this post was submitted on 21 Jun 2024
260 points (81.4% liked)

Asklemmy

43965 readers
1781 users here now

A loosely moderated place to ask open-ended questions

Search asklemmy ๐Ÿ”

If your post meets the following criteria, it's welcome here!

  1. Open-ended question
  2. Not offensive: at this point, we do not have the bandwidth to moderate overtly political discussions. Assume best intent and be excellent to each other.
  3. Not regarding using or support for Lemmy: context, see the list of support communities and tools for finding communities below
  4. Not ad nauseam inducing: please make sure it is a question that would be new to most members
  5. An actual topic of discussion

Looking for support?

Looking for a community?

~Icon~ ~by~ ~@Double_[email protected]~

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[โ€“] [email protected] 44 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Serious answer:

I can't speak for anyone else, but I believe in a religion because I've found it to be personally beneficial.

I was a pastor for many years and saw much of the best and worst religion had to offer. I haven't stepped foot inside a church since COVID broke out and don't know that I ever will again.

My personal beliefs are still a significant part of my life, but I understand why someone would ask the question that spawned this discussion.

[โ€“] core 10 points 5 months ago (1 children)

You find it personally beneficial, but you haven't actually answered the question.

[โ€“] [email protected] 19 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I think that does answer the question - for a lot of people, the reason they're religious is because they find it personally beneficial for one reason or another.

[โ€“] [email protected] 9 points 5 months ago (1 children)

yup, religion has made me mentally stable so I guess it's beneficial to me at least.

[โ€“] core 4 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (2 children)

I guess I'm putting emphasis on the word "believe" and you seem to be seeing religion as a way to find comfort. This is why I feel you are not actually answering the question that OP posed. Perhaps I'm taking the question too literally.

Adding more to this. The question is why do you believe in religion, not why you are religious. To me, there's a difference between the two of these.

[โ€“] daddyjones 3 points 5 months ago

There is a significant difference, but, in my limited experience, many people are religious, but don't actually believe, but they think they do believe. When the rubber hits the road you find it what a person actually thinks is true.

[โ€“] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

Think of your closest friend or family member. Do you "believe in" them?

[โ€“] gaifux -2 points 5 months ago

Yas queen. COVID's not over! And even so, God and your soul aren't important enough to risk contacting the common cold lol