Does religion still have a place in society?

After studying various critiques of religious belief, I find myself questioning whether religion still has a place in our society.

Many people believe that in our modern scientific society religion is rendered redundant. With the theories of Evolution, Big Bang and so forth to explain our existence, religion no longer serves any purpose. Although the 2011 Census revealed that Christianity was the largest religious group in England and Wales, with 33.2m people, its size has decreased by 15% since 2001 and it has the oldest age profile of all the main religious groups. One in five Christians are now aged 65 or over. Furthermore, a quarter of the population in England and Wales do not now have a religion, with this figure increasing rapidly.
 
Richard Dawkins, a strong advocate of the atheist position, claims that religion is ‘an indulgence of irrationality that is nourishing extremism, division and terror’. For Dawkins, religion is completely unnecessary as it prohibits us from developing our knowledge and asking the essential questions for humanity to grow. He asserts that religion is the absolute root of all evil.

Many people believe that we do not need religion for life to have meaning. We can personally make the decision as to whether something has meaning by determining how much value it has to us as free thinking individuals. We do not need a god or any supreme being to guide us to value the love we share with our family and friends or life experiences, such as finding self-fulfilment or achieving our dreams. We alone have the responsibility to make the decision as to what has value and meaning; thus religion is completely pointless.

However, I believe that religion still plays a significant role in our society. Often it is the case that even firm atheists in times of hardship and in their deepest despair find themselves turning to God in an attempt to find hope and reassurance that all will be well. An interesting case is that of the prominent philosopher, Anthony Flew, who spent much of his career promoting atheism. But in 2004, at the age of 81, he asserted a belief in deism, more specifically a belief in the Aristotelian God. Moreover, religion plays an essential part in the process of mourning. When people are overwhelmed with a sense of loss or extreme anguish they turn to an omnibenevolent God to find strength, love and comfort in an extremely difficult time in their lives.

Furthermore, our fundamental values are shaped by Christianity and therefore are integral to society even though we may not be aware of such profound influence. They aid us to develop a conscience and to know right from wrong. Gospel values, such as love, honesty and kindness, enable society to function smoothly and in harmony with those around us. It enables us to recognise our self-worth and we become the very best versions of ourselves. We are more likely to develop altruistic tendencies showing willingness to help others, and to derive happiness from spiritual rather than materialistic rewards.

Religion has been a constant feature in society, from ancient times to modern day, and its significance affects everyone to some degree – large or small. Even though we are a nation of scientific progress, religion and science can coexist.

 

By B.O'M