Or Why Religion Matters.
Introduction
With several billion individuals on the planet organized religion in some manner has permeated human societies the power of such institutions cannot be denied. Yet, as much as the atheists decry religion for their own modern religion of scientism it does not seem to be on the decline. In fact, it looks like there could be a possible resurgence, but why? Because the concepts and topics it touches are timeless, and address very human issues.
Community
Religion provides the place for community. A touchstone that transcends every other group category we know of, age, sex, nationality, skin colour. etc.
Perhaps one of the best reasons why is that it gives a formalized code to human interactions. One of the most insightful things is that this code was not written by man per say, but rather transcribed by such. The significance of this is highly important for it removes the burden of imperfection and places reasoning upon a higher being. This allows rules to be formulated or followed while being binding to all individuals. The rule of law can be enforced for no “man” created the rules, thus no man can be above the law. It also allows for the creation of rules that play no favourites, as all men are mortal. A everlasting being would put more stock in something more durable than a anthropomorphic shell.
Religion specifically Judaeo-Christianity is perhaps the best the societal building religion we have. For if we view the Ten Commandments of God as the basic rules for society, you have a fairly robust yet concise ruleset. They are not overbearing, as they generally follow Harm’s Principle (Thou shalt act in according to ones wishes, without inflicting direct or indirect harm on others intentionally).
Church vs the Individual
The Church fulfils the human necessity of community. Yet communities also enforce conformity and establish elaborate social morays. These bind individuals together, however, over time they become suffocating, as seen in the twilight years of the Catholic Church.
Which brings us to perhaps one of the greatest, but most necessary flaws is the contradiction between the idea of going to church and the idea of the “Spirit” dwelling within the self in Judaeo-Christianity. Or in Catholicism the Holy Trinity (The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit/Ghost) Specifically regarding two passages:
In the Book of Acts:
“God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands”
And in the Book of Matthew:
“…when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom”
This seems to refute any such idea of institutionalized church. Yet it does several memetically powerful things: Any place is now a church, no grand edifice is required for worship. Meaning it breaks any sense of “Religion” and more so responsibly, down to the individual level. There is no longer a right way or wrong way dictated by someone higher with more knowledge. So while some element of community, may be sacrificed; one can no longer place blame lack of religiosity, on going to Church or scapegoat another person like a Priest. Nay, they must embody it always, if they are a believer.
One could argue that someone foresaw the inevitable collapse of institutionalized religion. Which would if true revert society back to its original garish barbaric state. To prevent this you separate the idea from the institution. By making religion separate in some sense from the institution, people have to act according to how they interpret the religion. Which mutates the message, but ultimately allows it to survive, as seen with movements like the Protestant Reformation.
The Afterlife & Eternal Life
What lies beyond this mortal coil? The Afterlife for some is an empty Blackness, a void where there is nothing, as Aristotle put it. Or it is eternal paradise: Heaven, Valhalla, Elysium, etc. For most, the Afterlife is the carrot conformity mechanism to religion, much like eternal life. It provides a certainty to the unknown. Quieting the existential dread that many today suffer from. It offers something that keeps you on the path, and prevents social deviance; why Karl Marx called it the “Opiate of the Masses”.
Eternal Life
In Christianity, it is not fully expressed that one will be granted eternal life. While specific individuals have been granted that privilege it is unclear that it can be achieved. The closest description is in the book of John:
“He who hears my word, and believes him that sent me, has eternal life, and comes not into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”
Eternal life especially is closely tied with the morality of the present life. It can be viewed as an enforcement mechanism to ensure social and moral conformity in the present. This lead to the creation of things like the concepts of the “Protestant Work Ethic” and the “Good Samaritan”. For good deeds will be rewarded by some future benefit.
While eternal life can be viewed in the metaphysical sense, as the continuation of the soul or mind after the physical body has been shed. There are also interpretations often overlooked or not considered.
If one wanted to deconstruct the idea of eternal life one could argue that eternal life can be found through one’s genetic lineage. Which has recently been proven correct by science with the discovery of genetics and ever-expanding field of Epigenetics. Thus when reviewing Religion, specifically Judaeo-Christian religion, which Western societies were founded upon, one can see that the Ten Commandments which create stable societies; also create the conditions for genetic lineage. As stable communities create stable families.
Yet there is another idea of eternal life that has not been discussed. Legacy, specifically through memetics. The memory of you, your legacy will be spread memetically, which will dwell in the minds of those who knew you forever. Which will influence them and their actions, meaning; you have in some ways affected every single future generation that will follow you.
The Buddhists texts believed in reincarnation. A concept that can be explained in several ways genetics, atomic composition, or Simulation rebirth. Some of which were mentioned above.
Hell
For some Hell is an endless purgatory, akin to the fields of nothing. For others Hell is meeting the person you could have become. Or a ring-shaped prison of seven concentric ever deepening circles. Regardless Hell is a concept that keeps you from straying off the path and on the one you believe at least currently to be the one you believe to be the best possible outcome for your life.
Hell is often not described, for the human imagination is greatest conformity mechanism we have. One imagines far great pains, situations and contraptions then any one person. This is why H. P. Lovecraft had “Unspeakable Horrors”. Individuals can and will tailor Hell to themselves. Hence the idea of “your own personal hell” has remarkable resonance because you know exactly what it is.
Hell seems like an odd concept especially in the Christian religions where the Devil punishes those who do evil rather than rewarding them for their evil deeds. One could argue that this one of the few things that could not be transcended, as even the usurper obeys their nature, and thus God. One could also simply argue the Devil is a maniacal sadist.
Another concept brought up is that Hell is a place that humans put themselves in, both in real life, and in the Afterlife. As your choices put you in situations, and your choices to respond also dictate the outcome of those situations. Some have suggested that individuals only go to Hell in the Afterlife because their own choice via guilt, shame etc. puts them there. The aphorism that “Hell is locked from the inside.”
Hell and Pascal’s Wager
For those who believe in Pascal’s Wager for the sake of not going to Hell; they have memetically adopted the frame of religion. Regardless of the reasoning why memetically, religion has done its job, and made these outliers conform to society for the benefit of the collective.
Confession and Original Sin
While many take the concept of original sin, as a justification for nihilistic hedonism. The concept of original sin is to prevent individuals from delusions of grandeur and God Complexes. Especially those in power, particularly Kings who had absolute control over their domain. Helping somewhat temper the Divine Right of Kings.
The act of confession solidifies this concept by forcing the individual to confront the mistakes, and ask forgiveness from God. It allows the individual to recommit to being better by creating a sense of a new start. A similar concept is still practised with New Years Resolutions.
This act of penance is meant to be humbling and prevent hubris. Yet can be taken to extremes with self-flagellation. For it then becomes similar to an ostentatious display of faith.
Prayer
Prayer is meant to ease the tensions of the individual by “sacrificing” the problem or giving up the burden. By placing the burden on another entity whatever that may be the mind and body are relieved from stress. Thus giving the mental clarity to solve the issue at hand, or reinvigorate the resolve in the individual.
By speaking the problem one also can gain new perspective simply by detaching from it, in the moment. Allowing for the examination of new perspectives. Humans often talk past each other, rather than to each other. As a result, we often feel we are not heard, and we long desire to be heard. Which is why both prayer and confession are memetically persuasive. For they fulfil an innate desire that often cannot be expressed or readily conceived of.
Determinism and Predestination
Predestination as described by Calvinism in essence is that everything has already come to pass you are now just experiencing it. Like a movie you passively absorb it rather being an active participant. For some, this can lift the weight of choice and uncertainty off of themselves, as they no longer have any control. However, this also creates the option for hedonistic deviant behaviour for everything is already ordained including the Afterlife, so it absolves the individual of responsibility.
The problem with predestination is why act? If you check out of life is that predetermined or a choice? What about Potential? Will you reach your potential? Under determinism everyone reaches their potential because well, you don’t have a choice. You just exist and life happens. Achievements mean nothing. Acomplishments mean nothing. The Rags to Riches story means nothing.
The lack of choice removes the memetically powerful idea of change, but more specifically redemption. Doing so relegates people to predetermined roles, degreading them to mere puppets. For it is not you in control, but you dance as if on a string. Like a kite dancing in a Hurricane.
On Sacrifice and Martyrdom
The idea of sacrifice or martyrdom is prevalent throughout most religions. In Pagan, Greek, Roman, and Christian religions sacrifice was meant to appease the God(s). It creates the concept of sacrificing for future rewards, as well as, balance. If one does not sacrifice the world is thrown into disorder by actions and behaviours. Chop down the forest without replanting, the land turns barren.
The idea of ritualized sacrifice like confession keeps people honest and in line with God. It also has an odd effect of equalizing everyone within society as you must give up the best. If someone had a better yield or herd this year than everyone else, no one got jealous for they had to sacrifice some unevenness to God.
Thus being the sacrifice to restore order and balance to the world takes on a mystical concept. Especially if sacrificed to the God(s) as you become the agent or vessel in which change is flowed through. The instrument of Divine Intervention.
Salvation
Why is religion memetically powerful? It provides order, certainty and purpose to those who believe. In an ever-changing chaotic world where seemingly endless suffering occurs the human mind can easily break. It provides meaningful concepts to existential questions what many today still grapple with.
The idea of a redemption story is memetically powerful. It is one of the driving factors behind the growth of Christianity throughout history. For no matter, your circumstances or past actions the belief that one can still transcend beyond their current situation to something greater is perhaps one of the greatest beliefs one can have.
Marriage and Divorce
Marriage is meant to be a sacred institution to ensure societal cohesion. The binding of a single man to a single woman also prevents societal instability in comparison to other religions that allow multiple wives. By imposing a strict standard on marriage it kept society from becoming unbalanced and scattered. As a few individuals or select group would come to dominate the community. It is also meant to create a permanent family unit that acts as a community to raise children. As children in their early formative years desperately crave stability.
The marriage compact was supposed to be considered Holy such to secure it from trivial and arbitrary issues. The legal decree also ensured that the man was responsible for his wife; for remember at the time women could not work or own property. Which would leave her destitute without the support of her husband.
Divorce is/was an issue for many religions because it breaks the social cohesion that was purposefully designed. It creates fractures within the community both externally and internally. It is also poor for the development of children, trading stability for chaos. So it was taboo for a divorce to occur, as it was viewed with purposeful intent violating community morays.
Judgement Day or Annihilation
The ultimate conformity mechanism. Regardless of religion, it is the thing that forces the individual to confront the oblivion which ultimately leads to religious conformity and belief.
Generally, at a specified end date in an unknown period of time, the world will end and only true believers will survive. The majority are from natural cataclysmic events. If you believed that God is the ruler of all the natural and ethereal it would make sense that the “natural” world would be violated. As the natural world is imperfect when compared to the ethereal.
The mechanism of this destruction varies and showcases the mindset of the religion. If it is a great flood, naturalistic chaos. It also represents the likelihood that humans will eventually destroy themselves, as we are apart of nature and cannot overcome it. Thus it is named the fall of man, as we have tried to transcend our limitations of human nature.
Plagues such as locusts strip crops and the land barren suggesting inescapable destruction of life, as all life depends on food. Frogs are the symbol of ambiguity, change and chaos. Existing in a transitory state but occupying neither. Almost indecisive in nature.
Objects from Space eg meteors, Thunder, Lighting, etc. suggest inevitably and unstoppability, as it comes from the heavens. Acts of God generally came from the heavens. As when you look into the vast expanse of the sky you see all the possibilities of duality.
Earthquakes are paradigm altering events where everything that you built your life upon shift, and crumbles. You watch everything you know and love become engulfed by chaos.
Fires are the fickle nature of being and chaos. Holy fire refers to the cleansing nature of heat and the need for rebirth, by removing the deadfall accumulated from all things. In a Darwinian sense only the true believers survive.
Heat death or the desertification represents the hollowing husk of society and the individual as the essence of life and purity is drained from everything.
Coda
Religion one of the oldest institutions in the World is still here for a reason. While it is responsible for many terrible atrocities, it is also responsible for many great marvels. Religion has created stable communities, binding individuals together from all walks of life. It has fostered an environment and ruleset that is adept at raising children and creating responsible individuals.
The foundational memetics that underpin any religion are powerful and primal. They tap into basic human nature both good and bad and use them. And while you may choose to discount the institution, it’s foundation should not be.