Do human need religion?

[ZPanea]

If you compare the 'standards' of the world today to the 15th century - our 'standards' has dramatically changed. I am referring to:
-the abolishing of slavery (the Catholics once used the bible as an excuse to allowed slavery)
-the fall or at least the retreating powers of the monarchies (Christians and others often consider king/queen the closest to god, other than the pope)
-the increasing acceptance of social issues that would otherwise be treated with the death penalty (though there are countries that still treat certain social behaviour with the death penalty as sanction by their religion)
-many other examples

It’s not clear why you think any of these facts are relevant to why people no longer need religion.

Take the issue of slavery. Christians often lead the way in the fight to abolish slavery (William Wilberforce, the Mennonites, Quakers) and used religious arguments in the process.

Now, for the most part, slavery is abolished. But how does that have any relevance to less need for religion?

Likewise, it’s not clear that monarchies or the death penalty has anything to do with the question. There are lots of Christians who oppose those things and argue their case from their religious convictions. Surely you don't want to argue that a Christian who opposes the death penalty on religious grounds is more irreligious than a Christian who supports the death penalty? There is no necessary correlation between religion and these positions.

If you look back couple hundred years and see where we've came from. I believe that scientific advancements and faster methods of communications both seems to have influenced the way we operate in this chaotic world.

No one would dispute that scientific advancements and better communication methods have influenced the way people operate… but again it’s not clear what that has to do with religion. Several issues would need to be parsed out before we could even begin to make an interesting case.

For example, let’s say that we have a society, x, that is far more technically advanced than society y and also less religious. This doesn’t tell us that the scientific advancement is the cause of the irreligiosity of society ‘x’. Suppose we also discover that society ‘x’ has more access to coffee and consumes more of it. Why not assume that the irreligiosity is due to higher caffine levels? The point is, the simple fact tells you nothing. And even if we did have evidence that it was the science (or the coffee) that was the cause of the greater irreligiosity, that wouldn’t in itself tell us whether the people of society ‘x’ had *good reasons* for being irreligious. Maybe society ‘x’ is great at doing physics, but horrible at doing metaphysics.

Such influences are giving us a more liberal view of things (which include changes from which has been established by religions).

I don’t see any evidence for that.

I believe that the world is slowly, but surely, becoming a more liberal place (as opposed to 15th century). Almost as if the transition from conservatism to liberalism is 'natural'. From the Pharaonic era (5,200 years ago) all the way to the Anthropogenic era (1800's and onwards).

I don’t see any evidence for this either, nor do I see a straight line of progression in human history. Roman and Greek society had some views you might consider “liberal.” For instance, openness to *******uality, greater ***ual freedom in general, “abortions,” etc. These societies didn’t have conservative values so far as I can see. And from what I know of Assyrian, Egyptian cultures, they had nothing like modern conservative values either.

[ViolettLove]

Humans don't 'need' religion, we can survive without religion. It more of a 'want', than a 'need'.

When the question ask 'why do people need religion?', that is when the answer becomes more complicated.

Asking about whether humans NEED religion has nothing to do with which religion is as you put it, 'best'. Look at the word "need" in the larger sense of the word. It's not like "I need my morning coffee" or "I need you in my life". Without that coffee/person, we CAN live but it's just something we have to grow above/ adjust to. We need religion like we need coffee. It helps us a lot and the world will be in an uproar if they lost coffee but we will live. Hence, we don't need coffee.

Human has the choice to need religion or not, and to need which religion. And come to think of the most suitable religion choices, I am not against preachers but I do detest preachings that classify other religions as second best of the one he is preaching about. As I did heard conversations and talks on different religions to compare before, I really don't like preachers who does not research on the normal philosophical questions the religion should answer - like "why we must worship this God?" "why are we created?" "why there are so many versions of this holy book if all are true?" "why do we have to pray?" "why must we eat kosher?" and etc.

[ViolettLove]

Being in the 21st century with the world getting 'smaller'. I believe the concept of religion is becoming less and less clear and more irrelevant as opposed to the 15th century.

If human can work well without religion, why religion still exist then?Religion controls people more effectively than politic....

when leader say a thing, public might react and hold a demo or riot...

but when a priest say.. GOD had spoken to me.... and everyone listen and obey.... From my own perspecitive, I think of religion as a moral control factor, and also a way of life.

Some people said the question of whether Man needs Religion is very similar to the question of whether Man needs Electricity. Man can definitely live without it, but it's just so much easier to have religion around. I disagree that Man is only good because of religion, though it does emphasize good morals. Like electricity, it can be used for good or for bad. Crusades & religious killings, anyone? You may say they're misinterpreting their religion, but what makes anyone else any better?


But then, another common thing every religion have instead of morality is actually spirituality. Do you think spirituality is something men need?

[ViolettLove]

Besides that in my opinion, the concept of God and religion are inseparable. If you believe in God, you're believing in religion.

[Jimmy.]

I believe in the flying Spaghetti monster.

[ViolettLove]

yeahh right

[♣╠Ĵäķé╣♣]

Once upon a time religion was good for explaining things that humans weren't able to comprehend. Today it helps people cope with their own mortality (again, something we cannot comprehend).

Religion is not necessary for self-control, but I would say laws and education are.
And while concepts of "sin and satanism" have been good in some regards, they've also been harmful in other regards.

"The devil made me do it" or "God told me to do it" are convenient excuses, but that's about all.

You can't say humans can explain things without God.
It would show me that you or anyone who agrees, wouldn't have much knowledge on the comics, or maybe biology.

You still need God to explain the following....

The origin of the universe
The Order and principles of the universe, and the fine tuning of it.
The complexity in DNA, and the fact that it has information with content, which is impossible for nature, or chance.
Objective moral values
And the historical facts of Jesus Christ.

[FRazier]

Humans don't need religion

what they need is air , water , food and clothing.


religion is just a strong belief , a set of moral values, accepted by the society . Remember We are responsible for this (religion).
those who have contributed in making of it were very much aware of the fact that it gonna be for the betterment of the society.
but few of 'em , made it worse.


Religion is optional.
it is more of a "want" than a "need"

well,

Humans don't belong to religion.

it's other way round.

[Illuminatі]

"With or without religion, good men will do good things and bad men will do bad things. But, in order for GOOD men to do bad things, THAT takes religion."

One of the most profound quotes I've been fortunate to come across.

[Ghosts]

The question isn't too specific, but I guess what you're asking is if religion is needed for humanity to function? Life only needs the basic needs for survival. There are basic needs that people must have to live and then there are needs outside of it. An interesting note, some philosopher once argued that humans have control of all needs, but the only thing the human really "needs" to do is to live and die. After all, food and shelters are basic needs, but human beings can choose whether to eat or to shelter themselves.