Do we need religion?



Man cannot live on bread alone

The question debated last Saturday (1 October) has been asked many times before. Jesus answered: “one must not live on bread alone, but on every word coming out of the mouth of God.”

We need religion like we need music, art, books, theatre, films and other creative and imaginative works. Religion is part of our spiritual world.

We need religion because religion teaches us what’s right what’s wrong and it acts like moral codes which form the basis of law and order for the maintenance of a cohesive society.

We need religion because our desire of adhering to a group of people helps us find our exclusive identity and destiny.

But we also have our doubts:

• Is religion a form of superstition as it appeals to the irrational part of our psyche?
• Is religion an impediment to the progress of science, since Creationist view conflicts with the Evolutionist theory?
• Does the concept of “sanctity of life” interfere with individual’s personal choice?
• Can different religions co-exist in harmony?
• Was religion the main source of human conflicts and genocides?
• Apart from main stream religions (e.g. Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism etc) are these not also religions - the likes of Scientologist Church, Free Masonry, Mafia, Klu Klux Klan, Money Worshipping? 

Quote:
“It is too difficult to think nobly when one thinks only of earning a living” - Jean-Jacques Rousseau