In the USSR there was a phrase: "Religion is opium for the people." Karl Marx, thanks to which this phrase became so widespread, saw in religion the institution of social slavery. But this is his vision.
Indeed, in a sense, it is opium. After all, why is religion necessary? It helps to relieve the pain that a person faces, as an individual, and humanity as a whole. She helps to live.
Let's talk in detail about why religion is needed for man.
What is the purpose?
Let's talk about the Christian religion. Most of the population in Russia are Christians. And many would be interested to figure out why and what they believe in.
Why do people need religion? To answer this question, one more question must be asked: why do I believe? What is my purpose?
The most savvy will answer: in order to be saved and end up in Paradise. Suppose you were saved. What's next?
We want to be with God in eternal life. Became close to him, and then? Why do we want to be saved and go to heaven?
“To praise God,” will be the answer. Does He Need Our Glorification? Only God is waiting for us when we come to Paradise and begin to sing psalms to him. And for ages to sing psalms - is this normal? Doesn’t God get tired of listening to them endlessly, and the saved one - singing?
Then why are we longing to be saved? Let's think: what can be done endlessly?
While we are thinking about this question, we’ll talk about some answer options.
For love?
Why is religion necessary in the modern world? What do we find in the Christian faith? Love, as one of the answers. And love. But is it only her? Can you love forever? It is possible, however, in the eternal life of love, as we understand it, no. We do not love our parents, children and spouses there. Moreover, we forget about them in eternal life.
Then it turns out that love is needed only here on earth? There is only God's love for us.
Religion from fear?
Why is religion necessary for man? Some believe in fear. It would seem to even sound strange, to say the least. How is this possible?
For example, a person is afraid to die. This is normal, death is scary. It’s not scary to die, the unknown is scary: what will be the death? And what awaits us after her?
A person begins to seek protection from his fears. But who can protect against the fear of death? Only the Lord. Thanks to him, there is a hope for salvation, because the Lord does not lie. And if he said that there is heaven and hell, that everyone can be saved, then it means that it is.
Faith from sinful pain
Why is religion necessary in modern society? Because it hurts. It hurts with my sins. And healing can only be through religion.
The purpose of religion is the salvation of the human soul. The first people, Adam and Eve, were sinless. Until they have violated the commandment given to them by the Creator. They, as we recall, according to the teaching of the snake tasted the fruit of the forbidden tree. And when the Lord convicted the forefather and mother of mankind, they did not repent of their deeds. On the contrary, they began to justify themselves and blame each other (and the snake).
So the fall of Adam and Eve happened. Their sin fell on the whole human race. And people, in their coarse state, are simply not able to save themselves. How to save fallen humanity? For this, Jesus Christ came into the world, incarnating from the Blessed Virgin Mary and God. The Son of God became the very sacrifice necessary to restore the broken harmony between God and man. Jesus Christ accepted death on the cross, shameful in those days and painful. Humanity has a chance of salvation.
But that was more than 2,000 years ago. What now? Have people stopped sinning? Hardly. Modern society is mired in sins that our ancestors never dreamed of. But sooner or later, a moment arises when an individual understands: one cannot live on like that. He is fed up with sin, although he himself does not yet understand this. It’s just "lousy somehow" at heart. And where to go with a heavy, tormented soul? Only to the temple where you can clean it. So a man comes to religion through sinful pain.
State: why should he?
Why is religion necessary for the state? Many believe that with its help you can manage a stupid herd of people. But do people really believe in the state? People believe in God, and many modern Christians are quite educated. As well as the priests are already a little different. Previously, it was enough for the priest to say that this looks so-and-so. With modern people, this will not work. They will begin to inquire: what, how and why? It is necessary to explain, and if the priest cannot explain what he himself said, the flock is unlikely to penetrate such a trust.
Religion and Modernity
Why is religion necessary in the 21st century? The age of the latest technology, the standard of living is completely different. And suddenly - some kind of wildness in the form of religion.
Wildness? Hardly. Just in our crazy age, when the world is ruled by technology, religion is needed. Concepts are perverted and replaced, values collapse. What used to be shameful is now considered the norm. And what was in the order of things is ridiculous for modern society.
What is now held in high esteem? Power and wealth. Everyone wants to live well: full and rich. Most of us seek power. even if not in the global sense of the word, for it is clear that one cannot break through to the “cream”; places have long been firmly occupied there. But to occupy a leading chair, it is please. It is no longer held in high esteem to be an ordinary hard worker; those who have not become rich and have not sat in the chair of an executive are neglected.
And where to find refuge in this crazy world with warped values? Where else is the present preserved? In religion. God does not change his commandments; they are relevant at all times. His teaching does not change. God is waiting for the erring children to turn to Him?
He’s been waiting for two thousand years,
And with him are the apostles, the Forerunner.
And the Virgin - God's light.
When is he the moment of a cherished meeting?
The lines from the poem of the nun Maria (Mernova) perfectly reflect the true values of Christ. He does not care how much money this or that person has earned, and what position he occupied during his lifetime. For God, the main thing is the human soul. In pursuit of imaginary values, people forget about their most important treasure. And religion is needed in order to find time for one’s own soul in the bustle of rapidly running days.
Everyone has his own path
Why do people need religion? How do they even come to her? As mentioned above, everyone has different paths. Someone begins to believe in fear, someone is tormented by conscience and he seeks solace in the church, while others simply love God. And this is quite possible; nobody has yet canceled the love of the Lord. Another thing is that such love is instilled in childhood. If there was no question for parents why religion was needed, they did not think about it and showed their child what faith is with their lives, then a child will follow in their footsteps.
It is much more difficult to find love for God in adulthood. But this is possible with great desire and desire for Him.
Right to choose
Why do we need religion if God doesn’t care about people? From such a question a stupor arises. You begin to ask carefully: what does it mean anyway? And you get a hot monologue on the fact that God allows tragedy, death, war and the like.
Sorry, but God is not a puppeteer. And we are not puppets to control us, pulling the strings. God has given us freedom of action and the right to choose. This does not mean that He abandoned us on the principle of "do what you want." Not at all. God rules people through events in their lives, speaks to us like that. But if we are blind and continue to bend our line, what does God have to do with it? If we do not want to stop and think, turn and ask Him, whose fault is it? Obviously not God, but man.
“Knock and it will be revealed to you, ask and it will be given to you,” - said the Lord. He did not say that as soon as you ask and immediately receive. He says "ask and knock." Bored with requests, show that you really need it. What is your desire to get something hot. And when he once asked for everything, is that what is requested and necessary? If the child wants something, he will constantly annoy the parent with a request. We must also act.
If not given?
And when you ask, ask, but nothing is given? The question is ripening: then why do we need religion?
It's simple: if the children ask us for something, from their point of view, very necessary, and we have prepared the best gift for them, will they receive what is requested? As a last resort, if it will be useful. We will try to persuade the baby to tolerate.
And if a son or daughter asks for something that will not do them any good? Will we fulfill such a request, knowing in advance that we will harm our own blood?
God also, will He fulfill our requests, knowing that this is harmful? He is Our father, and not one loving father will not want to harm his child.
So is opium?
Why is religion necessary? She helps to find healing. Heals spiritual wounds and our twisted souls. Religion helps to relieve pain both for a specific individual and for humanity as a whole. And if a person aspires to God, searches for Him with all his soul, then he will receive healing. That's the whole opium in this.
And yet - why?
Remember what we talked about at the very beginning? What is the purpose of our faith? Why does modern man need religion? The answers to the question may be different. We have already reviewed them. Basically, the most savvy answer that the goal is to save their souls.
Why do we need to be saved? Well saved and went to heaven, what next? Eternity to glorify God? This will bother Him and the saved.
Why then be saved? And why is religion necessary? What is its meaning? In cognition. We know God through the world He created.
If a resident of Africa is told that there is winter in Russia, he will believe. But if we say that in the summer it is hot and green, in the autumn the trees begin to lose foliage, and in the winter the temperature drops much lower than zero, the trees are bare and the ground is covered with continuous snow, this will cause bewilderment. Is it possible? Everything is green, and then it is cold and there are no leaves on the trees, does the grass not grow? Do not believe the African stories. Especially if you add that in the spring the snow is melting, the earth and the first grass appear, the leaves on the trees are biting.
But if he sees the seasons with his own eyes, knows them, then he will believe. We are just like that African: we do not believe until we are convinced, we do not know. True, knowledge is sometimes given too hard and through life's sorrows. But this is a separate issue.
So what is the purpose of salvation? What can be done forever? Self-improvement and knowledge, these things can be done forever. In this life, we learn to know God, we are just starting to do it. And in that life for His knowledge we will have eternity.
Summarize
The aim of the review was to tell the reader why religion is needed in civilization, in society, and for a single person. The main aspects:
The meaning of faith and religion is to save the human soul.
Faith helps to be spiritually healed.
Among the present world, with its inverted values, religion is the only bastion where the truth is still preserved.
God gave people the right to choose. He is not a puppeteer, and we are not puppets in His hands.
If something does not work out, can it be time to stop acting on the usual strategies and turn to God?
When we are not given what we ask for, it is worth considering: is the fulfillment of this request useful for us?
Before blaming God for everything, it is worth recalling the item "the right to choose."
Conclusion
To be religious or not is a personal choice. As stated above, God provided it to us. Only if a person does not seek God and does not want to be with Him, then He should not be blamed for everything. It is our own fault that we are departing from the Lord and do not want to be with Him.
Cognition and healing - that is the meaning of religion. She helps to know God here in this life. And heal the sinfulness of our souls. If we ourselves strive for this.