Religion: Is There a Point?

Religion: is there a point?

What is religion? And why do people feel the need to follow a certain religion? Does religion really exist? Religion can be defined in many different ways because people in society have made it this way. Some may believe in a certain religion others may not. In saying so, what is the point of religion? In my opinion religion is simply a self-made, self-serving idea. People form some beliefs about how to live life based on their religion. Religion is a man made thing. It does exist, however it came into existence through man, not God. The point is to keep law and order in society. Nonetheless, we have all also seen great loss of life arising out of conflicts of beliefs in religion. So does religion really keep society together? The answer to this question can be answered with both a yes and a no. Yes, because religion gives humans a reason to live. It answers questions on how we came about, where will we go after we die, or simply for what purpose are we living for. No, because there are so many different religions and how do we know which is right. How do we set our minds? Basically we are brainwashed with the idea that with religion in our life we are content in the belief that we are constantly working toward something. There is a reason for all the pain, heartache and suffering that exists in the world. Religion has become a necessity for some and irrational for others because now even science has started to answer how we came about. In my opinion religion and God are not necessities, rather they are brainwashing the masses of our society into believing something that is irrational. I feel most kin to the ideas of discussed by Pascal Boyer, William J. O' Malley, William Lane Craig, and Sigmund Freud. However, I am not kin to the ideas portrayed in the Holy Koran: English Translation of the Meanings and Commentary. Boyer, in Religion Explained, gives reasons why people created religion. I think his reasons can give better insight to readers as to why they truly believe in a certain religion. Do they believe in religion because God has sent it to them or do they believe it because they feel insecure? Malley, in God the Oldest Question, gives his four best arguments against God's existence. Craig, in God? A Debate between a Christian and an Atheist, uses the cosmological argument to prove that god does not exist. Freud, in "A Philosophy of Life", discusses how religious beliefs are all illusions. They are ideas that mankind came up with not some supreme being that has his additional powers. However, I do not agree with the ideas portrayed in the Holy Koran. The ideas portrayed in the Holy Koran are, in my opinion, irrational. There is nowhere in the Holy Koran where it gives a logical explanation of why we should believe in Allah, the God in Muslim religion. There is constant repetition of Allah's powerfulness, in the The Holy Koran, however nothing that can give a strong stand point as to why one should believe in Allah and follow the religion of Islam. Not only the religion of Islam, however I feel that all religions stress on the powerfulness of God. It may be a different God; however the supremeness of God is always mentioned.

Boyer, in Religion Explained, gives many valid reasons as to why religion was created. He gives the most familiar of scenarios that assumes that humans have certain intellectual concerns. "People want to understand events and processes- that is, to explain, predict and perhaps control them. These very general, indeed universal intellectual needs gave rise to religious concepts at some point during human cultural evolution. This was not necessarily a single event, a sudden invention that took place once and for all. It might be a constant re-creation as the need to explain phenomena periodically suggests concepts that could work as good explanations" (Boyer 11). Boyer is basically stating here that religion formed due to general questions that arose over the period of time of cultural evolution. What religion does is basically explain all our actions and thoughts. Boyer further explains this notion in detail. Some reasons why people created religion are: to explain puzzling natural phenomena, to explain puzzling mental phenomena, to explain the origin of things, and to explain evil and suffering. However do we need religion to soothe our mind of such things? I think not. I feel that religion and God are just an illusion. We do not need religion to answer the question of how we came about. That can be answered in a more logical ways, such as science. If people did not question much and lived simply, life would have been easier. People then would not have these mental or natural phenomena's. Therefore evil and suffering would also not be a question. Boyer's reasons for why religion was created are correct. However I feel that people do not even know why they really believe in a certain religion. I think the reasons that they have learned are false. I think Boyer's explanations can therefore give better insight and a more real reason as to why one may think he or she believes in a certain religion.

Malley, in God the Oldest Question, gives very logical arguments against God's existence. Malley proposes four main arguments. "The first argument- the most convincing-is the problem of pain: How can a good, knowing, all-competent God allow the anguish of innocents? The second argument-the most appealing to those with a naпve idea of science-is Occam's razor: Beings are not to be postulated unless they are inescapable; to be truthful, we don't need a God. The third argument- the most abstruse-is the meaninglessness of the term God, which denotes an objectively unvalidated entity, like unicorn or Santa. The fourth argument is the most comforting for those with (often justifiable) complaints about organized religion: the negative consequences of belief" (Malley 21). I think these are very rational arguments against the existence of not only God, but also religion. Most religions claim that God has sent them a set of rules to follow. If there is no God, then how did religion come about? There is no religion. Religion came into existence through human beings, not God. We do not need a God to know what is right or wrong. The term God itself, according to Malley, is an invalid entity. I agree with all four of his arguments. God is not responsible for this universe and the people of this universe were not created by God.

"In trying to explain an effect, one ought not to go beyond perfectly satisfying explanations. If I have a headache, I should first reflect that I've been sitting here staring at a computer monitor for two hours without break. There is no need to suspect that I have a brain tumor-much less that I have offended God in some way" (Malley 23). I think this