Why devote time to religion?

[Trousersnake]

Okay this has most likely been asked time and time again but I'm asking it.

Firstly this topic assumes god or whatever exists, want to argue that go to one of the many other threads to which you will be able to until you go blue in the face.

I want to know why people do things like go to church, have bible studies "scripture", why are people spending any time at all, if not devoting their whole life, to a religion.

Okay I was raised (sort of) a roman catholic, my mum goes to church weekly...I don't know why. In my eyes if Jesus was who he said he was all the power to the guy, what am I acheiving by kissing his ass saying thank you over and over again?

I 'celebrate' easter and christmas, these two events on the calendar I WILL attend a church service for. Don't try to tell me I'm wasting my time, I celebrate birthdays all the time why not his? And as for easter, well I visit grave sites of friends and family too.

My life is my own. If God and Jesus are these great beings they are made out to be they should want people to live their own lives and not waste them on things such as showing their gratitude towards them.

I've never understood this. In the world that says they care about god, the world where there are people that say there is no god but want to enlighten them as to the true story...I find myself being the one that truly doesn't care, or cares so little he may as well not at all.

[Obbe]

The world is full of stupid people.

[Trousersnake]

Originally Posted by Obbe

The world is full of stupid people.

Some might say such as yourself. As I read the topic name I can't help but think how people devote time to other 'stupid' things (say for example someone might think watching pro football is a waste of time). I was hoping for something more "deep" if it exists

[Krom the Mighty]

I think the idea of a "quest for God" (probably what a lot of people would say is the idea of religion, or the point of it), should be, in its innermost nature, a philosophical one.

Only an underinformed, simplistic person would spend all their time blindly saying Hail Mary's and Glory Be's without trying to grasp the more important ideas behind religion which support those extraneous pious traditions. I can't fault someone if that's how they say they find God, but I doubt if that sort of activity is really fulfilling for anyone.

Essentially, I think that religion demands a survey of its deepest elements to have any worth whatsoever. If God is Truth (which is a purely philosophical question), then that means that a search for God is a search for Truth, and I believe that most people would agree with the philosophical validity of a devotion to Truth.

When it comes down to that, I think that philosophy/religion is probably one of the only noble pursuits that really exists. A hedonistic/nihilistic approach sort of negates any pretense that it has any importance at all, anyhow.

[Obbe]

Originally Posted by Trousersnake

Some might say such as yourself. As I read the topic name I can't help but think how people devote time to other 'stupid' things (say for example someone might think watching pro football is a waste of time). I was hoping for something more "deep" if it exists

Religion is a big cobweb of lies. Stupid people would rather fall into that and have a bunch of 'answers', then think for themselves and get answers.

[KikoSanchez]

This is not hard, but there are many explanations which ultimately revolve all around HAPPINESS. Freud would say people like having the feeling of a father figure that will always look over them. If people can never lose faith in god and always think he is there, they will never feel alone in the universe and will always feel a purpose (so they say).
Others would say, simply having some sense of community that is gained by going to church and being included in a group, such as being a christian, makes people happy. There is this book out (I just saw him make an appearance on the Colbert Report) that states that people basically don't know how to make themselves happy, but he had a list of how happy, in general, certain groups were and people with families and RELIGION were at the very top. There are reasons for this of course, inclusiveness in groups, feeling of purpose and feeling that others need them or are watching over them.

Lastly, Bertrand Russell supposedly tried to, in a utilitarian sense, try to calculate the overall pleasure vs pain that religion has caused over the course of man's history and he decided that it caused more than good than bad.

[ArmsMerchant]

Let us not confuse religion with spiritality. I have pretty much nothing but contempt and derision towards organized relgion, particularly the Abrahamic ones. (BTW, I have read that there is zero historical evidence for the existence of the prophet or whatever known as Abraham.)

Organized religion often drives people away from God.

Spirituality, however, is the most important thing in my life. I devote a great deal of time, and effort in reading, studying, meditating and praying. Not because of some hope of rewards or fear of punishment--God does neither--but because I intend to attain spiritual perfection because--well, because it feels good. Most of the time I am radiantly happy, despite the fact that I live with pain, poverty, and disablity on a daily basis.

By transcending the ego, relating with one's essential self and attaining unity consciousness, life has gained a richness and depth of meaning that was once totally beyond my ken. I neither hate nor fear nor envy any one on this planet.

[RoFallandbreakyourHypnol]

Originally Posted by ArmsMerchant

Let us not confuse religion with spirutality. I have pretty much nothing but contempt and derision towards organized relgion, particularly the Abrahamic ones. (BTW, I have read that there is zero historical evidence for the existence of a prophet or whatever known as Abraham.)

Organized religion often drives people away from God.

Spirituality, however, is the most important thing in my life. I devote a great deal of time, and effort in reading, studying, meditating and praying. Not because of some hope of rewards or fear of punishment--God does enither--but because I intend to attain spiritual perfection becasue--well, because it feels good. Most of the time I am radiantly happy, despite the fact that I live with pain, poverty, and disablity on a daily basis.

By transcending the ego, relating with one's essential self and attaining unity consciousness, life has gained a richness and depth of meaning that was once totally beyond my ken. I neither hate nor fear nor envy any one on this planet.

your whole statement is invalidated by the 'a dicto simpliciter' fallacy

i suggest you read it again and hopefully you can see why youre wrong

[ArmsMerchant]

^Thank you so much for clearing that up. What a fool I've been!

What on earth was I thinking?

[CatharticWeek]

It's the nature of being human. Some are explorers, some are followers. The same with religion and spirituality.
Some are content with accepting someone else's truth. And it gives them peace. This is why they devote time to it.
Others forge onward into uncharted spiritual territory, trying to find their peace of mind.