Why Is "Religion" a Thing?

Religion: the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.

http://www.signinstitute.org/sites/default/files/in_god_we_trust.jpg

Religion is a system of faith that has been something people hold dearly for centuries. Religion has always been there and there’s not just one, there are hundreds of them. Religion is extremely popular and it’s something cherished amongst people. However, religion is something no one can prove – it’s cherished yet no one is actually sure about it.  So why does it exist?

Just take note: this blog is my perspective on religion, I agree with Marx. Religion is popular and a lot of people hold onto it and use it as a way to live a moral life. Things I recognize is that many people barely use the moral code that religions declare people to live by. For example, homosexuality is claimed to be a moral sin in the Christian Bible – a lot of Americans have come to accept it (which is good) but those who are whole heartedly against it are constantly sinning themselves; which doesn’t make sense. Perfection is impossible, the idea of a religious person to judge a lifestyle because it’s against “god” puzzles me because everyone is doing something that is not morally correct. I believe religion is a belief system many people choose hold to help them understand things that don’t make sense to them, and how to judge things. From my standpoint as a young adult of this era – Religion is the reason for tragedy throughout the years. It’s a social structure created and pushed amongst people to help dominate a society and control it. Fear is instilled in past generations that are passed down to make people scared of the consequences for “sinning.” I grew up with a religious family – I’ve been through it all: communion, reconciliation, and confirmation. I came to the realization that it isn’t for me. I don’t hate religion I just feel it’s not something accountable for happiness.

Karl Marx’s view on religion is very similar to mine, Marx states: "Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the feeling of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless circumstances. It is the opium of the people...The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness.” Marx viewed religion, as soulless asset people seemed to live their life by. He thought of it as a way the rulers [then] had their hands wrapped around society the way they wanted it to be. Since sociology offers many approaches to a lot of social systems, people today have access to reading and researching things such as religion. Many would agree with Marx are be highly against it.

Religion is diminishing today but it will always exist. Many people are becoming more opening to different things but because of religion they are skeptical to other opinions. Religion exists today because people are still fearing what is to come in their after life, they need reassurance that it’s ok to sin because their “god” will forgive them. Religion isn’t something I feel needs to be extinct but people need to know how to be have their faith without ignorance amongst diverse people.