Religion is often seen through a black-and-white lens, with some people viewing it as entirely good or completely bad. However, the reality is more nuanced—religion can offer both benefits and drawbacks, depending on how it’s practiced.
Sense of Purpose
People who lack a sense of purpose may fall into depressive thinking, a lack of motivation, and feelings of existential dread. Thankfully, many religious folks are able to avoid these feelings because of the sense of purpose they derive from their faith. They may gain this sense of meaning from many aspects of religion, including a belief in a higher power and purpose or a commitment to serving their community.
Emotional Support
Religion is able to provide emotional support to many individuals during times of hardship or loss. Followers commonly find feelings of comfort and solace in their faith’s teachings, prayer, and the religious communities they belong to. A belief in the afterlife can also make the passing of loved ones a little more bearable.
Encouragement of Family Values
A lot of religions prioritize family values such as loyalty, respect, and love, all of which are important ingredients in shaping moral and upstanding individuals. The emphasis on the importance of parenthood and marriage can also help build a greater sense of family cohesion and life satisfaction.
A Sense of Community
Starting off with the good, religion is famously effective at bringing people together. It promotes a sense of community and belonging based on shared values, which helps people feel less alone and more supported through their struggles. Perhaps this is why religious communities are linked to a high degree of human flourishing. Many religions also make use of regular gatherings and events, which encourage communities to get together and support one another.
Moral Guidance
While it can be dangerous to get your whole sense of morality from religion, it often provides a good framework that helps people make more ethical decisions. Many religions emphasize the importance of virtues such as honesty, compassion, and forgiveness, which are all universally viewed as positive qualities.
Coping with Stress
Without coping strategies, stress can be extremely damaging to one’s mental and physical well-being. A lot of religious people state that their religion plays an essential role in helping them to manage their stress, giving them a greater sense of hope, resilience, and comfort in the idea that there’s a divine plan for everyone.
Promotion of Healthier Lifestyles
Many religions help people adhere to healthier lifestyles and diets through teachings about food, moderation, and the discouraging of harmful behaviors. According to the National Library of Medicine, religious people are more likely to regularly participate in vigorous activity than their non-religious counterparts.
Source of Inspiration and Guidance
Religious people often see their faith as a significant source of guidance and inspiration, both in their day-to-day lives and during times of hardship. Meaningful passages in religious texts can be particularly helpful in uplifting one’s mood and helping them move forward with a sense of resilience and strength.
Encouragement of Forgiveness
As mentioned previously, religions typically highlight the importance of forgiveness and its ability to improve one’s emotional and mental well-being. This can help people better maintain their friendships and relationships, as well as allow them to lay down the heavy burden of hatred and grudges.
Promotion of Peace and Harmony
There aren’t many religions that don’t preach the importance of peace and harmony in one form or another. Most faiths teach valuable lessons about tolerance, compassion, and empathy for people from all walks of life. This can help promote a sense of inclusivity, inclusion, and social harmony.
Division and Conflict
Now it’s time to take a look at the potential downsides of religion. Perhaps one of the most common arguments against religion is its potential for division and conflict. Indeed, it is true that religious differences have been at the center of many wars. However, it’s important to remember that most faiths condemn violence. What’s more, according to The Encyclopedia of Wars, less than 7% of all wars were primarily caused by religion.
Suppression of Individual Rights
While religious rules and guidelines can be helpful in providing a sense of guidance and morality, they can also feel restrictive for many. Some religions and doctrines infringe upon important rights such as the rights of minorities, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion.
Anti-Science Attitudes
Different religions have vastly different accounts of how the world was born and developed, and many of these ideas conflict with scientific discoveries. Some religious groups are also known for rejecting established scientific facts and promoting pseudoscience.
Repression of Critical Thinking
Some religions discourage critical thinking, questioning, and skepticism, which can be harmful in many ways. For example, children who are raised to blindly follow religious beliefs and doctrines may also fail to question or critically engage with other aspects of their life or education.
Economic Exploitation
Some religious institutions are known for having incredible amounts of money, which is often exempt from taxes, while many of their followers may be struggling to make ends meet. According to the Christian Post, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints may be worth a whopping $1 trillion by 2044.
Promotion of Ignorance
A lot of people believe that religion promotes a sense of ignorance and closed-mindedness. For example, some religious communities restrict their children’s access to education and other points of perspective. Some also engage in strict censorship rules which may limit followers’ access to important information.
Perpetuation of Superstition
Some religions promote the belief in supernatural phenomena such as otherworldly beings, miracles, and abilities. While this is not necessarily a bad thing in itself, it can lead some people into more irrational thinking, paranoia, a lack of critical thinking, and obsessive-compulsive tendencies.
Entrenchment of Patriarchy
Unfortunately, many religious texts were written during times when women had fewer rights and freedoms. As such, some religions continue to reinforce these old, harmful gender stereotypes, create a sense of inequality, and promote the idea that men should always rule over women.
