The Dalai Lama seems to think we can manage in a world without religion. There is a peculiar opening sentence to any article, however, he recently told his Facebook friends that we need to reconsider theology and ethics. Another world renowned figure who has been known to put the same point across with even more conviction is Richard Dawkins. I recently listened to the highly educated Dawkins debate with Jonathan Sacks, a chief rabbi. The evolutionary biologist closed the discussion with the idea that we needed to substitute religion with something greater, something more productive. Dawkins has claimed that forcing a religion on a child without questioning its merits is as bad as child abuse. In typically provocative style, the outspoken atheist said he was opposed to the idea of the indoctrination of religion and teaching it as fact. Repeat a lie often enough, and people will believe it, this is the influence that the bestselling author believes religion has on society. What, in any case, is religion, if not ethics and spirituality? It is rather evident that to much of the western world, "religion" is now associated with sinister thoughts, while spirituality and ethics are associated with liberation and individuality. Christianity, in particular, has been dealt a huge blow by recent sex scandals, now being viewed from the outside to be primarily a matter of dictatorial prohibition. Personally, I believe that the distinction between religion and spirituality is apparent. Spirituality is a welcomed voice I hear that guides me through daily life, whereas religion is when someone else speaks and decides to tell me what to do with my life. Religion seems to be about supremacy and ownership, whereas spirituality flirts with authenticity. However, this isn't really a distinction that carries much weight. I am far from a religious fanatic; nonetheless, I do feel that society needs religion. Why, in the face of paedophiles, campaigns and cover-ups, why indeed? Religious folk have responded to the question with various answers, with worship being one of the major reasons. Worldwide, on a daily basis, millions gather to acknowledge a higher power, a higher being that can grant us an eternity of pleasure or an eternity of pain. A sense of community arises from these religious gatherings, these congregations are more than mere civic clubs, they are surrogate families. One of the biggest reasons that society needs and demands religion is to stabilize behaviour patterns. A considerable amount of the laws and regulations that we recognize and now accept originate from religious teachings. There will always be a sizeable debate regarding whether or not religion is required to help us live respectable lives. Nevertheless, what is beyond dispute is that the rules for what constitutes a suitable society are largely based on religion. Without a religious foundation we would almost certainly live in a very different type of society. One could most definitely debate as to whether it would be better or worse, however, it would certainly be different. Most of all, for so many people, religion makes an individual WANT to live. I recently read a piece from Viktor Frankl's and his revealing research in the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz. His findings led him to a somewhat astonishing conclusion. It was not the youngest, strongest or even most intelligent inmates who tended to survive; it was those who had found a purpose in their lives. People, evidently, require a reason to live. That meaning neednt be specifically religious, though, one could argue that anything dealing with a person's deepest concerns is in a sense celestial." However, what Frankl was discussing involved generosity
. From individuals sharing their insufficient rations to constant words of encouragement, a deep, generous aura circulated. As the insightful author wrote, "Man is that being who invented the gas chambers of Auschwitz; however, he is also that being who entered those gas chambers upright, with the Lord's Prayer or the Shema Yisrael on his lips."