People's Attraction to Religion

Richard H. Jones

Religion 405

14 March 2011

People's Attraction to Religion

Have you ever wondered what makes people want to join churches or mosque? I wonder what draws people towards joining different religions? What do religions have that people want to give so much of their lives for? Some would argue that some of the people who join religions of all faiths could be fanatical or radical. What could these radical people be getting out of their religion that would make them act the way that they do? There are some religions that have no deity to worship, no God to bow down to. These religions are based more towards philosophical ideals. Why would someone want to devote their life to a religion that is based on these sorts of ideas that don't promise some sort of salvation? These are some of the questions that I've asked myself and I have attempted to answer in my studies.

The religion that I am most familiar with is Christianity. Having been raised in a Christian home, I've been going to church since I was a child. I find that Christians, in general, are drawn into the Christian faith for many reasons. There are many denominations within the Christian religion and each of these has their own idea of what religion is. What they all have in common is the Bible. The Bible says that the people who believe in God and live by the rules and ways of the Bible will go to Heaven2. According to the Bible the people who live a Christian lifestyle will go to Heaven. Heaven is a place where there is no death, sorrow, crying, pain, and all of the former things are all passed away. It also says that mankind will inherit all things from God. To me, this means that God will give mankind all of the knowledge he desires. The Bible describes Heaven as having a River of Life that flows from the Thrown of God. There is also a Tree of Life that has twelve fruit on it. Its leaves heal the twelve nations of God18. All of these, plus many others, are things that Christians believe will happen to their soul when their mortal body dies.

There are many denominations within the Christian religion. Each of these has its own interpretation of the ideals of Christianity. The denominations each have different things that attract people to them for different reasons. While they are slightly different, they are all Christian.

The Roman Catholic Church is one of the oldest of the denominations. Its origins date back to 33A.D. It is deep with history and it focuses on the rituals of the church. The belief of the Roman Catholic Church is that the truth is found in the Bible as it is interpreted by the Catholic Church and is also found in the Church's traditions12.

Baptist is a different Christian denomination, which is mostly found in the southern region of the United States. They believe in salvation. In order to reach salvation a person must be saved. When a person is saved, they have devoted their life to Jesus and promise to live the ways of the Bible. They believe that people who are not saved will be damned and will go to Hell11.

There is a Christian denomination that believes that Jesus appeared to a man named Joseph Smith in 1820 with the purpose of restoring and spreading his gospel to the earth. This group is called the Mormons. The Mormons are mainly found in the west and believe in strong family morals. They are also known as the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints. They have a book called the Book of Mormon, which talks about Jesus' encounters with ancient people of America14.

The Seventh Day Adventists is a denomination that believes that God reveals his character in three great events. The first of these events is the creation of man and women. Not only the creation of man and woman, but God's giving them freedom of choice. The second great event is that Jesus died on the cross as our substitute and the third is that the tomb was empty and he has risen, giving hope to mankind10.

The Protestant denomination believes that the truth is found in the scriptures as interpreted by the individual and not the church, as does the Roman Catholics. They believe that Jesus took on full human form and died for our sins on the cross, as does many of the other denominations. The Protestant Church consist of many sub groups such as Anglicanism, Episcopal, Methodism, Salvation Army, Pentecostalism, Charismatic/Non-denominational, Lutheranism, Evangelical Lutheran, Reformed, Anabaptism, Presbyterianism, Mennonite, Adventist, and Congregationalism8.

The Amish are a Protestant denomination that believes that it takes a lifetime to achieve salvation and not just baptism, as do most other Christian denominations. The Amish choose to remain mostly separated from the rest of the world due to the persecution that was experienced by their ancestors as a result of government oppression. The Amish choose not to draw power from the United States power grid. Most of the Amish are Christian due to birth. Very few choose to join form outside of the denomination13.

People of the Christian faith have the need for spirituality. Most Christians have a need for a higher being to worship and to pray to, a need for an explanation for things that aren't easily explained. They are in need for an ethical and moral way of living that religion gives them. Christians are also in need of salvation. Living their lives in an ethically and morally sound way that will better help guide them to Heaven. In the Bible it is understood that when Jesus died on the cross, he died for the sins of all mankind. In other words, all of our sins are going to be forgiven because Jesus took all of our punishment. Another Christian belief is that when a person is baptized, they are born into a new life. They are born into a life of Jesus. These concepts are key factors in what makes Christianity, what it is. This is a key factor in why people are drawn to this religion.

Christian churches provide support that people need in their everyday lives. Socially it provides them with programs for their children such as different youth groups that may include choir, theatre and mission trips to help need people in the US and abroad. These churches also offer programs for adults as well. There are Bible study groups that will meet over dinner, adult choirs and support groups that help each other through tough times. There are parenting classes, English as second language classes, and cooking classes that are taught as well at some churches. There are many philanthropic opportunities that churches provide to the public as well. They help run food banks, mission trips, community outreach projects,