Why is religion still a thing?

[Scarletthoo2]

As the title states, I would like to know why people still choose religion rather than science, please give me your personal view and opinions.

I was christened at birth, but grown up an atheist. I'm just curious to know why so many people still believe in religion and god. Considering there's undeniable evidence that everything on earth is simply made of atoms and particles and wasn't created by an otherworldly person.

Hopefully this doesn't cause offence to some people, like I've said, just simply want others views.

So that poor child who died from cancer had free will, and that’s why he died?

Because most people are terrified of death.

Well if you look at say the groups we now call Gnostic Christians it was actually the demiurge who created the material world so the material world is fundamentally evil.

Or alternatively what we consider “good and evil” both need to exist both to balance the world and to express the completeness of God

Or in picture form

Interestingly most studies show that atheists tend to be moral than religious people. They are shown to be more open minded, less bigoted and more generous with charity donations. Most Christians however, believe they are kinder.

Any links? Because according to the You.Gov link I posted religious people are significantly more generous with charitable donations than are the nonreligious.

The “more moral” thing has me intrigued because morality is subject and what is moral differs by religion. So I would be curious to see how a study measured who is more moral when there is no universal code of morality?

Because clearly, we need to suffer first, we need to be made suffer a lot - for some non sensical, truly inexplicable reason, before we enter heaven. But then it’s not a guarantee, as you may end up in hell. But who knows, with all these convoluted and capricious rules. I guess it’s like a test of your devotion to this god and the more we suffer the more likely we are to get into heaven?

And I think this is a valid comment on some religions, the idea of god has been used with a political agenda.

However, what is very clear is that many people of faith quickly move beyond the simple public face of a religion (the face often latched on to be critics) and explore its deeper meanings. Why? Because many people have a deep internal knowledge of there being something more. Some people seem to be missing this knowledge or deliberately subdue it.

Free will. God won't stop the bad in the world - a child who's died of cancer will be entering into the Kingdom of heaven

So an innocent child CHOOSES to die?

I'm a scientist who is a Christian, and echo all the above. If, when I die, it turns out that it was all a lie, then I'll still have lived a better life

Could you please define 'better'?

Better for you? Better for society? Better for the survival of our species?

That’s not what that sentence, that you quoted, said at all.

And you could also ask yourself why you need the carrot and stick of a religion to make you live well and ethically, and to treat others with compassion and justice? Why not simply do that in the knowledge there’s no supernatural reward or punishment?

Because many people have a deep internal knowledge of there being something more. Some people seem to be missing this knowledge or deliberately subdue it.

I accept that there is a one sidedness on both sides, but this is a very one sided description. I might better describe it as an "internal feeling". Your language implies people that don't believe are lacking something tangible that or deliberately subduing it. That simply isn't the case. You don't have internal knowledge, you have an internal feeling that you strongly believe in.

Free will. God won't stop the bad in the world - a child who's died of cancer will be entering into the Kingdom of heaven, and the Kingdom of Heaven is better than anything we have on Earth, times 1000000.

@Effieswig this is the full sentence. Could you please explain what it means, if not dying of free will?

Actually you have no way of knowing whether I have internal knowledge or an internal feeling. My experience is this is knowledge.

across societies and histories people that don’t have this are somewhat of an anomaly so you could say they are missing something that the majority have had across history. But that’s not a judgemental thing any more that some people have red hair, others have blond etc.

Because many people have a deep internal knowledge of there being something more. Some people seem to be missing this knowledge or deliberately subdue it.

What? Some of us are deliberately suppressing a hidden knowledge within our bodies?

*Actually you have no way of knowing whether I have internal knowledge or an internal feeling. My experience is this is knowledge.

across societies and histories people that don’t have this are somewhat of an anomaly so you could say they are missing something that the majority have had across history. But that’s not a judgemental thing any more that some people have red hair, others have blond etc.*

Yes, I do. Knowledge is something proven. This is a strong feeling. You could well be right, but it is not knowledge.

No, there is no correlation between suffering and getting to heaven. You should really read some Christian theology. It would help you understand that the doctrines while they can be very different depending on the Christian sect you are studying are neither capricious nor convoluted.

Really your criticism would only apply to a few scattered cults that have appropriated Christianity for nefarious purposes.

You misunderstand, I didn’t say I agreed with the poster. But the limited part you quoted didn’t say that.

I don’t think the full quote means what you are trying to pretend that it does.

Free will doesn’t mean free will to die. Bad happens because we have free will. You also have to take into context the question they were answering.

Why does bad happen in the world? Free will.

At no point does anyone say that children with cancer are choosing to die. The fact that you feel the need to manipulate what was said, is really odd.

Ok, so why would a God allow an innocent child to die from cancer?

I was raised in a devoutly Catholic family. Baptised, had my first communion, went to Sunday school, was confirmed etc all in the same church by the same priest who’s still there now. I did all the praying, all the hymn-singing, all the being a “good Catholic child”….God didn’t stop me from being abused by an adult in a position of trust as a teenager. That’s where my faith ended. How can a God that apparently loves us so much allow such horrible things to happen? Why allow children to get cancer? Why allow children to be neglected and abused by their parents? Why allow children to die in poverty all over the world? What sins have they committed to deserve such hideous things?
I asked my priest that exact question at the time. I was told that God doesn’t present us with challenges that are more than we can overcome. I told him that in that case, God must have a twisted idea of what “challenges” children should be faced with, walked out and never went back. My family still worship at that very same church, whereas I feel the bile rise in my throat every time I walk past it.

Ok, so in which societies, within which parts of history, was this special “knowledge”, or “deep internal knowledge of there being something more”?. Who are these people? And if they don’t have this “knowledge” are they inferior or not good enough, some how?

@OMG12 : "Well if you look at say the groups we now call Gnostic Christians it was actually the demiurge who created the material world so the material world is fundamentally evil."

This is Manichaeism, St. Augustine was a manichee before his conversion
Manichaeism
Additionally the ancient Jews and later Christians imported their ideas of evil, the devil, heaven and hell, the last judgement from Zoroastrianism ( the Jews received these ideas when in Babylonian captivity),which was strongly dualistic; a good god Ahura Mazda vs an evil one Ahriman. Dualism does a neat job of explaining evil.
Zoroastrianism
I personally follow Heraclitus the ancient Greek philosopher.

"Heraclitus writes: This world-order [Kosmos], the same of all, no god nor man did create, but it ever was and is and will be: everliving fire, kindling in measures and being quenched in measures. From fire all things originate."
He also asserted reincarnation, souls ascending in perfection, the gods etc
Heraclitus

I am not A Christian so can’t answer that.

I posted up thread about my mothers and Nanas fire on it. My Nanas son did die as a baby. So that’s more relevant.

As I said, my point wasn’t wether I agree or not with the poster. It was that you were claiming it said something that it clearly did not.

I don’t need to agree with someone to recognise someone is, purposely, misconstruing their words.

Whilst I can’t claim to comprehensively understand and know all of the different Christian denominations and their idiosyncratic doctrines regarding life, heaven and hell and everything in between, I am most definitely familiar with quite a bit of Christian theology. Having been a devout Catholic for most of my life, until I wasn’t, there’s a great emphasis on suffering and how it ultimately makes you a better person, how it brings you closer to Christ, and that this suffering, as well as all the other terrible things that happen to you in this life, prepare you for heaven. And that’s putting this notion in the most simplest of ways. If god is real, and is our father, why would a father want this, allow this to happen to his children?

I think one traditional interpretation is that the world is fallen and therefore contains pain and sin.
We are here for a short season in comparison with our spiritual self which is eternal.

Honestly those questions don't interest me. I'm more interested in living the best life I can, making a difference, living fully in the here and now.
My faith allows me to make the best of what is and gives me a sense of purpose.
My hope is that at the end God will say 'well done my good and faithful servant' and I get to rest/party spiritually speaking. No loss if I don't, though, obviously!

I recognise the poster's point up thread about why we don't all depart prematurely- I've always been alert to that risk in any teaching I've shared, perhaps because I'm inclined to depression myself.

And Christians aren't better than anyone else- they don't get to opt out of illness and suffering and are as prone to greed and selfishness as anyone else. The theory would be that they work hard at opposing those traits in themselves. Lots of people (not everyone) outside the church don't seem to consider spiritual or ethical self improvement much, it seems to me.
Self actualisation yes, and success, yes. Living for others, less so.

I'm really sad for those people who've run into judgemental churches of whatever variety. It's not a key part of the Christian message, just the opposite. People's personal choices have squat to do with me. It's entirely their own business. I might judge someone's taste in wallpaper/music/chocolate, but not in sexual orientation or personal presentation.