Purpose of religions

[Jimmy]

Were religions meant to be taken literally or to introduce us up to spirituality and lead us to our own understanding of spiritual phenomenon? I’m gonna go with the latter as this is the path that I’ve followed and it has served me well.

 

[RestlessSoul]

This is a huge subject and whilst I believe their are universal principles which apply to all religions, it’s imo impossible to make general statements that apply equally to each.

I’d say a fundamental purpose of religion is to bring us closer to God and to each other; and that all religions can do this, but also that within the doctrine and practice of religion there are often impediments to that purpose.

 

[SalixIncendium]

It's my understanding that religions are intended to be taken literally, but at the end of the day, they are but tools or stepping stones an ultimate goal.

 

[Mock Turtle]

I get the impression that so many of the earliest religions were meant to be taken literally - given the levels of knowledge about when they originated, and the levels of education then - and so more about 'believe this' than 'question this, and any motives'. And perhaps more about the conditions existing locally than about the wider world - given they didn't have much knowledge as to this or even as to themselves and their own bodies or minds.

 

[RestlessSoul]

I get the impression that so many of the earliest religions were meant to be taken literally - given the levels of knowledge about when they originated, and the levels of education then - and so more about 'believe this' than 'question this, and any motives'. And perhaps more about the conditions existing locally than about the wider world - given they didn't have much knowledge as to this or even as to themselves and their own bodies or minds.

Not sure about that. I think modern exceptionalism is based on a false premise; history suggests our forebears were every bit as imaginative, creative, thoughtful and intelligent, as are we. Of course there is much they didn’t know. As there is certainly much we do not know.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Were religions meant to be taken literally ... ?

For the most part they were meant to be practiced. The gods were presumed capricious amd explanations/etiologies came later.

 

[Quintessence]

The branch of Druidry I'm a member of is, without a doubt, designed to do the second. It's a mystery tradition, that's kind of what they do just in general whether it's OBOD Druidry or something else. I'm not sure I recall anything in the course encouraging any sort of simplistic literalism at any point, actually.

 

[Stonetree]

To me, religion was or is a tool to answer questions asked. Religion or belief in a supernatural power was one possible answer to conditions that mankind is confronted with.

 

[Mock Turtle]

Not sure about that. I think modern exceptionalism is based on a false premise; history suggests our forebears were every bit as imaginative, creative, thoughtful and intelligent, as are we. Of course there is much they didn’t know. As there is certainly much we do not know.

They might have had this in many ways, so not quibbling as to their abilities, but evidence from those times tends to show that the majority of people didn't have the knowledge that some might have possessed. Much was based on guesswork more than anything too. It took us in general long enough to even understand processes within the human body and as to why people became ill for example. And without a means to communicate effectively and widely - like the written, and printed language - how did they learn other than being given such from those in power - which, controlled as it was, surely was an effective method of control rather than much else. With religions more than likely being allied to those in power.