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 Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 1:44 am
Big question today. So what is the purpose of religion? Before we address this question let's define what religion is generally. An answer to what religion is that I have read that encompasses most if not all religions is a system that teaches a set of practices and/or beliefs that will lead to spiritual (psychological) fulfillment and promotes a particular ontology about the world/universe. So since we now have a definition for what religion is, we can better address what purpose it serves. Now the answer I provide is no way a universal answer but rather a personal one.
The first part I will is examine is what is the purpose of an ontology. An ontology is basically a theory of being, what entities can and cannot exist. Now purposes for an ontology can vary from religion to religion but for me this gives me a guide as to what my role is and where I stand in relation to others that I accept to exist. Knowing what one's role (and if this role can change) is helpful in putting into perspective how one is to live one's life. By knowing what my station is in regards to the multiverse I can plan how I live the life I am living in relation to others and their roles. Again does this mean that my role is fixed, yes and no. While I can be any societal role depending on various societal factors, I know that I cannot be a dog, fish, etc (in my ontology of course, other ontologies may allow for this) thus any ambition of living the life of a dog, fish, etc. can be ruled out.
The next part to be addressed is spiritual (psychological) fulfillment. Since the answers I am sharing are personal and I am not a materialist, I will be addressing what the purpose does spiritual fulfillment serve. In relation to the ontological portion, spiritual fulfillment would be an understanding and acceptance of ones role in a particular ontology. In general, I've noticed that religious practices and beliefs complement and reinforce the accepted ontology of a religion. How one worships a god or gods, what types of worship are acceptable to a god or gods, how one interacts with other beings like (or unlike yourself), etc... are all reflections of the accepted ontology of a religion. One could say that such practices closes people's minds to other possible ontologies, and that may or may not be the point though it depends on the religion. Ultimately what matters is personal understanding of the ontology conveyed by the beliefs and practices of a religion.
Summing up the two parts it would seem that the purpose religion, at least for me, is about understanding one's role in life and how to live that role to it's fullest. Am I on track, or forgetting something? I would love to hear some feedback on this.
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Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 4:13 pm
The purpose of Religion is to answer the big questions and address what to do about them. Religion also assists in developing your purpose and foster positive interactions with others.
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Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 9:55 pm
Well, I think the purpose of religion is to give people a purpose-something to live for beyond their life. I think it's also used to explain what can't be easily understood (paranormal encounters, death, other things science now explains for us) and that it can give people a set moral code to go by. And I think it's used as a bridge to God/god.
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Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 9:51 am
Religion in general, I'm not quite sure if I can explain what it is and it's purpose because for all intents and purposes, I do not follow it.
However in our modern era, a lot of the religious fanaticism I see seems to me to be almost like trying to throw an anchor out. In a constantly evolving society in which our way of life is completely different from one decade to the next, the fanatics seem to be clinging onto one solid concept for dear life, trying not to be swept away in the currents of change that are constantly flowing through our society.
As for the rest of religious practitioners, could be just me but in a lot of ways they've changed, evolved from what I understand them to have previously been, which is only natural. If, say for a fictional example, a part of a specific religion was to til soil with a golden spade or something. This would be a religion belonging to a people who's lives revolved around the land and their livelihoods depended upon it. Modern worshipers of that same religion would probably exorcise the rights of tilling with a golden spade, simply because their values and way of life have changed so drastically that that specific rite no longer holds the same meaning.
An excellent real life example of that would be Christianity, specifically, the split that occurred between Protestantism and Catholicism. For Protestants, the needs of the religion changed. The way of life changed. With the printing press, people no longer wanted to have to rely exclusively on the clergy for salvation.
And now that it's to the point where I'm supposed to have an overall binding point I fail. But that's just my small tidbit on modern society and religion anyways.
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Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2012 9:56 pm
This is a little bit of an older thread, and I'm not sure if anyone is following this anymore, but here's my input.
When you look at a development of a civilization, religion and government are developed about the same time. This comes from a people's desire to find a moral compass as well as a way to pass on lore from the past. Fantastical stories are then elevated, and religion becomes more encompassing.
Each culture in the world has a form of religion and art - both are closely tied. When examining religion, one must very closely examine the social constructions of the people of the region. For example, in the north, the religion centered around honor and warfare (ie the vikings) where in the middle European countries, Druidism was the primary focus (ie life and the cycle of life.) Africa has a plethora of religions in itself, and the Native Americans also worshiped a circle of life.
I truly believe religion is created to be the balance of the unanswerable and the moral compass people need to live on. I believe that every religion is correct and incorrect in its respective ways. That being said, balance is the key to a religion - if the religion and government causes an imbalance of morals and life, the people eventually leave/ die out. This can be seen best in Greek and Roman cultures. Thoughts?
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