaos. It's a one size fits all solution. Religions provide means for each person to answer some questions society can't.
I have no idea what he was talking about, but there is a lot of evidence that many modern religions are either based off or principally reactions to other existing religions or dogmas of the time. But as with all things in these cases, it depends what you read and who you believe.
Of course we'll never give up religion. What makes you think that every single person on this planet might completely give up the belief in God? As long as a person can look in the eyes of a newborn infant and know that there is more to existence than science, we will have religion.
You can't convince a believer of anything; for their belief is not based on evidence, it's based on a deep seated need to believe. -Carl Sagan
This might happen(however the current religious beliefs are more far spread over the world, and communication is much easier). But i think there will always be religion, maybe not the current religion. But there will be some form of religion.
Here's a link to an NPR story on the Religious book trend. It's crazy. Joel Olsteen's book is one of the top 10 ten selling books of all time. One of the things that I gathered from this story is that the religious book trend is very much a melding of religion and genre. Olsteen's book is very much Christian-Anthony Robbins fusion. Here's an NPR article story on the Church moving into the Compaq Center. I'm sure some people will be offended, but the fact that in the interview he basically states that he has no real theological positions. Again, I'm sure I'll offend but I consider him closer to Tony Robbins than a sterling example upon which to base opinions of religion. The volume of religious criticisims of Olsteen on the web from religious sources as a "prosperity preacher" is actually overwhelming. I actually have a different crisis of faith when I spend time in churches of the non-Lakewood variety. IMHO, for many of the people it's a social event, a chance to gladhand the fellas. But this is all ephemera. Underneath there is a core who are there primarily there fore the religion. I know that people satisfy the same impulse towards religion by placing faith in Science without understanding one bit of it, or even faith in New Age religious melting pots. And, in his own way, Anthony Robbins "preaches" something that has elements of religion. Anthony Robbins followers act like born-again christians, walking around glassy eyed and sure of themselves. Perhaps Anthony Robbins & co. have founded a new "religion" based on humanism. Perhaps the religion is moving away from the churches?
