How Religion Addresses Our Intrinsic Motives

Professor Steven Reiss proposed an original scientific theory about how our intrinsic motives play out in religion. This theory is based on two premises: Premise 1 is that the search for meaning gives rise to religion; Premise 2 is that the 16 basic desires are elements of meaningful human experience. If these premises are valid, we should expect to find numerous connections between the 16 basic desires and religious practices and beliefs. In this series, we explore some of the principles of Professor Reiss’s psychological theory of religious experience.

Principle 2: Nearly every religious story, symbol, or experience in Christianity and Judaism expresses one or more of the 16 basic desires.

?Here are some examples:

• Acceptance – God as Savior

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on

it. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the

throne, and books were opened. And the dead were judged by

what was written in the books, according to what they had done

(Revelation 20:11-15).

The idea of God’s judgment comes from ancient Egypt where Osiris, the god of the underworld, was believed to sit in judgment of the dead. At the time of the historical Jesus, doomsayers in the Jewish faith believed that God would resurrect the dead and then judge each person who ever lived, saving the righteous and damning the wicked. Similarly, modern Catholicism teaches that God judges each of us upon our death, saving some for the blissful Kingdom of God while damning others to the fires of Hell. From a psychological perspective, the Day of Judgment is the greatest imaginable source of evaluation anxiety. God either accepts us or rejects us for all Eternity.

• Family – God as Father

And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and

daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty (2 Corinthians 6:18).

God’s parental nature is revealed in the Christian Trinity. Christians believe God loves us as a father loves his children. Jews also worship God as a parental figure.

• Honor – God as Perfect Goodness

How great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast stored up for

those who fear Thee, which Thou hast wrought for those who

take refuge in Thee, before the sons of men (Psalms 31:19)!

One of God’s attributes is perfect goodness. Further, he established the laws governing moral behavior through the Ten Commandments given to Moses, and he is conceived as opposing the ultimate source of evil, the Devil himself. We do not merely honor God. We worship him because no one is more honorable than God.

• Independence – God as Self-Sufficient

And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM … (Exodus 3:14).

The Judeo-Christian God is imagined as a pure spirit who exists without anyone or anything else. He doesn’t need oxygen, food, or water. He doesn’t need money, and he doesn’t need friends. Philosophers have described God as absolute freedom.

• Order – God as Eternal Order

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD… (Jeremiah 29:11).

In the story of creation, God imposes order on a formless earth. He is viewed as eternal and immutable; there will always be God, and he will always be the same. We also are taught God has a divine plan for each of us. From a psychological perspective, religious rituals are related to orderliness and cleanliness.

• Power – God as Creator and Lord

By the word of the LORD the heavens were made. Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done (Psalms 33:6-12).

The story of creation expresses not only the basic desire for Order but also the basic desire for Power. God is so powerful he can do anything at all including creating the universe.

• Tranquility – God as Protector

I am thy shield (Genesis 15:1).

The Judeo-Christian God is infinitely serene because he has nothing to fear. He often is portrayed as a protector who looks after us and who may intervene to help us when we need him most.

In summary, the Reiss Motivation Profile? identifies the 16 basic desires that drive our behavior and that make our lives meaningful. Based on the premise that the search for meaning gives rise to religion, it is not surprising that religious beliefs, practices, and symbols address the basic desires of human nature.

To learn more, visit www.reissmotivationprofile.com.

?

?