[S-D-P]

Why is it that we as a species hold religion so high on our list of values, and is it possible to lead a fulfilling life without it?
Original Code RE142. Click here to see responses from the original archives. Click "to respond" below to reply.

User Detail :  

Name : S-D-P, Age : 21, City : San Diego, State : CA Country : United States, 

[annonymous]

To Ariel: While I respect your rejection of organized religion, I am disturbed by your assumption that everyone else is limited because they believe in God and/or religion. While I disagree with many teachings of various religious groups, I have come to understand and respect that these beliefs give meaning to others' lives. We are complex creatures, and our experiences and beliefs are equally varied. How we define a fulfilling and successful life is based on our personal beliefs.

I believe the mistake is to assume that because someone believes in God and/or religion, his or her life is limited and consequently unfulfilling.

Lastly, many people believe, like you, that we are to believe in ourselves and create our own destinies. It is possible to believe in both a supreme being and still take responsibility for your own life. I believe the universe is magnificant and so am I, but I have no need to be the center of all things. That seems to be the real burden. Freedom is found in believing in someone who is greater than myself; that the essence of who I am is of the one source, and that I am one with Her.

User Detail :  

Name : annonymous, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Age : 34, City : Detroit, State : MI Country : United States, 

[Tina-V]

Genesis chapter 1 in the Bible states that God made human beings 'in his image.' Since God is not a physical being, this refers to the intangible qualities that make us human - things like intelligence, emotion, creativity, relationship, decision-making, and a sense of the transcendent. I believe that because of this, everyone - including those who call themselves atheists - seek fulfillment in some form or other. Whether we choose to believe it or not, we behave this way because God made us this way.

User Detail :  

Name : Tina-V, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 46, City : Chapel Hill, State : NC Country : United States, 

[Knut Berg]

The title of the query, Life without a God, presuppose that religion necessarily involves something corresponding to the concept of God as you use it yourself, and ones attitude towards this, which could easily exclude a number of religious traditions of the world.As indiduals and cultures we put what is termed religion different places on our list of values.See http://www.worldvaluessurvey.org/ for some of the variations. What our species really do, to paraphrase the anthropologist Mary Douglas, is trying to make meaningful sense of the world and coordinate their lives with the people around them. Historically some of the ways one does that has been termed religious,others not, and it is quite possible to have a fullfilling life with either.

User Detail :  

Name : Knut Berg, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Humanist, Age : 50, City : Oslo, State : NA Country : Norway, Occupation : Librarian/Researcher, Social class : Middle class, 

[Gary A]

This is something that I have pondered many times over in my lifetime so far. Generally I have reached several conclusions: People need faith. The ego needs immortality. Neither of these aspects add fulfillment to life, just varying structures to living. It is certainly possible to live a long and fulfilling life without believing in any one religion, but as humans reach moments in our life when belief in a higher power fills us with strength and resolve. It helps us move every day forward, feeling that some grand parental figure is there to catch us when we fall. This is not a requisite however for having resolve and strength of will in life though, and either method of living is perfectly equal. In my humblest opinion, religions are the greatest boon and bane in all of human history. From the most basic elements of animism up to 'modern' faiths, they are probably the greatest cause of violence, war and death on this planet short of perhaps seeking more territory. People get defensive when you compare their faith to 'mythology' but have no issues attributing that title to ancient faiths of the world. Was the ancient Mithraist or worshipper of Isis' lives less fulfilling or meaningful than modern Christian/Muslim/Jews/etc. I question whether many of those lives were MORE fulfilled through religion because they were cut short violently in it's name? On my second point, human beings do not like to consider that this life is over when it is over. We all want to live forever in some manner of thinking and the thought that we will go on for eternity with all of our loved ones is a happy one. I suppose the question is can you have a fulfilling and happy life knowing that the possibility that once the old ticker stops, that the end of the ride? If you could die tomorrow and there was no afterlife, does that make your life any more fulfilling or not? Does it really make a difference? If you followed a faith strongly your whole life and died to find nothing but a swift darkness, does your life suddenly become wasted, or does it really matter? I suppose it is not religion that should make your life more fulfilling, but the events and memories of your life. Live fairly, kindly and morally in everything that you do, with or without religion. Personally, I like the 'afterlife' that I read once attributed to some African tribe... They believed that you were never truly dead as long as your life was remembered... I think that is what I am shooting for.

User Detail :  

Name : Gary A, Gender : M, Age : 31, City : Chicago, State : IL Country : United States, Occupation : Artist, 

[Author]

Posts