Why do religions exist?

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juice

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I hope that no one be offended by this thread,but it must be asked.
I am still researching and trying to make sense of what religion has caused people.
It has caused war's,and people sanity even people's lives, but I m still puzzled by how all these religious text power is centered from faith and beliefs.
You can't question anything or seek truth without being roasted in the hereafter.
 
"... I am still researching and trying to make sense of what religion has caused people ..."

Hi @juice

Christian knights originated the concept of chivalry in battle, etc.

Missionaries are out there working with lepers and aids patients in the most difficult and dangerous places. Religious organisations are constantly working to provide education, hospitals, medicine and clean water in remote and poverty struck third-world countries.

The Catholic church spends more than a billion dollars every year on charity work in dangerous and deprived countries.

Just trying to help a bit with your research.

EDIT: "You can't question anything or seek truth without being roasted in the hereafter."

I take my chance with that one. I don't have to believe everything in scripture literally, lol.
 
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I find nothing offensive in your words.

I would suggest, as RJM Corbet seems to have done, that you look at everything Religion has caused. Also I suggest you look at everything that has caused war.

In my view, far more Wars have been caused & rooted in a greedy desire for land & money - power.

A close look will reveal that even many (perhaps most) "Religious Wars" were actually about this this type of greed - the Religion used [misused & misrepresented] to justify the war.

I believe no good has come from such greedy desires, while a great deal of good has, and continues to come from, Religion.
 
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The greatest art and music and architecture has been inspired by religion too.
 
A child child tugs at his father's pant leg. Daddy why does the sun go across the sky, where did we come from oh, why are we here?
 
juice said:
I am still researching and trying to make sense of what religion has caused people.
It has caused war's,and people sanity even people's lives, but I m still puzzled by how all these religious text power is centered from faith and beliefs.
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Religious teachings are often misunderstood and even deliberately manipulated in some cases to justify doing the exact opposite of what's being taught, but religion in and of itself does not cause wars. Man's own pride and greed holds that title.

Are there religious justifications for war? You bet, just look at the epic battle depicted in the Bhagavad Gita. Religion did not cause the conflict, but rather one group putting pride and greed ahead of their own religious teachings; giving Arjun no alternative, but to wage war against unrighteousness, even though his own family members and teachers were on the opposite side.

Important to note however, that particular war did not take place until all other avenues were exhausted. I guess the lesson here is, stand up for yourself and the oppressed, but choose your battles wisely with violence being the absolute last resort.

Unfortunately, as long as we're in the flesh there will be these conflicts, but don't blame religion. Every major faith spells out quite clearly the correct behavior, but it's our choice whether or not to follow.
 
Because we humans are inventive and creative. Because we like tradition and ritual. Because we want to feel safe and certain, and the only certainty is that every living thing must die.
 
Cino said:
Because we humans are inventive and creative. Because we like tradition and ritual. Because we want to feel safe and certain, and the only certainty is that every living thing must die.
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Because we like tradition and ritual. Because we want to feel safe and certain

Right! You got me fixed. Thank you, thank you! I'm suddenly enlightened. Astounding! Why didn't I realize this before?
 
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RJM Corbet said:
Because we like tradition and ritual. Because we want to feel safe and certain

Right! You got me fixed. Thank you, thank you! I'm suddenly enlightened. Astounding! Why didn't I realize this before?
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You are right, this is not an exhaustive list, which I did not point out. Those are not the only reasons. But they account for quite a portion of "religion" in a very general sense, I think.

Want to go into more detail with your critique?
 
No boss. You got me fixed. I bow to your superior intelligence.
 
As you wish.

I was late to the thread and replying to the question in the initial post, not any of yours. Maybe that did not come across as intended?

From now on I will make it more obvious whom I am replying to. (The quoting function here is a bit unwieldy on a mobile phone, which is why I skipped it in this case).
 
Ok but @Cino the tone of your response ...

Cino said:
Because we humans are inventive and creative. Because we like tradition and ritual. Because we want to feel safe and certain, and the only certainty is that every living thing must die.
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... is not just to reserve the right to disagree with the perhaps 90% of humanity who do follow some sort of religion, but to state yourself to be intellectually superior to their backward and superstitious mental capability.

Many, many clever and capable and highly educated people from all societies sincerely believe in God. In holiness of God. Many know God.

Of course you are entitled to your opinion. Often strongly held. But it does not mean those who do believe are your mental inferiors. It's the amused superior attitude we believers, especially Catholics, encounter all the time from 'new atheists'. Imo

Now probably you did not mean it that way, but that's how it came across to me. No hard feelings.
 
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As I've said before the issue is that science must correctly operate without allowing religion to influence its results and especially the questions it may ask -- but the modern attitude is to begin with the assumption that: God (spiritual agency) does not and cannot exist.

There's a difference and there is no way any scientist can know that.

Unfortunately there are the anti-science religious cults loudly asserting scripture over scientific evidence.
 
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RJM Corbet said:
disagree with the perhaps 90% of humanity who do follow some sort of religion,
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I think you might have a point if they all follow the same religion. I think you might have a point if religions hadn’t required people to believe.
 
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wil said:
I think you might have a point if they I'll follow the same religion. I think you might have a point if religions and required people to believe.
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wil said:
Replace that last and with hadn't, still can't edit
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wil said:
Geez, replace I'll with all...and a few of my synapses as well.
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Hey, it's ok @wil. You're observing that religions demand belief from their followers?

"Don't ask questions or you'll burn in hell"
 
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Sure, there are Muslim state religions, there have been Christian state religions....there are still areas you can be ostracized for changing beliefs, shame and guilt is a game off played to keep the cults going. Some of the early US colonies required church attendance monthly...
 
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