Christianity is a 2000-year-old religion that originated in the 1st century. It is based on the teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus is believed to be the son of God that came back to save the world. He is also believed to be returning, which is known as the second coming. Christianity is a monotheistic religion, which means they only believe that there is one God. God is believed to be omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. Since Christians believe that God knows all it is easy for them to put their faith in him. Christianity takes away the fears that most people have. Being a believer gives your life purpose and comfort; some may argue that Christianity is a form of unsophistication.
PURPOSE
Christianity gives a lot of purpose to the lives of many people. Having Christ in your life gives your life a meaning. You are no longer living a life without reward. Even if you are not religious you can have a purpose their afterlife is not promising. A nonbeliever's afterlife is nothing while a believer's afterlife is filled with promises. “Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven” (Matthew 5:12). Jesus is letting the believers know that their rewards are not earthly, yet they are in heaven. He is also letting them know that getting into heaven is not the reward; they are going to receive something else. An example of this is the story of Abraham in Genesis. God called Abraham to leave his homeland and God would fulfill a promise. “Now the Lord had said unto Abram, get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:” (Genisis 12:1). God called Abraham to be his first disciple. Before Abraham was called, he was a shepherd so his life was very routine. Since he dedicated his life to fulfilling God’s promise, he was always working towards a goal. Even having the promises fulfilled gave his life meaning even after he was dead.
Another example of this is Moses, God Moses’ life meaning. Moses was tasked with bringing his people out from Egyptian rule. He was now going to be the leader of an entire nation. “He said, I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you” (Exodus 3:12). Moses’ life was now filled with a purpose since he was tasked with helping his people. “If you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples (Exodus 19:5). He was promised treasures if he dedicated his life to God. His sacrifices will be rewarded just like the believers of today. Believers are supposed to share the gospel and be rewarded for their works in the afterlife. Death is not the end for a believer, but the beginning.
SECURITY
Being a believer gives one security with life. Religion helps when we think of nature as infinite. We are just a small speck in the universe that has billions of galaxies, and an infinite number of stars. When those thoughts start it is hard to dig yourself out. You realize how small you and earth are. Religion softens the pain that comes with this realization. That is an unresolvable pain that people with religion do not have to worry about. Christianity keeps the believers from quitting society. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34). God is known as the father to the believers; the put all of their problems in his hands. Freud believes the God is the voice in your head or your conscience that tells you what is just. Christians believe in God the same way a child believes in their father.
Life is also filled with death, despair, and anguish. Religion comes to take away the pain that death brings. When loved ones die it would be hard to move past if that was the end. Christianity guarantees that you will see your loved ones again in the afterlife. If they do not make it to heaven then they will see each other in the rapture. Christians turn to prayer every night to seek guidance and ask for blessing. When Christians go through hard times, they pray about it and take it to God. They believe that God will hear them and deliver them from their sorrow. God is the one that takes care of their problems. Christians believe that Jesus suffered and took on the sins of the world so that we are redeemed. He thought that believers were worth savings; that is comforting.
IMMATURITY
Freud concludes that religion is a mental illness that helps people cope with life. He believes that religion needs to be stripped away. He argues that religion is a mental crutch for the human race. “God was the exalted father, and the longing for the father was the root of the need for religion” (Freud 22). Freud is arguing that religion is needed due to our need of a father figure. Christians believe that God is the father and we are all his children. This is why he argues that religious people are immature since they need guidance. “These, which are given out as teachings, are not precipitates of experience or end- results of thinking: they are illusions, fulfilments of the oldest, strongest and most urgent wishes of mankind. The secret of their strength lies in the strength of those wishes'(Freud 30). Freud suggests that religious teachings are an illusion.
The illusion of religion is an escape from reality. Freud argues that adults needs to leave religion and stop promoting it to children. God is the security blanket that our parents should have taken away from us. Having him has stunted our growth as a society. We are evading the realities of the world and choosing not to deal with our problems. Everyone has problems but religion takes away the experience since, believers think that they have no control over fixing the problem. Since there is no way to prove that God is real Freud does not see the point in believing in it. He argues that there is not physical proof and you cannot see God so why would you put all your trust in him. He also argues that this is a primitive way of thinking since the first species prayed to their many gods.
Conclusion
In closing, religion makes living life that much easier. Believers are living their lives the best way that they know how. Life is very stressful and religion is a good coping mechanism. Whether you agree with Freud or not, religion is a safety blanket that is easy to become dependent on. Christianity lets you put your hope in something that is bigger than you. Even though you are powerless when compared to the Universe, God is bigger than that. You have the support and guidance of the person who made the universe. The father may be an immature idea, but it is also the best idea for Christians. God is the father and Christianity is the blanket that he swaddles you in. God protects you and keeps you from the harm of the world. You are guaranteed riches and rewards in death. A believer's life has purpose and meaning by devoting their lives to God. There is no greater comfort than to know that God made you for a purpose and Jesus laid the foundation for you to follow. You are not waiting for the end; however, you are just extending the life God gave you.