If Humans Were Immortal Essay

Submitted By doughes2
Words: 657
Pages: 3

Stephanie Dougherty
World Religion
Dr. Busada
22 July 2013
If Humans Were Immortal
“Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (John 11 25:26). For the Christian faith, as well as, many other religions, religion provides a promise of life after death. However, that is not the only purpose of religion. If human beings were incapable of dying, religion would still be a primary influence on their lives. This is due to the fact that organized religion provides other positive effects on a participant’s life. Religion would still be important to individuals, as it provides a moral code, allows for a sense of cohesion, and influences the fine arts.
Many religions provide a moral foundation through their writings and teachings. These documents contain rules that followers are required to obey. They provide guidelines for living a moral and ethical life for every believer of that specific religion. For instance, members of the Catholic faith are to follow the Ten Commandments, whereas Muslims receive their laws from their holy book the Qur’an. In the Jewish religion, the Torah provides the guidelines for its followers. Even though, these religions provide different standards, the followers of each faith have moral laws to follow. If humans were immortal religion would still exist, because it would provide its followers with principles on how to act ethically according to that religion. This would create an atmosphere of stability and civility. Similarly, religion provides a sense of unity for the followers of various faiths. People who have similar interests in worship share a special bond. This bond ensures a sense of cohesiveness within the religion’s members. This sense of unity is important as it provides a support system for all the members of the group. This support system allows members to help each other in times of need. Since all members of a society require help at certain times, religion would still be a necessary entity in the case that humans were immortal. In addition, religion primarily influenced the fine arts for millennia. Religious ideologies inspire people to want to recreate them in a more imaginative way. Religion has provided people with a creative outlet for many years. The world-renowned Vincent Van Gogh incorporated religion into his masterpiece, “Starry Night.” as he painted a cathedral in the center of his masterpiece (Molloy, 5). Also, many musical pieces and literary works express religious ideas. John Newton, the former slave trader, applied his Christian faith