People need to believe in something. Without some ideas, people have no aims, they do not have a plan to follow. Religions have provided people with meaningful goals. Religions have become an indispensable part of people’s lives. Be it Christianity, Islam, or Buddhism people strive for having their gods. However, like anything in this world, any religion has two sides. It can have positive as well as negative effects on people.
As far as positive effects are concerned, it is possible to mention such psychological effects as inner peace and security. It is manifested in the following: people who practice an organized religion have significant plans to follow as they know (or, at least, have rules that teach them) how to live and why they should live that way. There is also a social effect as people united by a religion get together. They help each other, and they do not leave each other in difficult situations, which is very important for an individual.
As for the negative effects of organized religion, suppression of individuality can be named as one of the most serious negative effects. Thus, people are taught how to live, and sometimes these rules are too strict. Some religions are characterized by almost total control over an individual. Another negative effect is social. People of some religions can be hostile to other groups, which leads to main confrontation and even conflicts.
However, it is necessary to note that positive effects outweigh the negative ones as quite a few religions are suppressing and hostile to other religions. At that, people without a plan become frustrated and depressed. Religions give people a sense of unity and self-efficacy. It helps people get together, which is crucial for humans who are very social creatures.