On 3/9/2003 2:46:43 PM, Melinda Shibles
wrote:
>With Marx's view of religion
>being the "opium of the
>people" and the author's view
>of Marx's meaning to be
>"killing the pain", religion
>does seem to be what people
>seek to ease the pain.

Psychological studies have shown that
people are better able to cope for
suffering if they think there is a reason
behind it, even if they're not sure what that
reason is. Perhaps this is due to an
innate human desire to make sense out
of the world, to create order out of chaos,
to find patterns where none may exist.

Regardless of the reason, people
experiencing suffering who believe
there's a reason behind it both report
suffering less and are better able to
function while suffering. Perhaps religion
is an "adapative" behavior with survival
value. Some have suggested that the
alleivation of the fear of death alone
explains its continued existence in the
modern scientific age.

>I believe God exists, I am
>just not sure what cloud he is
>on....does it matter?

Whether he exists or which cloud he's
on?

Prof. Borrowdale
borrowdalej@lanecc.edu