How is religion helpful to society?
Religions are particular groups of memes that have origins that contribute to their credibility and collectively are self-sealing, self perpetuating belief systems. Religions have ostensibly been in existence as long as civilization, and virtually every civilization known had religious belief as a salient feature. Religions have provided answers to questions that technology and the scientific method are just now able to address, and therefore have provided some measure of comfort to its practitioners. Questions such as where the universe came from, what man’s place in the universe is, why some people are sociopaths, and where we go after life are addressed by pratically all religions, extant and extinct. Additionally, religions almost invariably require adherence to a code of social conduct that steers individuals away from hedonistic, sociopathic behavior. By quelling curiosity, punishing sociopathic behavior (both in this life and in the afterlife), and providing a code of conduct th
“Religion is poison” – Mao Tse Tung “Religion is the opiate of the masses.” – Karl Marx Obviously religion doesn’t help the society those two envisioned. It apparently only helps certain societies. However since people always seem to be fleeing religious persecution throughout history, I would have to say religion is not a help to society, but in fact a tool used by a few to maintain power and control over the masses. Unless of course power and control over people is what you would call “society”. “Every day people are straying away from the church and going back to God.” – Lenny Bruce [7/23/05 – to Blaylock: I don’t agree with the vituperating of Marx and Mao. I brought them up to point out that not all societies believe that religion is helpful…as the question implies. I do however agree with Lenny Bruce. (~; And to clarify, I’m a she, not a he. And if you’ve never read these parts of the Christian Bible, (Genesis 3:16, 1 Timothy 2:12, 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 and 1 Peter 3:5-6), go
Its only ever as helpful to society as the person practising it. Mother Teresa used it to justify her helping of the sick and dying, Martin Luther King and Malcolm X to fight for civil rights, Osama Bin Laden to instigate 9/11, Joan of Arc to dress up in mens clothes and fight the English- and so on. Also consider that it can be used to justify a pro-life or pro-choice abortion standpoint, a stance on pre-marital sex, and on other controversial topics, since the helpfulness of these particular standpoints is subjective, so is the helpfulness of any religion that informs them. Whilst religions of all kinds have started many wars, and instigated many horrendous acts they have also inspired many loving and peaceful and charitable acts. One could argue that if it wasn’t religion we’d find something else to fight over- in fact, religion is often little but a mask of righteousness which hides the real motive of lust for power or financial gain (often the case with leaders of certain religiou
Yes religion is useful to society by helping to stop individuals forming unique ideas and unique behaviour. It tends to herd people into subject groups, where by travelling outside the frame of acceptance of their morals and ideals, creates a guise of punishment and negativity for the indivudals concerned, this is a huge levering tool for the average mind, and indeed works sufficiently well to keep the main streams under positive control. However, to assume that religion has the answers to questions such as where the universe came from, and where souls go, is hypothetical subjectivity at its most naive and overpowering.
Religion is helpful to society in that it keeps people in check somewhat. There are a lot of horrendous things happening in the world today. It’s very scary out there and it gets worse each day. I think there was always these things going on but now because of all the media attention this behavior spawns, we get to hear and see about it twenty-four hours a day. Much terrible atrocities were commited in the name of religion too. I don’t discount that either. But the majority of people are good and want to lead good lives and this is where religion comes in as a comfort from what they hear constantly. The comfort comes from believing that God is in this world and they are protected in a sense from the evilness, and those who do bad will be punished. Heaven sounds like a good place to go to when the time comes. Good will prevail.
