The Value of the Religious Experience

Those who see headlines about crazy religious issues wonder how in this age of advanced science and technology religion can still be so prevalent and meaningful in people's lives. The sciences have not answered all of life's deepest questions, but haven't they come far enough for us to search for meaning and morality elsewhere?

In this post I would like to make a case for why the religious experience is still relevant, and I would even go so far as to say valuable. Support for a devout life usually comes from those on the inside like Pastors, Rabbis, Clerics, Spiritualists, and Popes. They all attempt to draw you in based on the unique tenets of their respective faiths. I would like to be as objective as possible, presenting three primary reasons why religions have flourished after all these years in spite of the Enlightenment, Industrial Revolution, and Information Age.

The value of the religious experience involves gods, rituals, sacred texts and holy days. Since these things are often dismissed by nonbelievers as superstitious nonsense that only clouds people's judgment, I will focus on the things that are less ecclesiastical. The value of the religious experience stems from its ability to provide what secular society has not - community, moral guidance, and meditation.

1. Community

What if I told you there was a local organization where people just like you gathered on a weekly basis to perform in a routine fashion a bunch of things that help them lead a more fulfilling life? This
congregation of people pays dues to be members and agrees to behave in a certain way according to both the traditions and the commonly held beliefs of those within that specific community. You might think I'm talking about a church. I'm talking about a bowling league!

People want to be surrounded by others who share their same values. And they like the routine of meeting with those people at a familiar location where they can connect with others who are just like them. But like bowling leagues, there are fewer and fewer groups that can do this with as much success as religious organizations. Meeting up with friends on a regular basis is not a direct substitute for these gatherings. Why? Because when you meet with friends it's not done as a discipline.  Part of the value of church is that you go when you don't want to. Who wouldn't rather sleep in and watch football instead of dressing up early and pretending to like a bunch of people! A regular religious gathering creates a group of similarly-minded individuals who must relate to each other as a large family and not just as friends. Since the focus of the gatherings is outward on something other-worldly, the attention of everyone is how best to encourage the other toward achieving that closeness. The level of camaraderie ends up feeling like that of a team whose focus is on the championship. Participants are not biologically related to each other, yet the level of commitment is more than a friendship because of the goal everyone is seeking together.

The bond that develops is strengthened by spiritual songs that are sung in unison at services. They are as much devotional as they are uplifting for the soul. Even if the devotional lyrics were removed, the songs would still evoke a cathartic response. Do you enjoy singing songs with groups of people?  Karaoke and concerts are so popular because singing songs with words you can identify is an experience every person finds fulfilling. How much more fun is it to sing with a large group of people who share a common bond?

2. Morality

Aside from talk shows and family members where else can one turn in society to obtain ongoing advice about important moral decisions? We make decisions every day that have a moral component to them. How we respond to situations depends upon our conscience, which is shaped by our education, both formal and existential. Buying gum has little eternal significance, but what about the decision to lie to your boss about why you could not make it to work? When our decision making is
erratic, inconsistent, and harmful to others it can cause us grief. Religion has done a marvelous job of monopolizing morality to such an extent that it is difficult to find guidance in any other place unless one's physical or mental health is in jeopardy.

Religion is blasted by the crusader atheists for its antiquated laws that are enforced by threats of eternal punishment. What they overlook for the sake of their argument are the practical teachings many faiths offer for personal improvement and relationship building. According to the atheist crusaders people can learn the same kinds of lessons themselves in secular society. I would agree that human beings are capable of discovering general moral principles on their own, but finding practical applications to ongoing contemporary issues that people really struggle with is difficult to obtain.  Since the atheist rejects the moral laws of religious faith, they have a difficult time adopting the practical advice from which it comes.

Turn on any Christian radio station. At least one show in a six hour time frame will have a family-oriented program. These shows like Focus on the Family provide practical teaching on a variety of
domestic topics ranging from child rearing to how to maintain a successful marriage. Pastors will have whole sermon series' devoted to marriage. The messages might be labeled old fashioned, or even extreme, but they are designed to help people in their struggles, not simply to punish for disobeying God's commands. I will concede the atheist's point that the two cannot be separated; nevertheless, the value is still apparent.

On my way back from a wedding this weekend I came across a Catholic radio program called "The Doctor Is In." The program is hosted by a Catholic medical doctor who helps callers with their problems. She infuses practical wisdom with the teachings of the Catholic church. One woman called in asking what to do about a potential malpractice case in which her son had been improperly treated by a dentist who messed up his teeth. The host proceeded to offer advice based on her experience as doctor and as a devoted practicing Catholic. During the show the host made references to passages from the Bible and from the Catechism. Advice on this matter could be given by a number of secular professionals, but the justification is purely legal or financial. There is explicit moral backdrop to the decision making process.

3. Meditation

When was the last time you voluntarily stopped what you were doing, closed your eyes, and cleared your mind? Even in my short 30 years I can remember a time when the pace of life was slower. Going back to kindergarten I remember once each day we would lay down and take a "nap."  Sometimes soft music would play; other times, a teacher would read a short story. We probably did not always want a nap, but our teachers knew that if we napped we would behave better for the rest of the afternoon.

The 21st century takes us further into the information age where everything we need is available to us at the click of a button, which means we are also available at all times...at the click of a button.
Voice mails, text messages, emails, app notifications, facebook chats, twitter statuses, rss feeds, fantasy sports trades, online dating, google searches, multiplayer consoles, DVR, OnDemand programming, Netflix, IM...  Humans are not evolving fast enough to cope with the myriad distractions technology is throwing at us. We need time to relax our minds, digest information, focus on what is important, see things in perspective, and, in the case of religious faith, communicate with divine beings. The barrage of distractions makes prayer and meditation more valuable than it has ever been.

Prayer is the practice of communicating with an external force or god while meditation involves focusing, breathing, introspection, and the clearing of one's mind.  In order to successfully pray and meditate, all other distractions must be shut off or else it will not work. Thou shalt not pray and text simultaneously! Prayer is powerful because the very act assumes the existence a spiritual being more
powerful than one's self.  As adults we assume many responsibilities. We experience guilt and shame. We don't always know where to turn with our problems. Prayer satisfies our desire to have something greater than ourselves in control that cares about our needs and has the power to affect change on our behalf.

I put this category of prayer under meditation because some faiths do not believe in a divine being that listens to our needs. Some believe that there is a force or collective consciousness. Meditation helps us focus on something specific or nothing at all by placing ourselves in a peaceful environment and breathing deeply. Regardless of the subject of the meditation the very act gives us a chance to collect ourselves in a way that watching TV or surfing the web does not.

Conclusion

As one can see, when contemplating organized religion, many needs are satisfied under one roof.  In evaluating the enduring success of religious institutions it is easy to blame it on the gullibility of mankind, the slick marketing campaigns, preferential tax treatment, or religious leaders' hunger for power.

But if religion only survived because of its gullible followers who had been led on by gimmicks and power crazed leaders, so few people would go that religion would not even be the subject of a discussion worth having. People don't go to church because they want to adopt rules where they risk hell if they are broken! What has allowed it to endure for so many years is the lack of a substitute in secular society for what it offers to everyone- community, morality, and meditation. Add to that a convincing case for the absolute truth of its fundamental tenets, historical support for the story line, and the obvious real-world impact from its teachings, and there is a powerful force to be reckoned with.