While many debate whether religion is a good thing or not, for many people religion is a way of coping with life and living it in a positive manner to the best of their ability. Historically speaking, religion has been the cause of many wars, murders, invasions and social unrest over the years, but at the same time religion has created many benefits to society.

The legal system

Many aspects of the legal system we know today are based on religious teachings. Religion tells us that killing people is a sin, as well as stealing. It is these ideals that the law aims to duplicate and enforce to ensure we have a pleasant experience in life. Society needs these rules and laws in order to function properly. While we may not agree with all of the laws, the legal system allows us to feel safer in our day to lives.

The afterlife

Many people look to their religion for comfort in times of grief, such as the death of a close friend or family member. Human beings as a whole are afraid of death because they have no way of knowing for sure what happens after they die. Many religions or belief systems cover this topic in detail and the follower of that particular religion can therefore find comfort in their belief that their religion is correct. While many people are born into religion, many others convert to a religion of their choice, mostly based on their own beliefs and which aspects feel the most comfortable to them. It can be a great help for many people suffering from grief to believe in their religious views on the matter and therefore cope with the situation more effectively.

Other big questions

Aside from the afterlife, there are a variety of other big questions in life that may never be answered. Some of these include “why should I lead a good life”, “where do we come from” or “what is the meaning of life”. Many religions try to answer these questions in a generalized way to try to fill in the information that are missing. The human brain may never know the true answers to these questions, but as a species we need to believe that the answers exist. This is where religion can provide stability and reassurance by helping to answer some of these big questions.

Our current political structure

Whichever country you reside in, the political structure of that country has at some point been altered or determined by religious views. In America, the first pilgrims to settle on America did so because their religious views were not accepted in other countries at that time. In England, the standpoint on divorce changed dramatically thanks to King Henry VIII and the disassociation of England from the Roman Pope creating today’s “Church of England” denomination of Christianity. Sometimes these changes were for the worse but they have all helped to shape the countries we know today, and that’s why religion is highly important in that regard.



