The Purpose Of Religion

[Severan]

Believe it or not, religion has a real purpose in our every-day lives. I'm going to talk about this after a theory of mine.

First of all, my theory. With my idea of the purpose religion, it seems as it could have been something created by people of power to calm the masses. As we see mostly in history, the powerful and intelligent have created religion for the "peasants". For instance, the Pharaoh of Egypt would always be considered himself a god. This was a way to suppress his people and his slaves. Nobody wants to fuck with a god. Again, another example of this "calming of the masses" appears in the new testament of the christian bible. Jesus called for slaves to be "good slaves" and obey their masters, and they will enter heaven.

What connection can we make from this? This all ties back to what I feel is the purpose of religion. The purpose of religion is to suppress the lower class of society. Why do we see a correlation with wealth and atheism? Why is there a connection between atheism and intelligence, and a correlation between being poor and being religious? Consider the janitors that work at McDonalds or gas stations. What do you use to satisfy them and ensure that they don't rise up? Religion. What do you use to ensure that they don't grab power from you? Religion. However, it's important. This might be a rather "cold" statement, but we need those janitors. We need the lower classes of society to help us with things like cleaning up, and religion is the way to keep it like that.

[archangle]

it is an emotional connection with your surroundings.

Some need more than others.

Remove "emotion" religion will go away.

[KUSA]

Why is it that a poor motherfucker that has a life full of misfortunes will praise God? Never made sense to me. When I was a believer I would cuss God out whenever something bad happened. I just took me a while to figure out that the basterd didn't answer my prayers because he doesn't exist. I was only pro god when shit when good for me.

[tor]

I don't think religion has a purpose on it's own. It is used by different people in a different ways but on it's own it's a self sustaining virus which exists simply by exploiting bugs of the human brain. Self evolving, self replicating brain virus which consists of information and is spreading through media, conversations, books etc.
Like any virus it exists simply because it can.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

First of all, my theory. With my idea of the purpose religion, it seems as it could have been something created by people of power to calm the masses. As we see mostly in history, the powerful and intelligent have created religion for the "peasants". For instance, the Pharaoh of Egypt would always be considered himself a god. This was a way to suppress his people and his slaves. Nobody wants to fuck with a god. Again, another example of this "calming of the masses" appears in the new testament of the christian bible. Jesus called for slaves to be "good slaves" and obey their masters, and they will enter heaven.

That's not exactly your theory, mate. Most critics of religion have come to the same conclusion. Probably the most famous of them would be Karl Marx with his 'Religion is the opium of the people.' De Sade and von Hardenberg made similar observations forty-odd years before Marx. It's nothing new.

Boru

[Severan]

First of all, my theory. With my idea of the purpose religion, it seems as it could have been something created by people of power to calm the masses. As we see mostly in history, the powerful and intelligent have created religion for the "peasants". For instance, the Pharaoh of Egypt would always be considered himself a god. This was a way to suppress his people and his slaves. Nobody wants to fuck with a god. Again, another example of this "calming of the masses" appears in the new testament of the christian bible. Jesus called for slaves to be "good slaves" and obey their masters, and they will enter heaven.

That's not exactly your theory, mate. Most critics of religion have come to the same conclusion. Probably the most famous of them would be Karl Marx with his 'Religion is the opium of the people.' De Sade and von Hardenberg made similar observations forty-odd years before Marx. It's nothing new.

Boru

Then it would be a theory I didn't know about until today and put into my own words.

[Chad32]

That's basically common knowledge. This person was born into royalty because god wanted him there. That person was born into poverty for the same reason. Play the hand you're given (slaves obey your masters), and you'll be rewarded in the next life. Religion is all about control.

[ManMachine]

Believe it or not, religion has a real purpose in our every-day lives. I'm going to talk about this after a theory of mine.

First of all, my theory. With my idea of the purpose religion, it seems as it could have been something created by people of power to calm the masses. As we see mostly in history, the powerful and intelligent have created religion for the "peasants". For instance, the Pharaoh of Egypt would always be considered himself a god. This was a way to suppress his people and his slaves. Nobody wants to fuck with a god. Again, another example of this "calming of the masses" appears in the new testament of the christian bible. Jesus called for slaves to be "good slaves" and obey their masters, and they will enter heaven.

What connection can we make from this? This all ties back to what I feel is the purpose of religion. The purpose of religion is to suppress the lower class of society. Why do we see a correlation with wealth and atheism? Why is there a connection between atheism and intelligence, and a correlation between being poor and being religious? Consider the janitors that work at McDonalds or gas stations. What do you use to satisfy them and ensure that they don't rise up? Religion. What do you use to ensure that they don't grab power from you? Religion. However, it's important. This might be a rather "cold" statement, but we need those janitors. We need the lower classes of society to help us with things like cleaning up, and religion is the way to keep it like that.

How do you explain Buddhism or Australian Aboriginal Dreamtime or many other primal-indigenous religions that are not 'power' based. Many pre-date modern religions and they don't fit your theory at all.

While the Abrahamic religions certainly have become vehicles for authority we don't really know enough about older religions to make that kind of statement.

It is far more likely religion came about as a gradual process, evolving in complexity as our brains evolved and our cognitive processes became more complex. You are far more likely to find the roots (because there is in all probability more than one root) of religion using tools like Evolutionary Psychology than Social History.

MM

[*Deidre*]

''Power'' is a relative term, though. Power in a religious sense can mean from a wealthy standpoint, but...it can also mean from a conformity standpoint. Who wants to be the outlier? The outsider of the group? Strength in numbers, as they say. It stands to reason that religion has been 'rounding up the troops' for centuries, and very few people like to be left out. This is why religion is so pervasive...it taps into humanity's vulnerability. That, is why it's ''powerful.''

[The Valkyrie]

''Power'' is a relative term, though. Power in a religious sense can mean from a wealthy standpoint, but...it can also mean from a conformity standpoint. Who wants to be the outlier? The outsider of the group? Strength in numbers, as they say. It stands to reason that religion has been 'rounding up the troops' for centuries, and very few people like to be left out. This is why religion is so pervasive...it taps into humanity's vulnerability. That, is why it's ''powerful.''

Hence the fact that the poor and desperate are more likely to adhere to a religion than someone who is rich