Good Questions – Are we Addicted to Religion?

Good Questions – Are we Addicted to Religion?

“It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.”

~ Eugene Ionesco

I continue to ask the questions in this series. Many people might believe that these questions make us bitter or that we’re just causing problems by asking them. I hope the questions help us evolve into a better state of being. Being outside of organized religion, I can finally hear the whispers and observe the drumbeat of the universe, along with the peace and comfort that I find. I find my comfort not in a finalized belief statement but in a way of being that continues to question everything.

Are we Addicted to Religion?

As a young adult, I became interested in skydiving. I was determined to face my fears, so I enrolled in lessons and began making solo skydiving jumps. The club offered different experiences, but with what I had left on my new credit card, I could take the complete skydiving curriculum and gradually learn more about the sport. More than any other sport, I found it to be an exciting and adrenaline-pumping experience.

Several former military and professional skydivers were present at the drop zone alongside us novices. One day, I stood on the ground observing their descents. The more experienced jumpers skillfully maneuvered their parachutes into spirals as they approached the ground. At the last moment, they adjusted to gliding into the wind for a gentle landing. Right away, they rushed to repack their chutes, eager to board the next flight and repeat the exhilarating experience. Essentially, they were addicted to it!

This was my initial encounter with someone dealing with an addiction unrelated to alcohol or drugs. I had witnessed individuals desperately searching for a cigarette right after class to soothe their nerves and ease withdrawal symptoms. At that time, I, too, was using smokeless tobacco, which helped me grasp the nature of cravings. Reflecting on my experiences during the deconstruction process, I recognized instances when I was addicted to certain activities, like my short-lived interests in skydiving, video games, hunting, and, eventually, religion.

From a young age, I learned about the dangers of addiction, but not thoroughly. Karl Marx stated, “Religion is the opium of the masses.” He argued that religion alleviated immediate suffering and created comforting illusions, functioning somewhat like a narcotic. It was fascinating to observe this form of addiction after examining Christianity from a broader perspective.

When we ask individuals why they attend church, they often struggle to express their reasons. On reflecting honestly, they frequently conclude that their attendance stems from a sense of obligation or the comforting escape it provides from their current hardships. The relief religion offers is only temporary; otherwise, people wouldn’t need to keep coming back for a “fix.” It is a regulating, not a healing, type of effect.

Of course, it feels good! It is supposed to. It has been refined over time to give maximum effect. The cadence of the sermon, the key changes in the music, and the comfortable atmosphere are planned and orchestrated to have a maximum impact. Even in church, they talk about the feeling they have that will expire on Monday. Much like drug users, church members begin to “pre-use” throughout the week until they can come back and feel the feeling once again. People who are addicted to other things often switch addictions, and the most common is to substitute religion.

Just like other addictions, the drug’s relief and function are temporary, and the user must repeatedly use it. And the more we experience the feeling of religion, the more often we need to be there to feel it again. It’s the primary reason religious leaders must organize conferences and retreats to satisfy users. If the church is a sanctuary, I’m not sure why we would need a retreat from it unless it’s similar to two other forms of addiction, continually needing more and more. In a larger setting, people sometimes renew their drug of choice by changing churches. While people with limited options realize the thrill is gone and continue to complain that it wasn’t like in the old days

Someone encouraged us to take a year off about the time we left church. We also encourage people to do this. Once the habit and the lure of a dopamine shot from the church service wear off, people often find that their desire to attend services is more of an addiction than anything like God or the Spirit of God working in them. It was a religious version of “If it feels good, do it!” And then, they keep doing it.

Currently, I am losing some weight and breaking my addiction to sugar late at night. Just because I like eating sugar, which makes me feel good for a while, it’s not the optimum fuel for my body. Yeah, it’s difficult to break the habit, and eating a no-bake, chocolate oatmeal cookie feels like heaven, but that doesn’t mean that it is good for me. Just because the church service feels right and gives the illusion of something magical, doesn’t mean that it is necessarily the best thing for us spiritually—it’s entirely plausible that we are simply addicted to it.

We must ask better questions!

Keep asking good questions!

Be where you are, Be who you are, Be at peace!

Karl Forehand