Is religion a pure good in facilitating well being during adulthood? Yes
Introduction
The David Myers argues that religion serves as a remedy to the dissatisfaction many adults experience despite great comparative material wealth. However, Andrew Guest argues that religion serves as a wholesome good for the development of adults whereby well being is facilitated during adulthood (Guest, 2008). In respect to David Myers’ perception, Andrew Guest argument does not consider the situation where religion is also capable of producing significant stress, confusion as well as sadness.
A controversial argument against the David Myers perception concerning religion is that although region is a strong supply of comfort, it can as well produce a totally different result whereby there is not a single sign of happiness while the much accumulated wealth is supposed to be enjoyed later in life at a more relaxed situation when religion is involved (Guest, 2008). There is evidence of decline in religious practices, view of religion as most important or total disaffiliation with a religious group in adulthood. This has been witnessed in America despite the fact that it is the most religious country among industrialized countries. This decline has been associated with the rise in crime rates, sexual immorality and drug abuse (James, 2009).
Argument
Religion, although often a powerful supply of comfort, can also become a source of sadness, stress, or confusion in people’s lives. Given the numerous demonstrated associations well-being with religion, some people are tempted to practice religion with the intention of assessing the possibility of the manner in which religion is in a position to profit or assist them during their adulthood (Guest, 2006). For instance, phrases fro the holy books such as the Bible and the Koran have been misused to the benefit of some.
It is expected that, religious involvement as well as beliefs can offer a variety of benefits such as social support, purpose, life’s direction and meaning. More so, religious involvement during adulthood may offer an environment whereby there is virtue development and a more intimate relation with the Almighty God. Religion rids one of earthly fears and worries, assuring those involved of super protecting and hope for a better tomorrow. It is thought as a place where justice is supreme. In this case, one does not have to be worried when he/she experiences hard times in life. In the Biblical perspective, the saints may suffer for doing what is just but will be rewarded for their patience. They should not pay evil for evil but rather be pursuers of peace. In this regard, religion is a pure good since its results are favorable conditions for existence of man.
However, problems come forth in such situations whereby some very different results arise when adults decide to fully engage in religion hoping to get positive results. The negative results are what Andrew terms as stumbling blocks which cause personal distress as well as religious commitment that is relatively weak in nature (Guest, 2006). This significant argument concerning the situation where religion is capable of not only offering happiness during adulthood but sadness as well gives a completely different expectation to people with a perception that religion serves as a remedy to the consequent adulthood dissatisfaction. It is so especially when we look at religion as the opium of the mass (Zaleski & Schiaffino, 2000). It denies one a chance to engage in rational thinking thereby being independent. Those that follow religion blindly always regret later. For instance, some tend to spend so much time in the church and neglect work. Lowered income results to alive of poverty and blind forgiveness may result to other taking advantage of a person. Such people live in some sort of slavery though they claim to be free. This is evident in the Islamic faith where sacrifice their lives for the sake of the faith they hold to.
There is more argument in support of the situation where religion serves as a remedy to adulthood dissatisfaction despite where these adults’ wallets are overflowing with money but their souls continue to experience emptiness. This particular dissatisfaction is experienced in real life situation whereby people tend to spend so much money while they have less in their pockets. These wealthy adults also find too much time to watch their TV sets but pray occasionally. The work of prayer in such cases is to add value to the hard earned wealth which is in terms possessions. This way, religion will be able to serve as a remedy to adulthood dissatisfaction. Possession of great wealth with absence of religion portrays ‘short character’ since the significant profits cannot be taken to substitute the shallow relationships that these adults experience with God (Guest, 2006).
When this relationship is considerably shallow in nature, it becomes difficult for people to experience peace in mind when enjoying their hard earned wealth. However, the absence of religion tends to bring a sense of sadness since the very same wealth is utilized in the wrong way whereby people buy very expensive houses but suffer incidences of broken homes. This can be interpreted as a situation where adults are well versed with the concept of making a living but have very minimal skills on making a life. A comfortable life can only be experienced when all individuals are in unison (James, 2009). However, the diversity of choices in regard to religion makes the whole difference. Man is a rational being who is in a position to decide on what to or not to do. As a result, those who chose to live a godly life suffer from the actions of the “ungodly”
The argument where religion is taken as a remedy to dissatisfaction experienced by adults at a time when they are very wealthy is supported by a situation where people fail to enjoy life when they can comfortably produce great results when making a living (Myers, 2000). The resultant effect represents an addition of years to these adults’ life but has not been in a position to add life to the years they have lived. Considering the impact of religion to adults who have already accumulated so much wealth, life can only be added to their years when they are enjoying a good relationship with God who is able to provide them with absolute peace and understanding. More so, the presence of the good relationship enables the wealthy adults to consider better ways of multiplying their wealth instead of squandering it in earthly pleasures which may not bring them any sort of relaxation. On the contrary, it is more likely to cause losses as for instance, drunkards may use their money irresponsibly due to low reasoning capacity when under the influence of beer.
The wealthy adults find it easy to clean up air in order to live in very safe and clean environment but find it hard to have their souls become as pure. Therefore, their souls can only be termed as polluted with so much evils which they engage themselves in search of more and more wealth. This means that the world is full is cunning people who are engrain themselves with illegal ways of accumulating wealth as them consider them more easy in comparison to a situation where they could have followed the right procedure to accumulate the same wealth.
What follows is that, these wealthy adults suffer guilt upon reflecting on their evils acts and instead of enjoying their accumulated wealth; they encounter instances of discontent, restlessness as well as confusion. Religion involvement is also a solution to a situation where the great wealth possessed by adults portrays an economic up soar but a social degradation.
In this respect a question that was formerly asked by Ronald Reagan concerning people’s placement in relation to the past forty years, would be answered in two ways. One would be that there is a very significant improvement in terms of material wealth which people have so far accumulated, but morally, the situation is worse than ever. The moral degradation currently experienced brings forth the opposite result happy moments that people should be celebrating as instead of celebrating most of them are suffering silently. With absence of religious involvement which brings satisfaction to the wealthy people’s lives, there exists a paradox where celebration is due to real incomes that have been doubled. People are also enjoying democracy, subsidized welfare rolls, shrunk military budgets as well as reduced inflation instances. However, most people have become ‘socially blind’ that they cannot realize the situation whereby these achievements have come with significant moral as well as social recession. Religion as a remedy to wealthy adults’ dissatisfaction is capable of catering for the worse results of social degradation.
Since wealth accumulation is normally accompanied by a considerably high rate of divorce, tripled suicide rate for teenagers, high rates of violent crime as well as prison population (Myers, 2000). Instead of people practicing the legal and religious way of getting married, they have continued to prefer cohabitation whereby which increases instances of sex before marriage. This is religiously unacceptable and statistics have shown that it has increased future divorce that is as well as a source of unhappiness and dissatisfaction.
Generally, the high divorce rate, increased prison population and violent crime, increased suicide rate as well as more instances of single parenthood than ever have resulted to a situation where people a now suffering a very high depression rate. However, if the same population put into good consideration living a rather religious life they would be able to reverse the situation by for instance engaging in very ‘clean business negotiations and marriage practices’ which would more or less bring let them experience happiness when enjoying their wealth.
Conclusion
It is clear that religion serves as a remedy to dissatisfaction experienced by the rather wealthy adults. This is a contradictory argument of the situation where it has been argued that religious does not only bring happiness to people’s lives but also some incidences of confusion as well as sadness (Myers, 2000). In comparison to the current life situation where despite of the significant wealth accumulation, people are still not happy, the kind of happiness and satisfaction resulting from religious involvement would be of great value when integrated in the wealthy adults’ lives. This is because, instead of experiencing dissatisfaction, they will be able to show contentment rather than greediness, hence peace in their undertakings (Myers, 2000).
References
Guest, A. (2006). Taking Sides: Clashing Views in Lifespan Development, McGraw Hill Contemporary Learning Series
Guest, A. (2008). Taking Sides: Clashing Views in Lifespan Development, McGraw-Hill
Myers, D. (2000).Wanting more in an age of plenty, retrieved April 2000, from http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:sMZ2eF__SBsJ:www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2000/april24/6
Zaleski, E. & Schiaffino, M. (2000). Religiosity and sexual risk-taking behavior during the transition to college. Journal of Adolescence.
