Why do people turn to organised religion?

[Endgame]

I've been toying with this little question for a while now. Personally, I hate organised religion and consider it little less then a glorified form of brainwashing and population control. Regardless.

Humans are a species of habit. This goes without saying. But humans are also a species of order. Think about it. We order everything in our peripheral existance. We name the stars in the sky. We list the continents on our planet. We build neat little cities on those continents. We build those cities from ordered districts and blocks. Each block is divided into carefully measured and recorded lots. Everything that humanity sees, we order. Including faith.

My next point. Humans feel the need for an ordered belief system. They want their beliefs as organised as everything else in their lives. This in itself is one of our shortcomings: Ordering things which can't be placed in neat little boxes.

Given that, I'm led to my next point about our kind. Given our habitual and ordered nature, we are also undeniably a lazy species. What other race would develop tools, devices, ect, with the specific purpose of removing work from their everyday lives when each merely creates more work at a later point or for another person?

Yeah, that's us.

People are too lazy to order their world correctly. Streets are mismeasured and set out at odd angles. Cities expand beyond their limits, and two become one.

So, given this: It's safe to assume that people desire an ordered belief system, but are also too lazy to develop their own system based on their own beliefs. Thus, they find the 'template', or organised religion, closest to their own major beliefs. While not necessarily completly what they believe in, it matches several major points.

This, of course, leads to dissent within that religion, and a split from one into two with similar beliefs.

Even with all this, the structure of all these religions is rigid. They don't conform to their members, but instead expect members to conform to them. Leading to confusion amongst members as to what they truly believe in, and reaffirmation of their faith. Eventually they lose all sight of what they belived in to start with.

Ever heard the phrase 'going through the motions'?

This, of course, is my point of view. Others are welcomed. Why do YOU think people turn to organised religion rather then develop their own system of belief?

[blinkboy211]

Because they can

/thread

People tend to always go to organized religion at first which then pushes them to think outside and question ones beliefs. This allows them to create their own views or allows them to go with that they continue to believe.

[Angel]

because blind faith is better than taking 2 seconds to think

[Shade737]

Because they believe that it might be true based on personal experiences, Bible reading etc.

[Riku Fan1415]

Regardless of whether it's true or not (I wouldn't consider it brainwashing, that's taking it a little too far, kinda comparing it with Yevon from FFX), it gives people something to believe in, something to help them through each day, something to look forward to, to keep themselves alive (not literally)

[Kegluneq]

I really don't know.
However when I first heard somebody bash and deny the existence of that "god" fellow I fear so much(as we're all meant to) I think I felt that great feeling people feel when they turn to religion. I then felt maybe I should share this with other people, this great feeling. (true story by the way)
Maybe it's a desire for structure, look around you. Structure everywhere, religion can be used as another structure. It also might help to reinforce that structure with some organization, huh?

[Aucune Raison]

Zetsumi!

I made a thread related to this in religious. Essentially I see the three sources of faith form from influence by family and peers, traumatic/miraculous events, and conversion by members of said religion.

In terms of humanity as a whole, religion is used to explain the unknown, such as creation and the afterlife. It used to explain things such as lightning.

This was the original purpose of religion, and because humans have a natural need to conform, it became part of the community.

[ikkuh2]

Because it's easy.

[Endgame]

Originally Posted by Ragione

Zetsumi!

I made a thread related to this in religious. Essentially I see the three sources of faith form from influence by family and peers, traumatic/miraculous events, and conversion by members of said religion.

In terms of humanity as a whole, religion is used to explain the unknown, such as creation and the afterlife. It used to explain things such as lightning.

This was the original purpose of religion, and because humans have a natural need to conform, it became part of the community.

Zetsumi?

Who's Zetsumi.

I'm Misanthropy, and I don't like any of you people.

Well, that seems to fit with what I'm saying. Religion is used, then, to fill the holes in our order that we cannot fill. Like if you can't find the six of hearts in your deck of cards, so you write the number 6 and draw a H on a piece of cardboard and call it the six of hearts.

A stopgap solution now set in but tradition.

[Watson]

Because faith is ignorence of science and ignorance is bliss. Join hands in bliss.

[ikkuh2]

Actually, it's to annoy me to great heights.

[Ordeith]

First of all, I believe it's because the psychology of the human mind calls for the desire to be accepted as part of a group.
In ancient times, when religion first came about, those whose beliefs were relatively similar associated themselves with one another as opposed to those who thought differently, and thus organized religion first came into existance. Later on in the history of humans, once governments were organized and dynasties established, vast groups of people were now forced to accept a certain religion as true. Over the years, these religions became assimilated with the culture of the are in which they were practiced, and the indigenous people of the area, not wishing to be excluded from the group, continue to worship that particular faith. The same goes for people who convert from a religion; they wish to be accepted by and be among people with their mindset of things.

I honestly believe that religion should be a more personal set of beliefs, and that the various faiths in existance right now should be used as bases or guidelines for your own personal faith. That's what I did, at least. Also, take into mind that my post doesn't address those who actually happen to believe the faith in its entirety.

[AndyCloseEyes]

Oh my God, these discusions where we try to find meaning in the truly simplest of things are getting annoying.

The answer to your entire post is that they believe it. If people turned to their own belief rather than organized religion, you'd be asking about that.

And you can't seem to keep a post consistent. People are not "lazy" because they miscalculated a street. They're human.

And, yeah, of course they did everything you listed - it's called progression.

[Papou]

Originally Posted by AndyCloseEyes

Oh my God, these discusions where we try to find meaning in the truly simplest of things are getting annoying.

You really think that human psychology has no discussion value?

[mad cunt]

Fortunately, disordered people do exist. =)