What Is the Concrete Value of Religion?

[China Cat Sunflower]

Religion facilitates the formation of politically significant ethnic blocs. It is a mechanism which allows cohesive societies to emerge and evolve toward civility prior to nationalistic structures.

Chris

[17th Angel]

Originally Posted by path_of_one

I'm with ya, Alex.

I think the difference is that religion is a group-centered activity and so can lead to the polar opposites of the same basic group emotions and behaviors. We get solidarity, creating both feelings of belonging and feelings of exclusivity. Religion gives us an identity, but once we have an identity, we tend to define everyone that is "not us" as inferior, lost, a threat, etc.

I don't think religion operates any worse than other large social institutions. Unfortunately, it does not seem to operate any better, either.

Spirituality is the personal journey after the Divine, personal growth, etc. I haven't noticed as many negative issues with it.

Perhaps the problem isn't that people have religion, but that people fail to back religion with spirituality. In that case, as Alex points out, religion becomes just one more social group and an excuse to serve self and group over a higher goodness, which is Love.

If we focused more on spirituality, within our respective religions or on our own in no single faith system, my guess is we'd get a lot closer to Love.

I knew someone would go and fill in the gaps, you did it beautifully