When, if Ever, do Religions Promote the Ego?

[Sunstone]

Under what conditions, if any, does a religion help, facilitate, or encourage the expansion of the ego?

I suspect the very act of identifying oneself with a religion -- any religion -- aggrandizes the ego. Just as identifying oneself with anything else aggrandizes the ego.

By the way, by "ego" I mean the psychological self, ordinary consciousness, the "I", etc.

Please discuss....

 

[Mycroft]

I'm not sure whether they promote the ego, but in the case of Christianity it certainly appeals to the ego.

The idea of the carrot of heaven (eternal life, streets paved with gold, etc.) and the stick of hell (eternal torture and death and suchlike) only seems to appeal to the ego.

 

[Sunstone]

I'm not sure whether they promote the ego, but in the case of Christianity it certainly appeals to the ego.

The idea of the carrot of heaven (eternal life, streets paved with gold, etc.) and the stick of hell (eternal torture and death and suchlike) only seems to appeal to the ego.

That's an interesting take on it. Thanks!

 

[Quintessence]

Given a huge component of religions (probably all religions) is relationships - and many of those relationships are inevitably between the individual human and something else in the environment - it seems impossible for any religion to avoid "promoting" particular notions of self. I wouldn't mistake this for focus on or enhancement of notions of self, though. Understanding relationships may necessarily involve at least two objects of consideration (one often being the self), but that doesn't mean the self is given particular importance or focus in that relationship. Some religions are known for outright denying the importance of the self in relationships and focusing on the importance of the "other," while others literally engage in self-pedestalizing beliefs and practices.

 

[Jainarayan]

Heathenry might come close inasmuch as it puts emphasis on the worth of the individual and stresses self-reliance. That self-reliance is based on the importance of the individual.

 

[Sunstone]

Heathenry might come close inasmuch as it puts emphasis on the worth of the individual and stresses self-reliance. That self-reliance is based on the importance of the individual.

I'm not sure I would agree that assigning a certain importance to the individual is quite the same as promoting the ego or psychological self. I'd have to think about that.

 

[sandandfoam]

Under what conditions, if any, does a religion help, facilitate, or encourage the expansion of the ego?

......

If we take ego as synonymous with the individual, I think confusion would be one of the main conditions.
Of course, I am not sure that ego and individual are always synonymous.

 

[A Vestigial Mote]

Under what conditions, if any, does a religion help, facilitate, or encourage the expansion of the ego?

Considering the notion of the "soul" - a unique and everlasting piece of a person that transcends what we know of time and space. One's "self" has grown when this becomes part of the narrative by definition - your "self" is now given infinite breathing room - it never goes away, it is "larger" - having expanded throughout all of time.

 

[Father Heathen]

For some faiths, their god seems to be the externalization and personification of their own collective ego.

 

[prometheus11]

I agree with Father Heathen. Also, denying the self is usually an extremely prideful act that builds the ego supremely. The purest form of selfishness.

 

[vaguelyhumanoid]

"Left-hand path" religions in the Western sense are defined by being individualist/egoist rather than self-sublimating.