The Place of Religion in Society, Part One

Many years ago, we were taught never to bring up politics or Religion when we are having a good day with our friends. On this site, we have made effort to discuss controversial political issues and this will be the first of two posts concerning Religion. No specific Religion will be singled out. Instead, in this post we will attempt to understand our need for Religions. Even though the discussion has been prompted by the recent attacks by radical Moslem believers, the ideas in this, and the next post seeks to understand first why we tend to have Religions in the first place and, in the second post, how Religion leads to what would seem to be antireligious actions by some believers. This contradiction needs to be understood.

It would appear that Religion offers several things that have met the needs of people of all cultures over time. The first is a morality, absolute right and wrong behaviors, with the sanction of an absolute authority backing up these directives. The supreme beings of these Religions fall into two categories, loving, or demanding. They also possess superhuman, absolute authority, power and knowledge. These characteristics of the supreme authority are the grounds for the absolute nature of the moral dictates taught by the Religion.

Just as we raise our children, teaching them right and wrong, and hoping that they learn, so also does Religion teach absolute right and wrong, hoping that we adhere, and  learn promising the achieving of holy status by so doing.

The second thing that Religion offers is an answer to the unanswerable questions in our knowledge. We cannot comprehend how certain things happen, the beauty of nature, or an understanding of the apparent finality of death. These gaps in our understanding make us uncomfortable. Religious teachings try to fill these gaps and increase our comfort level with the exigencies of life and death. They address our lack of ability to understand the formation of the universe, the development of life, even after science may supply partial understanding, the new questions raised are always present, and belief in a supreme being (or beings) governing the universe relieves the discomfort of the unknown, and the unanswered questions.

Religion also offers us togetherness with others of the same belief, a community of people who will hang together and support one another. Human beings need to be together, need to belong to a society of friends such as that provided by a congregation who share common religious beliefs. It is this belonging that allows us to endure the difficulties posed by belonging to a common society whose mores never are totally agreeable to all. We trade the comfort of unity, for the smaller discomfort of the restrictions we may encounter inherent in the moral teachings which limit our underlying anarchistic human drives.
Those who are atheistic or agnostic, who neither acknowledge nor require the presence of a supreme being with supreme authority need the comfort supplied by Religion. But they find that comfort in other ways. The need to believe on an unseen supreme being is uncomfortable for them.  This level of discomfort exceeds any comfort that Religious belief offers them. Their sense of morality, right and wrong, comes from other sources, just as does their sense of belonging in society.

Overall, Religion provides us with comfort in a world filled with the things that make us uncomfortable. It gives us a way of understanding and tolerating things that would otherwise be disquieting and distressing.