Religion and Happiness

Does Religion Make People Happy?

The debate on the ability of religion to make people happy remains unsolved to date. Supporters of the above statement argue that religion gives people hope to face challenges, which makes them happy. In contrast, opposers of the argument that religion brings happiness emphasize that it makes people lose their sense of self because they have to live within the limits of the mandates prescribed by their religious teachings. The extensive analysis of the role of religion in people’s lives shows its possibility of it making followers happy or not.

In ancient Greece, religion was revered and deemed as a source of happiness. The Greeks created artworks that showcased the magnificence of their gods and goddesses, which expressed their reverence for religion (Ancient Greek Art, n.d.). In Greece, if any calamity occurred on the nation, people blamed the misfortune in the anger of the gods. Similarly, if the Greeks experienced happiness during a bountiful harvest, they attributed the same to the gods. Therefore, in ancient Greece, happiness and sadness were pegged on religion significantly. Today, religious people have adapted the beliefs, customs, and values of the ancient Greeks. Human beings build sculptors, worship them, and then attribute their suffering and happiness to their artificial gods (Villani et al., 2019). Therefore, religion appears to make followers happy, just as it did for the ancient Greeks.

Other supporters of religion’s ability to make people happy argue that it gives the underprivileged hope. For instance, many religious people come from ethnic minorities, low-income households, or have terminal diseases. The above category of people believes in religious teachings that hope that their suffering will end if they continue being faithful followers (Marshall, 2020). In contrast, opposers of the religion’s power to make people happy argue it undermines followers’ autonomy (Suttie, 2020). If religious people do not live according to prescribed rules, they will not be successful or live peacefully. However, overall, religion does make people happy, as explained.

References

Ancient Greek Art [PDF document]. (n.d.).

Marshall, J. (2020, May 30). Are religious people happier, healthier? Our new global study explores this question. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/01/31/are-religious-people-happier-healthier-our-new-global-study-explores-this-question/

Suttie, J. (2020, July 31). How does religion affect happiness around the world? Greater Good. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_does_religion_affect_happiness_around_the_world

Villani, D., Sorgente, A., Iannello, P., & Antonietti, A. (2019). The role of spirituality and religiosity in subjective well-being of individuals with different religious status. Frontiers in Psychology, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01525

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