Why a human being follow a religion at all ?

Question

do the animal kingdom believe in some religion ? Why it is the human being despite having distinctly diffrent sizes , shapes and colors try to forge into believing a same set of rules believed to have been programmed by the direct descendent of the God Almighty?

Answer 1

I agree with Peter Berger that people are cultural creatures that need meaning. He says that people turn to religion out of existential need; it provides a sense of security and permanence during times of illness, tragedy, war, etc. Some people really fall apart without being able to explain these things. Truth, to Berger, is irrelevant when people have these personal universes of meaning to shield them from existential realities. (I disagree with him that Truth is irrelevant, but you get the idea.)

Religion is also reproductive - when you're taught about God from such an early age (especially in the militant manner that's so common today), you are likely to have a tendency to explain other things in life using your religion. It becomes your methodology for analysis, which shapes your worldview. To begin to see it as anything other than truth is to betray these sedimentary constructions of the way you already understand the world. Then you raise your kids to do the same, and so on.

It also doesn't help that many religious people are taught very incorrect things about what other people actually believe (*especially* atheists), which reduces their choice of alternative belief systems. That's an education problem, though; it doesn't generalize to all religions or everyone that adheres to any religion in particular.

EDIT: In response to your added details, animals do not have religion. Religion is cultural and culture is unique to humanity. For all the reasons mentioned above, people feel certain that the religion developed through their own culture is "truth", and they are disturbed or threatened that there are people out there who believe differently. They feel as though their truth is the only truth, and they want everyone to agree. Some religions have tenets that prevent this imperialistic reaction to other cultural beliefs (especially eastern religions), but others make it their duty to "save" everyone, regardless of the potential converts' justified resistance.

EDIT: Religions exist because of anthropological, historical, sociological, and (arguably) neurological contexts. They developed slowly through early societies, reproduced, and became what they are today. Many agree that religion has lost much of its purpose in modern society, but it's not going to just disappear overnight. Research history and culture and you'll understand.

Answer 2

There is really no need for religion at all! See, in order to place your belief in something else, you first have to lose belief in yourself.... Religion takes advantage of all those lost souls out there who are desperately in need of finding themselves.

Answer 3

if you really want to understand your question read the book 'Why We Believe What We Believe' by Andrew Newberg.

It will teach you why we have religion without shoving religion down your throat.

It kinda explains why we do what we do also.

Answer 4

What is religion?

Answer 5

hmm...probibly akin to why an all loving and all knowing God would "desire" to have a relatoinship with self centered and arrogant humans in the first place?!?!

Answer 6

"there is no need at all" even this will b ecome a religion if some follow it. one of the meaning of religion is "THE PATH"

without path can any one proceed in life?

Answer 7

tritonetelephone has made some very good points as to why religion exists.

However, truth is irrelevant, i.e., as it changes based upon the perspective.  Thus, it is not relevant to any subjective scheme, i.e., and religion is about as subjective as one can get.  

Also, truth changes as we learn additional facts in science, i.e. see Thomas Kuhn's, The Structures of Scientific Revolutions.  That was the basis of his thesis, e.g., the Philogen vs Oxygen example.

I studied under Berger.

Answer 8

Obviously you know there are two sides to every arguement.  Probably a million...

Answer 9

People are looking for answers. Why are we here, where did we come from, how did the earth begin, etc. People look to something bigger than we as humans to get our answers. Thus we have God, Allah, gods etc. They give us answers.

Answer 10

IMO the most basic reason individuals follow religion is our finite life span. We do not want to believe that after we pass it's all over. We need to think that once our physical existence is over, our spirit and soul (we) continue to live.

Answer 11

Because we believe most things we are taught when we are young, to many people are afraid to break the chain when they grow up.

Answer 12

to keep a control over the world!!

Answer 13

Because 'A man without religion is like a fish without a bicycle' as per Murphy. Now, you figure it out!

Answer 14

They dont have to, people should live within their own boundaries and not have to follow.

Its what makes this country a free country.

Answer 15

the moment u spell out religion u think its abt stringent practices which hardly carry any sense....bt religion is a wrd that comes out of our daily life...e.g. we bathe religiously everday.....has this act got 2 do anything with religion that da layman understands? no....definitely not!

religion is habits set down by some rules, regulations, disciplining socialization n some practices n mores....

being kind to some1- is it not religion? is it preached by any prophet now? no....that is the essence of all humanity...that is the essence of all religions....treat all men n women like men & women....that's what is religion.....so 1 shd follow a religion...nt that is preached by gr8 men...bt that which has tenets led down by u....by ur "good" "self" that which hepls humanity breathe.....

that is why we all shd follow a religion of humanity.