Why is religion practiced around the world? ?
We all begin life very ego-centric. We are even physically limited, for an infant can only see a few feet in front of her and that blob three feet away could be a parent or a lamp. To the infant it matters not. However, as one grows, a child acknowledges and understands parents, siblings, peers, and begins to understand home, town, state, country, nation, nations. It is at this point in growth that the natural progression is to think beyond one’s existence and immediate surroundings to not only world but worlds, galaxies to universe. According to the Hindu, one can discover a lot through our natural child like selfish desires. It is through a natural progression that one can discover the natural propensity for religion. The Hindu believes that selfishness is not bad in itself. And selfishness is like toys along the path of life. Sad is a child without toys, sadder still is an adult fixated at the same level. Our natural inkling is growth. Few enjoy being bored. We all want some type of security but we also greatly desire growth, and growth can be found in the physical, emotional, and spiritual. We are eternal creatures, most knowing deep down that when a loved one departs that they will be seen again in the world to come. It is this knowledge that humankind is priceless and eternal that forces most to seek out answers to questions eternal. It is here where religion or spirituality begins and ends.
We really are wired for religion. Parts of our brain are stimulated during religious events such as prayer, or sermons. Each person is affected differently, which is why some are much more or less religious than others. Religion is also a survival technique, bonding a community, and imposing law and order, such as the 10 commandments. Like natural selection, that religion that offers the most benefit to it’s followers is the one that is going to spread. Likewise, a cult saying that all the followers should commit suicide on the same day isn;t going to last long, now is it. Religion for the most part is a very stabalizing force, until they collide with another religion.
