Is believing impossible things necessary for organized religion.?

Question

Many people who are looking for a spiritual component in their lives get turned off organized religion because they require you to a) believe impossible things and b) follow meaningless rules. But these are the features of the most successful religions, Religions that try to be both spiritual and rational (like Unitarians) end up as minority and marginal groups.

Is the attraction of religion for many people actually because of the a) and b)? Does believing the impossible and following absurd rules give them a feeling of being special and unique? Do religions (I'm thinking Scientology here) purposely play to this need?

NOTE: I'm talking about organized religion here. If your belief is simply that Jesus is your saviour I'm not criticizing you. I'm talking about the demand that people believe impossible things and follow the weird rules to keep out of hell.

Answer 1

No it is not necessary.



a) believe impossible things and



It is necessary to believe that God has the ability to do things that are currently humanly impossible. There is a difference between something being "impossible" and something being beyond human understanding and replication.



b) follow meaningless rules



Christians are to follow the "law of love". They are to love God and their neighbor as them self. Here is how the Apostle Paul explained the second part of that.



Romans 13:8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 10 Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Answer 2

Wow this one is tough, people are so sensitive about these things. I think religion comes from a fear of death generally, and people wanting to believe that they'll live on after they die is a mental security that they feel they can't live without. If the 'eternal spirit' part of it is impossible to you, which it is for me, then to you that's believing the impossible, but it may not be to someone who 'believes' in eternal life. And they follow the 'meaningless rules' because that's what they believe will keep bad things from happening to them, during this life and the next.

I'm sure there's an explanation for why many people are so certain of their religious beliefs while others find them ridiculous, as such a fundamental part of our being is so different from one person to the next, it's hard to understand from either side, but you can certainly be 'spiritual' without idols or gods. Philosophy is a much more stimulating and sensible moral and ethical aid than religion.

Answer 3

Perhaps... however, see your own comment above (Re: Unitarians who are an organized religion).

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I personally feel that people's desire to feel "special and unique" is probably deep rooted in our anthropological make up; it's how we evolved as a species. Unfortunately, this leads mankind towards being irrational and xenophobic... creating a perpetual "us vs. them" situation, which is not tied exclusively to religion. Xenophobia has many forms: racism, zealous positions taken regarding anti-immigration, religious (and atheist) intolerance, etc.

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Again this is just my belief; however, I think one of the failures of religion and society in general is that we tend to work our butts off trying to affirm the intrinsic "specialness" of everyone. Yet, inflating our egos is one clear path towards xenophobia. Rather than instilling our progeny with a false sense of being "special and unique", I feel that we should spend time teaching our children that our world, and humanity are what's special, and as individuals, we're pretty insignificant... thus the way we become "special" is through serving others; that only by putting others first, do we have any real significance. - This is after all, one of the primary tenets of most major religions.

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Answer 4

Many large religions nowawadays believe in very weird things that are not even taught in the bible. I honestly don't know how people can serve a god whos main attribute is LOVE, that would send them to an eternally tormenting hell where they will burn for the rest of time. Sounds like something that the devil would do. Also the trinity doesn't make sense, with "god" being tempted, "god" being invisible but apparently you can see him, "god" resurrecting himself, "god" died. God calling jesus his Son, but they are still the same people, and Jesus praying to "himself" in the temples. Weird stuff how people can so easily be lead astray.

Answer 5

Does believing the impossible and following absurd rules give them a feeling of being special and unique? Do religions (I'm thinking Scientology here) purposely play to this need?





You know this sentence describes obama voters to a tee.

Answer 6

The human psyche requires abstraction and the impossible. We want to analyze issues so the more complex an issue the more we drift towards it.

Answer 7

Organized religions are biggest mistake ever made by humans.



Spirituality might not be regressive but organized cults are, for sure.

Answer 8

No one can believe in impossible things merely by the fact that if they believe it, they think it's possible.

Answer 9

He was a deist. "He became notorious because of The Age of Reason (1793–94), the book advocating deism and arguing against Christian doctrines."

Answer 10

Yes.......religious leaders want and need those who will believe anything without question, because, if you will believe the "impossible"....then you are more likely to believe almost anything you are told without questioning why. It makes for good robots, or good "sheeple"......who will kill "in the name of god", when their "leader" tells them to. No questions asked.



Read history......it is full of such incidents.

Answer 11

"Is believing impossible things necessary for organized religion.?"



Name one that doesn't have this requirement?

Answer 12

YES . you are so right.