Do We Need Religion?
Introduction
Research suggests that there is a growing trend in Western society away from formalised religion to personal spirituality. This paper explores this trend. It examines the nature of religion, its benefits and pitfalls, and whether it is responding adequately to improvements in human knowledge about life and the cosmos.
Prior to the 1960’s ‘religion’ and ‘spirituality’ were not normally understood as the sharply contrasting categories they have become today. Spirituality was generally understood as an interior or experiential dimension of religious life, rather than an alternative to religion. However contemporary data clearly indicates that this perspective has changed. Firstly, Australian census data documents an increase in the ‘No-Religion’ category from a mere 0.4% in 1961 to 38.9% in 2021, and concurrently, a significant decline in religious affiliation. Interestingly however, the Pew Research Centre found that in the USA in 2024, only 17% of their ‘No-Religion’ category identified as Atheist, while 49% of this group indicated that “they think of themselves as spiritual or that spirituality is very important in their lives”. And 54% said they sometimes do things (like centring themselves, spending time in nature, meditating or practicing yoga) to connect with something bigger than themselves.[1] Australian research[2] mirrors these findings. The tag ‘spiritual but not religious’ is embraced by many in the ‘No Religion’ category.
It appears that ‘spirituality’ has now taken on a life of its own beyond the remit of traditional religious affiliation, but how should we interpret this reality? A clearer understanding of the nature of what religion is may provide some insight.
Why Religion Exists
Religion is a phenomenon that dates to the very beginnings of our evolutionary history and is generally accepted to have arisen in response to the big questions of human existence: “Where did we come from?”, “What happens when we die?”, and “What is the purpose and meaning of life?” Religion exists because of our need for some cohesive framework of answers to these questions. Religion provides a worldview which incorporates both the mystery of the transcendent dimension and the more immanent questions around how to live in the present. Religion exists because we always need a meaningful vision of the cosmos and where we fit within it. This paper, however, purposefully focusses on the question of ‘what’ is religion, before turning to the ‘why’ of religion.
What is Religion?
Phenomenology is an early 20th century philosophical approach, associated with Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger, that aims to explore the meaning and significance of human experience by objectively studying and describing the phenomena that constitute this experience. This approach found favour in the qualitative research utilized in social sciences like the Study of Religion and underpins the perspective presented below.
Archaeologists, historians, anthropologists and social scientists have collected a substantial amount of data on the behaviours and things, i.e. the phenomena, that have constituted religion over time and across the world. On the surface there exists great diversity across these manifestations, however, when viewed through the academic lens of phenomenology, it became easy to see commonality among the various phenomenon and then categorise these phenomena under universally applicable headings. All religions displayed a common set of features or characteristics.
In short, all religions display the use of rituals, symbols, sacred stories & texts, sacred space, beliefs/creeds, ethics and social structures and, importantly, a recognition of the numinous transcendent dimension. This realisation of commonality within apparent diversity, then led to the question “Why is this the case?” What is the purpose behind the existence of these commonly recurring characteristics?
In this regard it is instructive to look at the origins of the word ‘religion’ itself. Our English word religion comes from three Latin root words, all of which add depth to an appreciation of the full nature of religion, namely:
relegare - meaning 'to bind' together
religio(n-) - meaning obligation, bond, reverence
relegere - meaning to re-read or reflect.
The implications of these Latin words all point to the way religions found effective ways, you could say ‘tools’, to bind adherents to their worldview. These ‘tools’ create sacred cultural obligations and bonds that entail continuously reminding adherents of this worldview. As Mercia Eliade pointed out, the common characteristics of religions exist because they raise consciousness to ‘a felt experience of the sacred’[3]. They also work together to continually recreate, communicate, and re-link adherents to the religion’s answers to life’s big questions, including its view on the transcendent. They are the means through which religion attends to its core business of making sure adherents don’t forget and, in fact, pass on this worldview to the next generation.
Benefits of Religion
If these characteristics form the primary social/cultural ‘stuff’ of what religion is, a subsequent question arises – i.e. do we need it (religion)? Atheist philosopher Alain de Botton admires the way religion works and argues that secular society would benefit greatly from adopting many of the tools of religion. He highlights that “Aside from needing to be delivered eloquently, ideas also have to be repeated to us constantly … we must be forcibly reminded of truths that we love but otherwise will not be able to hold on to. What we read at nine in the morning we will have forgotten by lunchtime and will need to reread by dusk” [4]. Religious rituals, with their embedded symbols and repetitive pattern address the continuous pull of distraction and disintegration within our inner lives. The wisdom of religion is evident in its common practice of providing structured assistance in form of ritualised habits that are constantly directing adherents back to the depth of their lives.
For example, in Christianity the annual liturgical cycle is organized to the day, with the scripture readings for each mass pre-organised in a repeating three yearly cycle, punctuated with the seasons of Christmas and Easter recounting the central events of Jesus’ birth, life, crucifixion and resurrection. In Buddhism, the birth, life, achievement of nirvana and death are celebrated every year on the first full moon in May. Buddhists clean their homes and visit the temple to engage in puja in honour of the Buddha’s achievements and remind themselves what is required to reach enlightenment. Muslims pray five times every day, prostrating themselves on the ground to purposefully recall the centrality of Allah in their lives and, in this constant remembering, hopefully avoid the many temptations that would lead them away from the straight path laid down in the Quran.
Pitfalls for Religion
As recently covered in the Butterfly Series within topics like ‘Images of God’, ‘Challenging our Understanding of God’ and ‘Evolution, Spirituality, and a New Theological Vision’, Christianity’s orthodox depiction of the transcendent (God) is being questioned. Its communication of this traditional image in its creeds and in its interpretation of sacred texts and some of its rituals and symbolic art is being seriously challenged by new cosmological appreciations revealed by quantum physics and evolution. It appears that Christianity is becoming increasingly unsuccessful in carrying out its core religious task. An outcome evident in the dis-affiliation and rise in the ‘spiritual but not religious’ category mentioned in the introduction.
It is within this context, that one may ask:
Do we need religion? - many seem to be getting by without it.
Is it tenable to live a spiritual life without the attendant religious tools traditionally relied on for sustaining one’s attention and focus over the course of a lifetime?
Is it possible to sustain one’s spirituality without being religious?
Does the ‘stuff’ of religion have to be institutionalised to withstand the test of time?
And if you are inclined to affirm the role of religion in nurturing spirituality, then further questions arise:
Is it possible to recreate, reform or form new symbols, rituals and texts that both give expression to a new vision of the transcendent (God)? and
Also succeed in religiously appealing to, and binding contemporary adherents to, this sacred vision in a mutually beneficial life of spiritual engagement, growth and development?
Conclusion - Do we need Religion? - A Personal View
Separating the ‘what’ from the why’ of religion is useful as it sharpens an appreciation of where these two inextricably linked aspects of religion are out of sync for many people at present. Before the ‘what’ of religion can be effective, the cosmological picture must ring true, and this step entails returning to ‘why’ religion exists. Along with visionaries like Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, I see the role of religion in a positive light and as a cultural necessity for conveying the evolutionary and holistic picture of the cosmos. God has been active in revealing Godself through scientific discoveries and is currently providing the creativity required for our religious response to these revelations. Religions’ response will be in and through the tools it has always used to communicate our appreciation of the cosmos. Adapted forms of these tools will evolve from God’s presence within personal spiritual lives and within groups of like-minded souls. Changes to the ‘big picture’ however take time to seep into collective consciousness and find expression in the symbols and rituals of organised religion.
[2] https://www.ncls.org.au/articles/no-religion-part-of-ongoing-trend-but-not-whole-story/ , https://mccrindle.com.au/article/faith-belief-and-churchgoing-in-australia/, https://mccrindle.com.au/article/faith-belief-and-churchgoing-in-australia/
[3] Mircea Eliade, The Sacred and the Profane, 1959
[4] Alain de Botton ‘Religion for Atheists: A non-believer's guide to the uses of religion’ 2013, pgs 132, 142-158 for more detail
Reflection Questions:
What is your response to the question: Is it possible to sustain one’s spirituality without being religious?
Upon reflection can you identify any personal symbols, rituals, ethics or texts that may be working religiously for you, in that they nurture and sustain the growth of your spirituality?
Have you found that some form of community has been vital to your own spiritual journey?
Can you suggest some creative reforms that would enhance your experience of traditional Christian rituals?
At St Lucia Spirituality we believe the journey is richer when it’s shared. If you’re seeking a place to explore questions, practice mindfulness, or simply belong to an inclusive spiritual community, we invite you to join us. From online discussion groups and meditation gatherings to our growing library of resources, there’s space here for every seeker. Step into the conversation, connect with others, and discover how community can nurture your spiritual growth.
About the Author – Michael Sibert
Michael is a recently retired teacher with an abiding interest in theology, spirituality and the study of world religions.
With family roots within the Catholic tradition Michael transitioned from a fifteen-year stint as an accountant to teaching the NSW HSC Studies of Religion course at a Catholic School after completing a Theology Degree at the Catholic Theological Union Sydney.
Teaching this course to senior students for twenty-seven years was a privilege. This vocation provided an ideal vehicle for continued enquiry and research in the field of religion and spirituality and led to the completion of a Theology Master’s Degree at the Catholic Institute of Sydney which included a major focus on Carl Jung’s psychology of religion.
Michael enjoys the love of his wife Franca, his on-going relationships with their three adult children and three grandchildren and surfing the beautiful beaches of Newcastle.
Michael is a member of Australian Reforming Catholics and enthusiastically joins in the monthly zoom discussions with St Lucia Spirituality. Taking advantage of the increase in available time presented by retirement, Michael aims to be a positive influence on the interaction between religion, spirituality and culture.
Comments