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What does Religion do Well?

Posted by John on February 7th, 2008 at 7:58 am · 8 Comments

This question is a challenge to all you skeptics (atheists, agnostics, non-theists, critical theists) out there. Believers are welcome to respond, but keep in mind that I’m not looking for theological answers (e.g. don’t say, “They help you believe in God” or “They can get you to heaven”), but the social impact of religious institutions. I plan on posting a follow-up question in the next day or two.

Here are a few things that I came up with:

  • Religion is very good at fostering a sense of community and shared identity.
  • Religion has a near monopoly on some of the most important life passage rites. Weddings and funerals come to mind.
  • Religion is very effective at preserving and propagating memes.
  • Religion is very effective at motivating and organizing its followers to accomplish shared goals. These can be anything from rebuilding devastated cities to electing candidates with shared values.

Note that some of these things have negative as well as positive effects. Religion is a powerful organizer and mobilizer, but it can just as effectively move people to violence against the followers of another religion as it can to give them aid after a natural disaster.

Your turn.

Tags: Religion

8 responses so far ↓

  • 1 The 327th Male // Feb 7, 2008 at 3:59 pm

    They’re good at making breakfast cereal.

    All their charity work is commendable too.

  • 2 Ben // Feb 7, 2008 at 4:35 pm

    It is really good at distracting people from what pains them the most: loss. It also validates their condescending ignorance and makes them feel good about being uptight twats.

    Most of all, it is power in numbers. Religion is survival of the fittest (opportunists.) It allows a person to be a primary player in Darwinism without ever having to admit Darwinism exists.

  • 3 Rich // Feb 7, 2008 at 7:41 pm

    I’ve actually been giving this a great deal of thought the last month or so, and I’m getting close to finishing a (rather lengthy) post on this very topic, so you’ll just have to wait a few more days for my answers (assuming anyone cares).

    You’ll then have to decide for yourselves if this particular theist is merely trying to validate my condescending ignorance in order to feel good about being an uptight twat.

  • 4 Ben // Feb 7, 2008 at 8:22 pm

    I care.

  • 5 markii // Feb 8, 2008 at 7:30 am

    They say “ignorance is bliss”. some or many may truly be happier with a religious world view. Religion may do this well (although the flip side can also be true).

    Religion can also help one feel high self-esteem (imagine, you are THE elite on earth). Once again, the flip side can also be true- it can depress, oppress and condemn.

  • 6 catbonny // Feb 8, 2008 at 8:45 am

    I know a lot of people who lived pretty dangerous and destructive lives until they found religion. I guess I am reflecting on the many ‘testimonies’ that I heard growing up, but I was actually quite good friends with a few people that were on their way to fast death or jail time considering all the drugs that they were doing and the situations they were getting into.

    And as cliche as it sounds, they then found Jesus and turned there lives around. I try to think about is like AA and finding a higher power to help with addictions and destructive live choices.

    It’s weird because even though I don’t think evangelical straight-laced Christianity is for me, I cannot knock it for those people that I actually saw it effect in such a notable way. And the transitions go in two very distinct ways. 1. The reformed person becomes very judgemental and critical because they changed their live and so it should be easy for others to. 2 . (I like this better.) The reformed makes better life choices but can easily relate to others in tough situations because of their past.

    So there is an aspect of my past religion that I often reflect on to tey to see some of the goodness in it.

  • 7 xJane // Feb 9, 2008 at 11:08 am

    I know you mentioned this under charity, but the Red Cross/Red Crescent comes to mind. In fact, I didn’t think of the Red Cross as anything approaching a religious institution until I heard about the Red Crescent.

    And I’d like to take (brief) issue with AA’s reliance on “a higher power”. To me that’s always seemed like replacing one form of addition with another.

    Community. Rites of passage. I think these are entwined (you enforce the community by the rites since only those in the community are allowed those rites, be they baptism, marriage, or “Christian burial”. That’s also one of the things I miss about religion: the sense that you have something in common with someone you’ve never met but who belongs to the same religion. Which brings me to

    Litmus Test.

  • 8 xJane // Feb 9, 2008 at 12:46 pm

    Takes credit for beauty. And none for despair.

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