Mankind has generally believed in the influences of that which could not be measured by conventional science long before the science, or philosophy came into existence. It is no doubt the belief of a sizable minority that these beliefs are a lie that have now been disproved by science and rendered obsolete. But is this truly the case?
One of my personally objections to the way this religion derided is the ignorance of the intensely personal affects those beliefs (true, or false) it has on person's lives. We, that is humanity, live in a world that can often be most callous and cruel. Now, it is true that some atheists have used the horrible nature of many things as an argument against religion. However, for the purposes of this discussion I am not interested in whether or not any religion is actually true or whether we actually live in a wholly physical world devoid of anything more.
Spirituality that has lifted people, most especially their morale, through terrible times. It gives them hope that otherwise very well would not exist, if one did not believe in something more then horrors surrounding them.
It is important to note there is more then just horrors on a mass scales that this involves (tyrants, famines, wars, ex cetera). It is the death of a young child, the difficulties of family life, and the normal every day struggling.
Religion and spirituality can give people a belief, or hope to get them past difficult times. Whether or not religion is accurate, it does appear to serve a relevant purpose in this area.
03 Jun 2007, 10:09 pm
