From: rj24@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Robert  Johnston)
Subject: Purpose of Religion   was Re: God etc
Reply-To: rj24@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Robert  Johnston)
Organization: Columbia University
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 21:39:06 GMT

In article <1992Dec15.150347.21138@doug.cae.wisc.edu> mccullou@cae.wisc.edu (Mark McCullough) writes:
>In article <liqdkiINNi5v@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM> emarsh@hernes-sun.Eng.Sun.COM (Eric Marsh) writes:
>>In article <uX4qVB1w165w@momad.li.ny.us> siphon@Momad.LI.NY.US (Stimpson J. Katz) writes:
>>>torkel@sics.se (Torkel Franzen) writes:
>>
>>>    Then enlighten us, O sage, what precisely is relgion about?
>>
>>I've been thinking on this question for some time, and my conclusion
>>is that all religions provide philosophical systems that the adherents
>>of the religion use to establish a relationship between themselves
>>and the world around them. These relationships are as varied as the
>>religions: some have primary focuses on social interaction, some focus
>>on on other systems (such as the relationship of man and nature);
>>some are theistic while others are athiestic.
>>
>>Anyone else have any thoughts on this subject?
>>
>I always have taken the stance that religion is about answering the questions
>that nothing else can answer at thne time.  The purpose of religion, IMHO,
>has always been to solve all those little mysteries with some answer that
>may or may not be the right one, but it does give us some peace of mind.
>That is why it is the worst thing for a religion to happen if you start
>questioning the answers religion gives, because then you are rejecting what
>the religion seeks to provide, and it seizes to hold value or meaning.
>:)M^2
>
>

Religion originated as a power game. It was the way for those in 
power to keep tight control over the masses. These days, organized
religion still has the same purpose. look at the islamic states, or
the Catholic church.

A much better question to ask is why do individuals partake of religion.
There are several catagories here.

1. Those people born to a religion who stick to it.

Reason: indoctrination from birth.

2. Those who are born with religion, and choose to change religion.

Reason: Normally disgust with a particular aspect of one's birth 
religion. Often due to marriage, or other social relationships.
However, the baseic cause remains indoctrination in the belief of a god
from the moment of birth.

3. Those who are born and brought up without any particular religious 
background, who later turn to religion.

Reason: Normally the result of some traumatic life experience. 
However, despite being brought up wothout direct religious influence
this personprobably lives in a society where religion is the norm,
and had some previous sympathy for religion.


Basically, these days people join religion because people join religion.
Perhaps it used to be valid to say that people might believe in god 
because they had no other explaination for the universe. There are two 
problems in using this arguement for today. One, it fails to predict
what religion should be followed. Secondly, there are alternate, 
rational explainations for aspects of our universe.


To find out if there really is any reason other than indoctination for 
people to join a religion we would need to perform an experiment of sorts.
Remove a young child from society. Bring this child up learning 
science, in an atmosphere free of religion. When Adult bring this person
backinto society, and check the results.

Ideally this would be done with a large group of several thousand 
children, to make the experiment valid.

This entire idea is , of course, completely infeasible, as there are far
too many variables besides religion. 

Basically there is no testable answer to the asked question, only opinion.
As far as I am concerned, the only opinion for which there is any evidence
is indoctrination. 

Robert Johnston
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc,alt.atheism