From: Pele@yabbs
To: Cat@yabbs
Subject: re: religion
Date: Thu Aug 18 00:36:43 1994
I think that's an intiguing question.  One that a lot of people have 
asked.  Shakespeare touched on it in Hamelt's "To be or not to be" speech.
I personally don't really know.  I know for sure that one thing that most 
religions provide is an assurance of a better life after death.  How you 
achieve that particular life depends on the doctrine of the respective 
religion.

I think a lot of people need religion.  I know I do.  When I think about 
the living hell I endure daily, it's...comforting to believe that once I 
am done living through this, I'll have something better to look forward 
to.  It keeps me going from day to day.

There are others, however, who are quite content with their lives and who 
don't need religion in that way.  Those who do turn to religion from 
amongst these numbers probably do so, IMO, because they like the idea of 
immortality.  Mankind has a tendency to quest for immortality and the idea 
of living forever, no matter how unlikely, is very appealing. It is this 
that makes people take a leap of faith.  They are willing to discard all 
logic and rational in order to hope for something bigger and greater than 
them.  This give us perspective and a certain level of humility.  

My $2  :)