Have you ever heard about Zoroastrianism? Probably not, since the number of worshipers of this faith is getting smaller and smaller as time goes by. However, Zoroastrianism, the world’s first big monotheistic religion, had millions of members a couple of thousands of years ago. When such a huge religion slowly disappeared over time, how can we be so sure that our current biggest religions are meant to stay here forever? More importantly, do we still need religion or will it altogether disappear in the future?
How religion changed in the past
We are not always aware of how much change religion has gone through over the years. Most of today’s religions have been around for hundreds of years, so it is not always easy to see the whole picture and understand how much they have evolved. Just think about Greek or Norse Gods and how those beliefs went from being sacred to being nothing more than legends and myths for most people. Christianity, for example, split in 1054 after years of being a unified church and even now smaller groups that belong to Christianity continue to emerge all the time. If we just take a look at our past, it is safe to say that all religions go through changes and that they cannot remain constant over long periods of time.
Religion and science
Science plays an important role in determining how we view religion today. Unlike religion, it offers us concrete evidence on theories about nature and the world around us, and for many people, that kind of approach is more practical than a religious one. The idea that you cannot be religious and believe in science at the same time has become so common nowadays that the number of religious people continues to drop as science progresses and goes further with its discoveries. Today, science is the biggest reason why so many people turn away from religious beliefs. However, science is not enough for us.
Will there be a need for religion in the future?
Despite how much science advances, it will never be able to answer some of the most fundamental questions people ask every day – why are we here and where do we go? Science is almost limitless when it comes to the physical world, but when we want to think and know more about the abstract, that’s where religion comes into play. People will always want answers to those big questions and a great number of them find those answers in religion. Not only is it comforting to believe in something bigger than ourselves, but it also installs moral notions and brings people closer together.
Conclusion
Although religions change and as science progresses many people turn away from religion, there will always be a need for religion to exist. It might not be in the exact form we know it today and our biggest religions might even disappear one day, but it is highly unlikely that there will ever be a world without some form of religion.