Religion, I just don't get it.

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Hi everybody,

I've been in conversation with some Jehovah's Witnesses for a year on a weekly base.
I started the talks because I just don't understand being religious and all.

Recently I directly asked one of persons that visits me for bible studies how they know they are in contact with Jehovah and he claimed that faith develops when you study the bible. Even though he hadn't read all of the book, he claimed felt a connection at times when in congregation and in prayer.

And then it hit me, it's a feeling, the text could be for bordering (rules, culture, background, clarification, etc.) and enhancing the experience.
I went in search of what people experience religiously and found this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_experience

I was at gatherings of the Jehovah's twice and I had feeling of oneness I already experienced before and that easily compared to a spiritual experience as described in the link above.
Funny enough it was similar when I was "in my own world" when I was a kid, I didn't do anything with religion at that age.

Could this be a case of the mind fooling itself? The temporal lobes firing?
or is there something I'm overlooking?

It will depend how much is you with the onject of focus and how much is social, not to use the "love bombing" term - my sister and her short stint with the Mormons.

Take a step at a time. If it is real, you will know. If not you will move on.

If you liked the feeling that's all that counts. Not everyone can feel it, but for those that get that feeling from church, reading the bible, prayer, nature, exercise; whatever it may be, they often repeat the behavior that gets them that feeling.

For those that have never experienced it they can't possibly understand why people do what they do to get it.

I found it in church, as a child, in nature, with exercise, and more often when I was young, when I was in my own world.

As for an explanation of the feeling, complex hormonal/neurochemical/brain activity relationships may be behind it, but the science in understanding is in it's infancy.

Could it be oxytocin, serotonin, dopamine, or endorphins; it's hard to say but these hormones and neurochemicals change and are influenced by so many things, it's hard to pinpoint what causes what.

And if it can all be physically explained that doesn't take the wonder of it away, whether you are at a festival, a church, or a fair, its a good feeling for all that experience it; and makes life a better one to live.

It's been along time since I could attain that feeling, for me it was a place of no fear, connectedness, and eternity within the present moment that I was in.

I get religion completely. In its earliest stages it was a way to make sense of the world and give people security in a group. But science came along and showed with data from many academic fields that most of these stories are not true or were true but only for the area at the time ("Noah's Flood" covered a large area at one time). So I do not get it now since so many beautiful things in science should have made this obsolete.

Science gives us guidelines that allow to live a better life, but it doesn't provide the security that people need when they feel as part of a group. It's not that church is the only place one can find it, but if there is one measurable aspect of the benefit of religion it is the social connections that often result from it.

Social connectivity is proven to be the #1 factor in overall happiness, so it is not too surprising that people still engage in religion and the many opportunities there for social connection.

Of course, religion is not nearly the only way to gain social connection, but it is still a way that is evident in many people's lives.

Tradition, also still plays a rule; people still grow up in churches and with religion, and it becomes a part of their psyche that for many never goes away.

And one more factor particularly important, is the benefit it provides to those that are old and have lost many family members. Without church and/or associated activities with religious organizations, many would have no social connections at all.

The majority of the nation participates in some kind of religious activity, I pick social connectivity as something we should all understand that is important, but there are many other factors that account for a person's continued participation.

No matter how far science advances; religion will likely be a part of life for many, as it is now. Science is advancing quickly, but the needs we have as human are generally the same as they have been for thousands of years.

Except for that whole "killing people not part of your group" thing. You can get those things you say without religion. Saying you need religion to do these things is extremely offensive and illogical.

I'm not saying I need it or you need it, and was hoping that I made it clear, that is not the only way to get social connectivity. The issue is why do people do it, not why do people have to do it. There is nothing illogical or offensive for social connectivity or tradition as a reason why people do it. It is the same reason that people do many other things in life. The social need is the constant, not the activity that follows it.

We have the whole "killing people not part of your group thing", and have had it throughout history. There has been religious reason for some wars, and there has not been religious reason for other wars.

Killing people in other groups is a way of thinking for the people in some religions, but why would one indict the participation of some in an activity, because of the actions or thoughts of others in a similar activity? If this were a common practice we would all likely be indicted for something in life.

Hmmm, this clears up some stuff, thanks everybody!

Religion is what people had before science was invented.

ruveyn

If you read God is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens and do some other research, you would see religion plays a larger role than people think. It is also very strange to me how people can cherry-pick only the "happy" quotes from the text but never the slavery, genocide, or rape-like parts.

The OP might have been confused because he considered Jehovah's Witnesses an actual religion. My statement is correct no matter what nonsense they heard first. We make fun of them a lot in America. Some like to play practical jokes when they knock and show up on their door.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_lie

I know how Jehovah's Witnesses is viewed in general and by mainstream religions, but to me it doesn't seem to make them less religiously committed. I don't know if it makes a real difference in the religious experience, since the description in the link fits my own experiences - I've read about it after I experienced it in the services I attended.

Con artists always sound committed. Religion is mostly oratory. I left Catholicism because I was tired of hearing how the Church always needed money and was revolted at all the people wearing crucifixes doing bad things on others. When you step outside and look at research papers and see some more extracurricular texts. It is much better for you just to reflect on yourself by meditating and living to morals inherent in every living human: you do not need religion to tell you to mourn for the dead, celebrate nature, etc. You do not need religion to celebrate someone's birthday, etc Religion only makes things worse, especially if you can look at Protestant-Catholic strife over the years - and they believe in the same God...and especially if you try to put it on others. Again, you would have to convince yourself that only some of the Bible needs to be followed, etc. I do not understand when that same book has keeping slaves, ethnic cleansing, etc.

I am going to say this honestly: I DESPISE RELIGION. I simply do not get how God can give miracles to one person with a treatable cancer instead of some 12 million people getting thrown into ovens. If you are going to tell me, well, that was just a test of faith, I do not even want to hear it.

Religion is little more than a ethological occurence, it may have once served a purpose but that time is long gone and it is now more of a threat to the health of humanity.

Tieing oneself to any religous or atheistic mast in an age of reason and science is both intelectually and emotionally lazy, to my mind the 'mysteries' that religion seeks to or profess' to answer are in some cases being unraveled and in others remain exactly that, 'mysteries'.

It is my opinion that one can seek to live a spiritual and/or ethical life without religion, agnosticism makes sense, to have the humility and insight to know that some things are not known is a sign of intellectual and emotional vigour.

peace j

Religion can fill more than one psychological need. I think the transcendent religious or spiritual experience is a rare one, and that's not what most people get out of everyday religion. For most, religion provides a sense of community, belonging, and purpose through regular services, a clear set of rules, and a narrative history. It brings a measure of order and certainty to what may seem like a chaotic and unpredictable world.

So did Nazism, Stalinism etc....

peace j