Social motives in group membership

The aims of science and spirituality differ in their applications and the reason they exist. Whereas spirituality appreciates the sacred and a search for meaning beyond what is apparent and our own reasons, the purpose of science exists to discern the order that exists between and among various facts (MacDonald, 2011). Spirituality is not interested in what it can prove or disprove and it is not necessarily based on fact, which is what science is limited to (Sharpe & Bryant, 2005, p. 91). Science cannot measure or even answer questions about faith and God (MacDonald, 2011). It does, however, have the ability to measure the effects of spirituality on someone’s happiness and well-being. This being the case, I feel that there will always be a dualistic relationship between the two.

In my experience, there has been very little reason for me to search for proof of a higher being or knowledge that sought to justify my beliefs. Whereas I know that spirituality promotes connection with others, a sense of purpose and or meaning in my life, and experiencing positive emotions (MacDonald, 2011), I am not interested in why. Many of the people I know are the same. Science wishes to understand the why, but the reasons are well beyond what non-scientists are interested in. People inherently want to believe in something (Ferriss, 2002). If it gives them a greater sense of purpose and makes them happy, that is enough for them.

Humans will always want to know the root of things. They will continue to long and desire for knowledge. This is something that drives us as a species. In the scientific community, wonder causes us to ask questions, then test those questions against a method in order to find the answers we need. Once those answers are found they need to be replicable, parsimonious, precise, and falsifiable. In spirituality, these constraints do not exist but it does not stop people from wondering. Spirituality serves purposes that science can only hint at. There is happiness, order, structure, etc. Even if science has all of the answers or even most, it will not replace what people feel or long for. People want to believe, even in the face of science, that there is an omnipotent being out there who loves them, wants good for them, and guides their lives (Pargament et al., 1990).

Some of the earliest questions arise from children who ask who and where God is. They want to know how God makes it rain or why He takes a life. As a child, I used to be terrified of death because I did not understand it. Science provided a better answer to me rather than my religious beliefs at the time. I used to watch King Kong and wonder why the natives took a giant animal as their god. After all, they only worshipped him out of fear. However, humans realize that dilemma, so they make the objects of their affection a divine being of love, not wrath or punishment. Questioning is an essential part of strengthening a belief.

I had not always been interested in a search for a higher being and I did not care about my spiritual nature despite the fact that I grew up in a religious family. Many years ago when I attended my first college, I was searching to be part of something that gave my life a purpose, something with a bigger meaning than myself. I felt like there was a void in my life and I felt the need to search out those spiritual yearnings. In my search, I ended up with a particular religious group and found myself a couple of years later a part of a cult. In my search for religion and ultimately God, I aligned myself with a group of people who were seemingly in search of the same thing. Everyone who was new to the religion that came across this group ultimately felt like they were doing the correct thing. We were trying to worship God in the purest form without any additions or subtractions from the religion. For those who worshipped God differently, they earned our criticism and condemnation. We believed in the leaders of that community and followed their every word.

I felt a sense of belonging being part of that group. Of the many core social motives that psychologists have identified, belonging is one of the most basic. As individuals, our motives for belonging to the group helped the group thrive and survive, but it also helped us as members survive. For us, we existed in a world of uncertainty. A world in which only good and evil existed and we alone were destined for paradise. In being part of the group, we gained the group members’ acceptance which was essential, because we belonged to a religious belief whose members from other countries looked down on us because of our skin color. Many of us joined because it was made up mostly of the same race of people as we were. Similarity correlates with in-group membership, and for us that similarity was our religious belief and racial makeup.

Much like others, I joined the religion in search for God, but I joined the sect in search of self. Much like Tajfel (1979) proposed, I wanted to be a better person and I wanted to feel good about myself by being a part of that group. I stayed with the group because I felt that I had a place within it. I defended it against its critics and often pointed out the perceived hypocrisy I found within other groups of the same religion. I felt that I had a purpose.

After the first few years of being part of this group, I found myself, like many others, burnt out trying to live up to almost impossible ideals. If a member thought differently, or had a differing opinion, they were shunned from the community. Once a member was shunned, they found themselves unable to function outside of the group. They, at that point in time, were no longer part of the in-group and found themselves susceptible to the same criticism as other groups and individuals. As I studied and continued to study, I found my sense of self-esteem dwindling and my concept of self, diminishing. My self-identity was tied to the group identity. Others who were not part of the group referred to me by my group identity. It would take several years before I could learn to function without them.

Although, during the time I was with them for the first few years, I felt that my life had purpose. The group provide me a way to increase my self-esteem and feel like I belonged in the religion.

References

Ferriss, A. L. (2002). Religion and the quality of life. Journal of Happiness Studies, 3(3), 199–215. http://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020684404438 ↩
MacDonald, D. A. (2011). Studying spirituality scientifically: Reflections, considerations, recommendations. Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion, 8(3), 195–210. http://doi.org/10.1080/14766086.2011.599145 ↩1 ↩2 ↩3
Pargament, K. I., Ensing, D. S., Falgout, K., Olsen, H., Reilly, B., Van Haitsma, K., & Warren, R. (1990). God help me: (I): Religious coping efforts as predictors of the outcomes to significant negative life events. American Journal of Community Psychology, 18(6), 793–824. http://doi.org/10.1007/BF00938065 ↩
Sharpe, K. J., & Bryant, R. (2005). Has science displaced the soul? Debating love and happiness (Kindle Edition). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. ↩
Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. The Social Psychology of Intergroup Relations, 33(47), 74.