Why do we have religions?

I have been asking some questions myself, and religion seems to be a way of controling people,by fear ... people are afraid of god,and of what will happen to them after they die.. and it starts to bother me, why should i be afraid of god?he is supposed to be good,and forgiving and peace and harmony...and now he is a punisher?a watcher?a what?... i don't know,religion has so much taken control over people's lifes, and i wonder what we really believe in and why do we believe only what was written in a book 2 000 years ago, and why some of them strongly refuse to accept other theories aswell,or tot try and analyse things a bit.
I recently saw a movie,documentary over religion and it brough a bible's explanation that sounds quite logic to me.. i posted a discussion on it but of course,nobody was interested.. any question or doubt that we have about god is badly seen,and it's a sin..lol.. i rather be a sinner and try to understand what this world and universe is all about,rather than a blindly believer,who chooses to live in ignorance..
i will post the link to the movie here,you can watch it online, it has 3 parts,but just the first one is about religion and i am sure you will be interested in it
http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/

Power corrupts and this has never been more true than with many of the organised religions, the Roman Catholic church and it's offspring being the worst example of this.

Everybody is entitled to their own beliefs, but ORGANISED religion is dangerous and wrong.

Organised religion means indoctrinating children in to a belief that they have no defence against. They are given no option to make up their own mind and by the time they have the mental faculties to do so, most already have spent a lifetime buying in to the belief system and/or feel pressured to conform (this is especially true in Christian and Muslim) faiths.

Even IF one of these belief systems happens to be true. Indoctrinating children like this is WRONG, both morally and ethically.

Unfortunately though, the alternatives leave us with very little room to move.

Despite ORGANISED religion being bad, there is nothing wrong with believing in anything you want, so long as it's a choice the individual (and the individual alone) has made, free from influence or coercion (which is exactly what it is to be brought up under a religious faith).
But what does that leave us? By the same token we can't BAN religion.

If only religious organisations stopped pretending they had the answers,and being so stubborn. If we had a society that values questions more than answers, and operated on the basis that we may never have the answer and the journey for it is more important anyway, we would have a more peaceful and enlightened society.

People have always been superstitious. People didn't understand how the world worked so they needed to believe that someone was in control, thus the Gods were born. Over time this mythology was morphed into present religions. I think a lot of it was a way to keep people on the right path. "If you don't behave today, you will suffer hereafter" type of deal. Some people need an incentive to do the right thing. I also believe it helped the rulers to claim divine rights. After all, who is going to dethrone a king the Gods chose?

Like anything else religion evolves over time. Take the Abrahamic religions (Christianity, Judaism and Islam) for instance: They all splintered from the same group. The basis of all three are the same, but they went their own ways over time. Rather than embrace their common ground, they fight wars with one another. How did this come about? Because man started interpreting each religion to suit his own agenda. As soon as people seek spiritual guidance they give other power to decide what is right and what is wrong. Power corrupts.

I believe most organized religions are pure business nowadays, myself. Nothing more than snake oil salesmen selling salvation. True spirituality comes from within and is not something you get in a two hour Sunday session. A good person will do the right thing without the threat of eternal damnation. They will also do it everyday not just on Sunday.

Having said that, I also feel religion is necessary. Faith breeds hope. Some people do need an incentive to stay on the straight and narrow. Others need faith to make it through the challenges life throws at us. I just wish people would realize spirituality comes from within, not from a corporation. The world would be a better place.

This is a very good question and I'm not so sure there is a deffinative answer. I personaly shy away from modern day organized religion because I see it causeing more pain than not. The most recent example is the war in the Middle East. Although political at first glance, anyone with insight can easily see religious differences are at its core. Many Muslims view the war as a war on Islam, which is part of the reason resistance is so fierce.

Personaly, I have never seen a need to declare a religion for myself. Many religious people will say that religion is needed as a moral compass for humaity to follw, however, those same religions often claim ownership over morality. I do not need a religion to know that killing someone is wrong. I dont need a book to tell me that stealing is bad. Anyone with reverance for human life, and a respect for diversity only need search thier feelings to be able to tell right from wrong.

I also think in most relgions, although founded on the betterment of human kind, have warped into institutions where people put all thier faith into having eternal salvation. They focas on getting into heaven more than living good, peacfull lives.

Well, to me Christianity is the most beautiful religion there is if we really apply all the principles and teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ. Most people wish to believe that there is something beyond our physical world,and religion gives hope and brings unity among people. On the other hand, some people misunderstand the real meaning of Christianity and behave in an irrational way,and instead of unity they create anger and separation. Going to church doesn't make you better since everything depends on who we are as individuals. Sister Theresa was extraordinary because of who she was as a person and she demonstrated how a real christian should behave.

I personally do not see the point in religion, it just separates people into groups and we have enough groups as it is. And like all groups there are rivalries and these can result in fighting and war, which is not pleasant for anyone. I see religion as a safety blanket, because if someone fears death they turn to religion and believe in this great place called heaven. If someone is not sure what to do in a situation then they turn to God as they do not feel safe enough making a decision themselves.

Sadly I think that one of the main reasons why religion seems to be "organized" is because so called religious authorities wish to exert control over people. I once had some Mormons try to convert me, and I once had a Presbyterian minister tell me that my Mormon husband (not one of the ones who tried to covert me, and he never will either!) belonged to a religion that was heretical. As far as I am concerned religious authories can climb the highest tree in the world ad stay up there.

I believe that religion is the reason so many people do not turn to Jesus for salvation and why so many people refuse to go to church. I believe everyone wants to know a God that loves you in spite of everything. I believe that there is ONE God and He isn't sitting up in heaven waiting to beat us over the head when we mess up. My definition of religion is totally different than my definition of christianity. Religion is alot of traditions and rules that man has come up with for the church. Things like you can't be a member of this church unless you dress a certain way, or don't smoke or drink, etc... you get what I'm saying. Being a christian is about doing the right thing. Treating all people with kindness, helping those who cannot help them selves, showing people, through example, that you can get out of your messes. Jesus came for the poor, and that doesn't just mean financially. He came for the poor in spirit, to show them that they can have a good life here and now, they don't have to wait until they get to heaven. I have learned from my own personal experience that when I do what the bible says and let God handle the hard stuff I can walk in peace knowing that everything is going to be alright. God wants to love and bless us while we are here not just when we get to heaven. I go to a non demoninational church where we are taught the truth of the Word of God. We do not have committees and groups that make up a bunch of rules and tell us how we are expected to live if we go to that church. Our pastor tells the congregation to come as you are, God cleans the fish after He catches them. We as christians are not perfect, but we are forgiven and when you call yourself a christian you have the job of being Jesus to those who don't know Him. You can't act like the rest of the world and expect people to want what you have, you have to live by example. People will see the fruit coming forth and want to know how they can have the good life here on earth, and by the good life I don't mean a whole bunch of money and stuff. What I mean is things like peace, joy, the comfort of knowing that no matter what the circumstances look like, everything will work out. I believe if more people would walk in love, realizing that as human beings we all have faults, then we could all get along much better and overlook the small stuff more easily. People are people and we have to be around them every day. I hope I didn't babble to much, I just know that letting God into my life has changed it and religion doesn't have a whole lot to do with it. God bless!

religion is something like food, water, and air. you cann't life without them. Religion is believing for god and our self. we need something to control our brain and heart.

Hello, AGREED! Christ didn't make religion but taught a good HABITUAL for peoples, pls review John Lenon's lyric in IMAGINE:" ...if there was no country/and no religion too/etc...." I quoted at my early post here at my Lot and got much opponents .... I think John's is really, really pure and christian ... ceer!!!