Why does religion exists?
Religion exists today in different forms, in different names, and in different
perspectives. The search for how religion started, and why it started does not have a unambiguous answer. Wise, experts, researchers, who study culture and nature, have tried to find out the nature of religion, nature of
religious beliefs, and of course, its existence. Clergies, saints, and mullas have assorted opinions about religion taking into consideration the particular religion they belong to.
Famous people connected to psychology, philosophy, and social studies, have given their opinions in this subject matter.
Sigmund Freud: He says, due to mass obsession, emotional conflicts, and mental weakness religion exists. It is some sort
psychological suffering putting us to an illusion to cover up the distress. This illusion of religion can be removed by alleviating that distress, Freud argues.
Behind religion and religious belief there is hidden psychological motives, and to understand that, his approach in removing illusions by eliminating distress is helpful.
E. B. Taylor & James Frazer: These two earliest researchers defined the religion as belief in spiritual beings insisting systematized animism. Explaining this, they said that it is easier for people to accept the natural incidents through religion and religious beliefs without knowing or not able to finding forces behind these incidents. This is nothing but an intellectual move than a proven theory.
Emile Durkheim: Emile is responsible for the growth of sociology in particular says; religion is integrated systems of practices and beliefs of sacred things. Here the sacred things are exalting and forbidden things, which has significance to the welfare of the society.
Karl Marx: His famous saying is “Religion is the opium for the masses”. Religion world is the reflection of the real world, he believes. It is used for making people believe what is not explainable and keep going. Its focal purpose is to supply reasons and excuses by which common men made silent.
Mircea Eliade: Mircea’s conception of religion is based both on revered and irreligious ways. The justification in his faith lies in the thought that religion is the belief of supernatural coming from the heart of sacred. He emphasizes on the timeless forms of ideas recurring in religions globally. In this approach he ignores specific historical contexts as irrelevant.
Stewart Elliot Gutherie: he says, “Religion is Anthropomorphization gone awry” meaning acknowledgement of human characteristics to non human things or events. Interpreting ambiguous information to our benefits for our survival, thus spirits and Gods too we see through the concept of religion.
E. E. Evans-Pritchard: Pragmatic way he tried to explain religion discarding psychological, anthropological, and sociological aspects. Though he could not reach a comprehensive point to explain it, he took into consideration the intellectual aspect than others mentioned above. He linked religion with societal activities being heart to construct it. Understand a particular religion, which is possible, but in general term it is impossible to define religion, he opined.
Clifford Geertz: Being an Anthropologist, he treats religion as an essential constituent of cultural meanings. Symbols in religions give us moods, feelings, vibes, temper, and meaning for existence, which claims to connect us to that reality we haven’t seen so far. That is to say the religious field is special and beyond regular life.
All these above conceptions of religion from people wise, educated, and famous do not match with one another. So, which one we should accept? None, as we know that all the notions can be argued with cross questions with no valid answers. The question of who is right and who is wrong does not arise at all. The moot point is, religion does help at times, and in other it seems to be full of ulterior motives. It would be prudent to think about religion with one’s knowledge, prudence, intellect, and awareness to come to an acceptable understanding, and follow the same without fear, superstition, and obsession.