Why Take Religion Seriously?

“MAN cannot live on bread alone.” (Matthew 4:4, The New English Bible) These oft-quoted words touch upon a human need that many have lost sight of today. They indicate that we have a spiritual part to our makeup that needs to be satisfied. That is why the one speaking those words, Jesus Christ, also said: “How blest are those who know their need of God.”​—Matthew 5:3, NEB.

Only religion can fill our “need of God.” Only religion can answer our basic questions regarding the origin, purpose, and meaning of life. And only religion can give real meaning and substance to our lives. But not just any religion will do all of this. Jesus told a Samaritan woman: “The true worshipers will worship the Father with spirit and truth.” (John 4:23) Worshiping ‘with truth’ means more than following time-honored traditions and rituals. These often give adherents little more than a temporary feeling of well-being, while leaving them spiritually hungry.

For example, Edwin O. Reischauer, former U.S. ambassador to Japan, observed: “Shinto and Buddhism are for most people more a matter of custom and convention than of meaningful beliefs.” Granted, many Japanese people are content to have it this way. But a crop of “new religions” in Japan reflect a growing dissatisfaction with traditional religion.

The “new religions” tend to focus on charismatic leaders​—not God. Many of these religious leaders claim to have been divinely inspired. But their doctrines are generally little more than a melting pot of Buddhist, Shinto, and other beliefs​—with a large dose of the founder’s philosophy thrown in. Their appeal often lies in the promise of a better life and claimed mystical or healing powers. But do such religions give evidence that they are teaching their adherents to worship “with spirit and truth”? Hardly. For one thing, religious cults tend to be here today and gone tomorrow. Their fadlike nature gives little reason for taking them seriously.

A Religion to Be Taken Seriously

There is a religion, however, that has been around longer than any other form of worship. It is the religion taught in the Holy Bible. The Bible began to be written some 35 centuries ago, and some of the ‘histories’ preserved in its early chapters date back more than a thousand years beyond that.a It contains the oldest records available on the origins of religion. That alone is reason to give the religion of the Bible serious consideration.

The Encyclopedia Americana says concerning the Bible: “Its light ‘has gone out into all the world.’ It is now viewed as an ethical and religious treasure whose inexhaustible teaching promises to be even more valuable as the hope of a world civilization increases.” But if a book is really a believable guide to the true religion, would you not expect it to have the widest circulation, to be accessible to all truth seekers?

Such is the case with the Bible. It has been translated into 1,928 languages, in whole or in part, and it is the most widely circulated book in history. Further, it has proved to be historically and scientifically sound. Archaeology and history testify to the accurate fulfillment of Bible prophecies. It is free from all forms of spiritism and mysticism and the occult. All of this is consistent with the Bible’s own claim that it is divinely inspired.b​—2 Timothy 3:16.

The “Fruits” of True Religion

But is it not true that many religions claim to follow the Bible? And is not strife, enmity, and hypocrisy evident among many who claim to be Christians? Yes, but this is no reason to disregard the Bible. Jesus Christ himself indicated that the majority of those making a profession of Christianity would be disapproved by God. (See Matthew 7:13, 14, 21-23.) How, then, would one be able to identify those practicing the true religion taught in the Bible? Jesus answered: “By their fruits you will recognize them. Never do people gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles, do they? Likewise every good tree produces fine fruit, but every rotten tree produces worthless fruit. Really, then, by their fruits you will recognize those men.”​—Matthew 7:16, 17, 20.

Yes, true religion should be a powerful force for good, producing beneficial effects among worshipers. Take, for example, Akinori, a Japanese man who, in his own words, “became the personification of a competitive spirit.” He successfully attained his goals of graduating from a leading university and getting a job with a prestigious firm. He felt no reason to put religion in his life. ‘Religion is for the weak who need a crutch in life,’ he thought.

Everything was going smoothly until, as a result of stress and fatigue, he came down with a serious disease. His neck became twisted, and his chin was “frozen” at his left shoulder. Many “friends” at Akinori’s company proved to be of little comfort in his time of distress. (Compare Proverbs 17:17.) So he sank into the deep pit of alcoholism and even considered taking his life.

In time, though, Akinori’s wife started studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses. One day in the course of conversation, she told him of the scripture at Galatians 6:7, which reads: “Whatever a man is sowing, this he will also reap.” Struck by these words, Akinori joined her in the study, and what he learned changed his view of the meaning of life. As Akinori’s outlook brightened, his stress-induced suffering began to disappear! As a Bible proverb puts it: “A calm heart is the life of the fleshly organism.” (Proverbs 14:30) Yes, true religion produces fine fruitage!

Toshiro is another Japanese man who came to see how the true religion could be a force for good. Although he believed that there was value in practicing religion, he did nothing about it. His interest was focused on acquiring a house of his own. Attaining that goal, however, did not bring the satisfaction he anticipated. Furthermore, as he looked around his workplace, he observed that dishonest practices were common and that bad personal relationships resulted from them. Toshiro was disgusted by what he saw.

One day his wife invited an elder from the local congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses to visit him. Toshiro immediately discerned that the elder was different from his colleagues. The reason? The elder was sincerely applying Bible principles in his life. Impressed by this, Toshiro accepted the invitation to study the Bible and began making the religion of the Bible his way of life.

We invite you also to become acquainted with Jehovah’s Witnesses. Their “fruits” give evidence that they are worshiping “with spirit and truth.” They take pains to put the Bible’s teachings to work in their lives. And while as individuals they are far from perfect, as a group they demonstrate how powerful a spiritual force for good true religion can be.

Thousands among the Witnesses were at one time unhappy with their way of life. But through applying Bible principles, many of them have been able to make impressive changes. By cultivating what the Bible calls “the fruitage of the spirit,” namely, the qualities of love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, and self-control, they have found the key to personal happiness.​—Galatians 5:22, 23.

Eternal Benefits From Practicing True Religion

True religion, however, must do more than transform personalities or ease personal problems. Global problems such as pollution, the threat of nuclear war, and environmental exploitation threaten to ruin our beautiful planet. Economic problems stifle the happiness and well-being of millions. No religion can be taken seriously unless it offers some hope for solving these global problems.

The religion of the Bible offers such hope. God promises to usher in a righteous new world under a heavenly government, or “kingdom.” (Matthew 6:9, 10; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:3, 4) This Kingdom is the panacea for all mankind’s ills. And regarding the permanency of such earth-wide benefits, the Bible assures us: “The world is passing away and so is its desire, but he that does the will of God remains forever.” Yes, everlasting life in happiness is the hope of every true Christian! (1 John 2:17) But only those who have taken seriously the practice of true religion will benefit from this coming Kingdom. We therefore urge you to begin a serious study of the Bible.c (John 17:3) As you begin letting the light of God’s Word shine into your life, you will experience great joy as your ‘need for God’ is filled, step-by-step. Indeed, eternal blessings will become yours because you took religion​—the true religion—​seriously.

[Footnotes]

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The Bible’s availability in over 1,900 languages is consistent with its claim of being divinely inspired

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The religion of the Bible holds out the hope of peaceful conditions worldwide under a heavenly government