The purpose of religion - Essay Example

? Purpose of Religion Religion has been the most intriguing, controversial and influential factor in lives of individuals for centuries. Since the beginning of civilization thousands of years ago, religion has engulfed the life spheres of inhabitants of this world to a great degree. Scholars, thinkers, philosophers, and theologians have invested their time and effort extensively to study the impact of religion on people’s lives. Even when the role religion played in lives of its believers was not an empirically proven one; it was evident through introspection of thousands of people who saw a transformation in their lives as they begin to exercise their faith. This paper attempts to explore this transformative power, religion holds and the purpose it serves in different contexts in lives of people. In addition, the paper will also attempt to look at the modernization and analyze the difference, advent of science and technology has made in the function, religion served in the lives of its believers. In the beginning, when man began to venture into the mysteries of the universe and embarked upon the everlasting intellectual journey, he used religion as a way to explore the universe and solve the puzzles each phenomenon offered. Thus, mythologies came into being and people started worshipping objects because they thought it was these objects, which ruled the universe and ran their lives. This does not only include objects like fire and water but animals like the ones who were more powerful than them and their pets. As the world progressed, people grew wiser and realized the existence of a higher force, which governed the lives of objects, and entities, which they earlier perceived to be the divine force itself. This way, the advent of the concept of religion took place. However, as the world advanced, the role of religion became more subsided as people explored similar gains in other resources like technology and consultancy, both of which provides comfort and a space for catharsis with machine and human respectively. What is problematic to determine is therefore not what religion aimed to achieve, but whether religion is still required to enable life to function normally or whether it is an obsolete entity whose entire existence is nothing but a false satisfaction and testimony to various events that stand unexplained in the realm of history. To look at it critically, religion actually does not offer much help when it comes to real-life issues, at least not anymore. The purposes it served in ancient times are now attained in its absence with the same quality nonetheless. For instance, religion in older times was used as explanation for many life processes and universal occurring, which were devoid of any explanation comprehensible to human mind. However, with the scientific advancement and new discoveries flooding the world of information every minute, science seems to have overtaken this role and religion appears subsided by its much younger rival. Examples of this will be evolutionism offered by Charles Darwin and Big Bang theory, which both offer non-divine-yet-logical explanation for the creation of universe. In old times, religion also served a psychological purpose. It helped people relieve stress, get rid of their worldly pressures, and submit their worries to the power, which seemed to absorb all that is bad and protect people from all sufferings. All matters that seemed out of their control and circle of wisdom were left to the unimaginable and unending power of divinity. In addition, rites were designed to appease and gratiate this super power for his unlimited bounties and whenever sins or mistakes were committed, propitiation rites and sacrifices were performed to make it up to him. Thus, religion was just not restricted to rites and worship, but it engulfed the whole lifestyle and involved all aspects of existence of an individual. However, science has managed to overshadow successfully the impact of religion on people’s lives and moral conduct. Where, religion governed the happiness people felt, science replaced with its technology-induced pleasure like music, networking and visual pleasure. For instance, a stressed-out worker will find more pleasure in ogling at half-naked women in music videos than by sitting alone and meditating. Although counter-intuitive to orthodox minds of religious orientation, the notion that science has taken over religion in every way possible, is hard to disagree with. First, the explanations offered by science for intricate phenomenon are much more logical and valid than religious ones. Where religious explanations tend to throw all the credit, responsibility and blame over to the power of divine, science takes the risk of testing each hypothesis until the reason is specified or the process is defined as inexistent. The falsifiability offered by scientific reasoning makes the world less puzzling and easy to decipher. In case of religion, it all boils down to philosophy and specifically, what popularly known as ‘divine intervention’ (Shults et al., 117). Eventually, what seems difficult to understand or experiment is left unexplored and is labeled as ‘belongs to the circle of no-control’. Science refutes this argument and shows utter faith in human potential to solve the mysteries of this universe. In addition to this, science also provides an opportunity to make errors during experimentation. Where in religion, everything is perfectly mapped out; science is ephemeral and can be proved false in its theories. Every now and then, a theory comes up which proves the preceding one wrong. This freedom draws us nearer to finding the real answer than ‘leaving it to God’ does. Despite the role of science in answering questions about existence, science alone cannot move civilizations or bring about revolutions. With its unbinding force of compliance that it bounds every follower with, religion gives an identity to that unspoken force which compels one’s own self to open itself to the mysteries and venture into exploration of this world. Thus, the point being made is religion is what ignites science (Horosz & Clements, 123-127). What religion brings to humanity is that spark of passion for knowledge, which later on compels priests to turn into scientists, as history displays so well. Secondly, religion maintains the balance of universe. It is most materialistic aspect, ‘ethics’ rule the world of science and all that comes underneath its umbrella. Assuming the absence of religion for a moment gives a pretty clear idea as to how this world would have turned into a monstrosity had there been no rules, regulations and ethical framework to abide by. One may argue that rules do not necessarily have to emerge from religion and that society comprised of humans can intelligibly formulate the ethical framework on their own. Despite the apparent validity of this argument, what is unintelligent about it is the fact that one human does not take authority from another human of the equal power. A Muslim wife, for example, obeys her husband not because she is intimidated or madly in love with him, but because her religion, Islam asks her to do so. Thus, science, being invention of man himself, fails here in comparison with religion when one talks of the authority and moral compliance that religion sets on each of its followers (Ayala, 215). In addition, many other rules and regulations that govern the lives of people also derive their basis from religion. A good example will be all those states, which are found on religious grounds for e.g. Pakistan. Hence, the purpose of religion still stands unharmed by the advent of science. From this perspective, they both are incomparable in their authority over human life since science is the creation of man whereas religion is by the Creator and thus has an overarching influence. Thus, despite the fact that science controls and runs the most part of our lives, religions until holds the transformative power, which enables people to reflect and return to their original beings. Works Cited Ayala F. J. Science and religion in search of cosmic purpose. Georgetown University Press, 2000. Horosz, W., Clements T. S. Religion and human purpose: a cross-disciplinary approach. M. Nijhoff, 1987. Shults, F. L., Murphy, N.C, Russell, R. J. Philosophy, Science, and Divine Action. BRILL, 2009. 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