What is The Purpose of Religion

Discussion in 'General Philosophy' started by slydessertfox, Feb 7, 2012.

  1. slydessertfox Total War Branch Head

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    So what do you guys think is the purpose of religion? I think it is to provide an explanation for what happens after we die and to comfort us about death.
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  2. ddbb089 Well-Known Member

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    A theory of creation,life after death and the the preson/nature/other as the creator and BAM! you've got yourself a relgion.
  3. slydessertfox Total War Branch Head

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    Makes sense.
  4. stupified619 Well-Known Member

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    To make sense of the strange things that happen in the natural world.
  5. Vassilli1942 Well-Known Member

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    To try to explain the unkowns in life, like how did we get here and what happens when we die.
  6. UnitRico Well-Known Member

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    It all began as an explanation for natural phenomena, including death, and the origin of all, from what I can tell. Slowly but surely, it changed to reflect the views of the time. Although the last few centuries, that's happening less and less, so it seems.
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  7. Imperial1917 City-States God of War

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    All highly likely to be true.

    I would add that it makes codes of conduct and ethics.
  8. UnitRico Well-Known Member

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    Ah, yes, it does provide a certain way you should live your life, although I don't think that was in the early Pagan beliefs.
  9. Romulus211 Proconsul

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    Comfort for the ultimate uncertantity, Life after death.
  10. C_G Well-Known Member

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    Personally, I think the most important aspect of religion was, initially, to make oneself a deity. You look at ancient rulers and they used the idea that they were a God to substantiate the claim that they had a divine right to rule. You can observe that rule up until the past few hundred years, where monarchs still claimed that they had been chosen by God. Ofcourse, it evolved over time and now it is essentially a relic of ancient times but it has been used for similar purposes, aswell as evolving several defining points.
  11. thelistener Well-Known Member

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  12. Viking Socrates I am Mad Scientist

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    To unify people and give some sort of hope.
  13. UnitRico Well-Known Member

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    Well, if it is it's done a terrible job, hasn't it?
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  14. battleearl Well-Known Member

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    To explain the unexplainable.
  15. Kalalification Guest

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    Religion is a broad, ambiguous term. There is no single purpose behind something as varied as religion.
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  16. D3adtrap www.twitter.com/d3adtrap | Mr. Choc: Coco Fruits

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    Religion is here to keep us miserable so we can be exploited by the clergy.
  17. DVDVDVD Member

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    Religion is around because we like to think that we know everything.
  18. Sheaffey Member

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    This is easy - To explain everything that is (or was) unexplainable, such as....uh life?
  19. lazerBAR Active Member

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    This thread.
  20. Viking Socrates I am Mad Scientist

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    It's Propley has something to do with the "law of the three stages" as described by Comte

    The theory that explain religion as described by the book are
    *as a governmental role (Or priesthood government)
    * the theory propounded by Post Comte’s Positivism. Religion, which dates from the earliest ages, can only have been a first attempt at an explanation of the extraordinary phenomena by which man in his ignorance was astonished and frightened. It is the beginning of the childish form of science.
    * Comte’s theory of law of the three stages, stage one is the theological stage, stage two is the metaphysical stage, and finally the positivity stage.

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