After thinking of all the bad things that have been motivated and influenced by religion I would have to conclude that the idea of religion is neutral. To understand life and the universe from a metaphysical perspective and to let that understanding guide you is a very human and a very legitimate aim even in the 21st century.
Why then does a metaphysical understanding of the universe and a life aligned with that understanding engender such atrocities as the Crusades, Christian persecution, and American slavery? I believe the answer is to be found in the lack of legitimacy for other illegitimate yet altogether frequent human pursuits: the pursuit of power and money.
Religion by itself is neutral but it has been used to justify the domination of one group over another and the amassing of resources for one particular group. What better way to provide legitimacy for conquest and oppression than by covering it up with the idea that “God told you so” (think Crusades, Manifest Destiny, Jihad, Atlantic Slave Trade, Third Reich etc.)
In actuality, it is not only covering up the illegitimate pursuit of power and money (money and power are also not bad in and of themselves) but it is also covering up something else that is altogether too human…an overwhelming sense of insecurity and insignificance. On a small scale I have witnessed this in church settings where an insecure person tries to justify everything they do (especially when it is in opposition to someone else’s desires and needs) by saying “God told me so”. On a larger scale, this sense of insecurity and insignificance is what causes people to do insane things in the name of religion. To gain significance and security religious adherents have ostracized others, practiced murder and torture, sent flaming emails, and acted like overall rude jerks. Now these actions can all be done without religion but human beings find legitimacy for these actions in religion. It has been used as a mask for our dysfunction. Ironically, this sense of insignificance and insecurity is one of the things religion is supposed to solve. Religion is designed to give legitimacy to our existence. There must be a reason why it doesn’t scratch the itch we have had since the beginning of time. Any thoughts?
Based on this post, especially the last two sentences in particular, one can conclude either 1) religion is but one means of legitimizing our existence. There are others that work together with religion (i.e. family, creative accomplishments, and etc.) Or 2) Although religion was designed to do a particular thing, it has been continually misused (like a computer thats used as a coaster…)
I vote for the former. Yes, humans cant help but have religion because we all are in search of something that can scratch that itch, but religion must brought under subjection to the authority of Jesus to be legitimized itself. Then and only then can it do what it was designed to do.
I think you are on to something there and I would say even Christian religion needs to be brought under subjection to Jesus Christ. I want to explore this further but I have to put it on hold for now. Maybe in a few weeks after some more chewing on the scriptures….
I think it’s because people confuse it with legalism. You may have heard this “religion is man’s way of getting to God but Christ is God’s way of getting to man.” the only problem is there are some religions that do not have a concept of god or heaven in their framework. Plus trying to get to God by what we do is legalism not religion. I wonder what a professor of comparative religion would have to say about that distinction.
You make a good point when you say “religion has been used as a mask for our dysfunction.” I think that is very valid, but I think we see this mask in all of our systems and structures. We see the mask of our dysfunction in the patriarchal structure of the world, in economic injustice, and in environmental irresponsibility. We are imbalanced and dysfunctional period, and we bring that to the table wherever we go. Religion seems to differ more in the sense that we treat its particular dysfunction as if it is sanctioned by God, which you have already said. Well, granted patriarchy also has this distinction because it is so closely tied to religion. But economic and environmental issues are sanctioned by the dollar, not by divinity and maybe this numbs some of its emotional impact. For most of us the impact of economic or environmental injustice is not felt on the personal level because the true impact is felt elsewhere, in other parts of the world. We mistakenly believe these issues have nothing to do with our everyday actions, while our religion, at least theorectically, has everything to do with our everyday actions .Good post.
Good point Lori-Ann but I would probably not generalize in this area. There are many churches who do care about actions as they affect the economy and the environment. It is the media that portrays us as religious bullies and nothing more.
I wasn’t generalizing about churches, I was pointing out that we tend to bring our dysfunction everywhere. it does not just apply to churches. Yes, we bring it to church, but this is more an extension of the dysfunction already present in the world.
Got it. It does happen everywhere especially right here in my own heart.
I wanted to add, that it is ironic when religion focuses so much on the metaphysical that religious activity in the here and now is reduced to petty bickering and thus rendered useless to humankind.
I do think it is a shame but I wonder what makes it ironic. Can u explain?
It is ironic because uselessness cannot possibly be the intent of any religous system. The definition of ironic I am using here is ‘Poignantly contrary to what was expected or intended.’
Aaahhhh. I don’t think any are flat out useless but none can really scratch the itch we have as human beings.