Is Wicca bad?

[Constantinopolis]

Wiccans may not believe in Satan, but Satan influences them.

only according to your religion not ours

Most people who have a religion believe that their religion is true, not merely a matter of interpretation. So "according to his religion" = "the truth, in his opinion".

For the record, I believe that Wicca is entirely man-made, and Satan probably has no influence over it at all. There's really nothing Satanic about it; the themes don't match. In order for something to be Satanic, it would have to be based on selfishness and egoism as the supreme values.

So, you know, something like Ayn Rand's views. Now that is Satanic.

[Qubec]

Satan is a being that promotes hate and violence

Eh, the original Satan wasn't like that, but that is how most modern Christians see him, so I see your point.

I, of course, agree that Wicca is not satanic in the least.

I assume than when people talk about satan they are talking about the way modern christians see him

[The Grey Wolf]

Source for where Satan figures into any version of the Wiccan belief system, plz? As far as I'm aware, Satan is strictly a figure in (some versions of) the Christian mythos.

Wiccans may not believe in Satan, but Satan influences them.

On one hand, your post is absolutely batshit insane, on the other, it gives me an excuse to link this.

[Qubec]

Here is a simple outline of Wiccan Beliefs, keep in mind that these vary from one person to another

1. We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal Quarters and Cross Quarters.

2. We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility toward our environment. We seek to live in harmony with nature in ecological balance offering fulfillment to life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.

3. We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that apparent to the average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary it is sometimes called ‘supernatural’, but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.

4. We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity – as masculine and feminine – and that this same Creative Power lies in all people and functions through the interaction of the masculine and the feminine. We value neither above the other knowing each to be supportive of the other. We value sex as pleasure as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energy used in magical practice and religious worship.

5. We recognize both outer worlds and inner, or psychological worlds sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconsciousness, the Inner Planes etc – and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magical exercises. We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.

6. We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.

7. We see religion, magick and wisdom in living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it – a world view and philosophy of life which we identify as Witchcraft – the Wiccan Way.

8. Calling oneself ‘Witch’ does not make a Witch – but neither does heredity itself, nor the collecting of titles, degrees and initiations. A Witch seek to control the forces within her/himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and without harm to others and in harmony with nature.

9. We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness giving meaning to the Universe we know and our personal role within it.

10.Our only animosity towards Christianity, or towards any other religion or philosophy of life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be ‘the only way’ and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practice and belief.

11. As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the craft, the origins of various terms, the legitimacy of various aspects of different traditions. We are concerned with our present and our future.

12.We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as ‘Satan’ or ‘the Devil’ as defined by Christian tradition. We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.

13.We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well-being.

[Dooom35796821595]

Wiccans may not believe in Satan, but Satan influences them.

On one hand, your post is absolutely batshit insane, on the other, it gives me an excuse to link this.

What is it? I can't see it.

[Reploid Productions]

Source for where Satan figures into any version of the Wiccan belief system, plz? As far as I'm aware, Satan is strictly a figure in (some versions of) the Christian mythos.

Wiccans may not believe in Satan, but Satan influences them.

Not a source. If you're going to claim Satan has anything to do with another belief system, gonna need more than "Because I say so!" to back that one up.

While not Wiccan myself, I don't believe it is any better/worse than any other spiritual system. Actually, its decentralized nature and lack of a single controlling hierarchy kinda appeals to me. But then I'm not a big fan of religious hierarchies, given I'm of the firm opinion that a person's spirituality (or lack thereof) is a highly personal thing that cannot truly be dictated to them by any other person. Coached and advised, "Maybe you should try doing X and see how it works for you," sure. Dictated and commanded, "If you don't do X, you're doing it wrong!" not so much.

[Norstal]

Let me put this in modern terms for you.

If I took a variety of stereotypes, misconceptions, and some actual practices of various unrelated Native American tribes, mashed them together into one system, and claimed to have founded my own Native American tribe, can you tell me on what level that is not disrespectful?

In principle, the idea is the same.

so your saying that almost every religion ever created is disrespectful

Maybe most modern, popular religions, but certainly not all of them.

[Constantinopolis]

Here is a simple outline of Wiccan Beliefs, keep in mind that these vary from one person to another

1. We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal Quarters and Cross Quarters.

2. We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility toward our environment. We seek to live in harmony with nature in ecological balance offering fulfillment to life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.

3. We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that apparent to the average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary it is sometimes called ‘supernatural’, but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.

4. We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity – as masculine and feminine – and that this same Creative Power lies in all people and functions through the interaction of the masculine and the feminine. We value neither above the other knowing each to be supportive of the other. We value sex as pleasure as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energy used in magical practice and religious worship.

5. We recognize both outer worlds and inner, or psychological worlds sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconsciousness, the Inner Planes etc – and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magical exercises. We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.

6. We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.

7. We see religion, magick and wisdom in living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it – a world view and philosophy of life which we identify as Witchcraft – the Wiccan Way.

8. Calling oneself ‘Witch’ does not make a Witch – but neither does heredity itself, nor the collecting of titles, degrees and initiations. A Witch seek to control the forces within her/himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and without harm to others and in harmony with nature.

9. We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness giving meaning to the Universe we know and our personal role within it.

10.Our only animosity towards Christianity, or towards any other religion or philosophy of life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be ‘the only way’ and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practice and belief.

11. As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the craft, the origins of various terms, the legitimacy of various aspects of different traditions. We are concerned with our present and our future.

12.We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as ‘Satan’ or ‘the Devil’ as defined by Christian tradition. We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.

13.We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well-being.

See, that's my problem with Wicca - none of those points even address the main questions that religion is supposed to answer:

What is the purpose of life?
How should I live my life?
Why does death exist, what does it mean and what comes after it (if anything)?

In addition, some points - especially #12 - are flat-out wrong. You don't think absolute evil exists? Oh, it does. Speak to a survivor of genocide and they will describe it to you. There are unspeakable atrocities in this world, which entirely deserve the name "absolute evil."

[Qubec]

Here is a simple outline of Wiccan Beliefs, keep in mind that these vary from one person to another

1. We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal Quarters and Cross Quarters.

2. We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility toward our environment. We seek to live in harmony with nature in ecological balance offering fulfillment to life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.

3. We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that apparent to the average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary it is sometimes called ‘supernatural’, but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.

4. We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity – as masculine and feminine – and that this same Creative Power lies in all people and functions through the interaction of the masculine and the feminine. We value neither above the other knowing each to be supportive of the other. We value sex as pleasure as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energy used in magical practice and religious worship.

5. We recognize both outer worlds and inner, or psychological worlds sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconsciousness, the Inner Planes etc – and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magical exercises. We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.

6. We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.

7. We see religion, magick and wisdom in living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it – a world view and philosophy of life which we identify as Witchcraft – the Wiccan Way.

8. Calling oneself ‘Witch’ does not make a Witch – but neither does heredity itself, nor the collecting of titles, degrees and initiations. A Witch seek to control the forces within her/himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and without harm to others and in harmony with nature.

9. We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness giving meaning to the Universe we know and our personal role within it.

10.Our only animosity towards Christianity, or towards any other religion or philosophy of life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be ‘the only way’ and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practice and belief.

11. As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the craft, the origins of various terms, the legitimacy of various aspects of different traditions. We are concerned with our present and our future.

12.We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as ‘Satan’ or ‘the Devil’ as defined by Christian tradition. We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.

13.We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well-being.

See, that's my problem with Wicca - none of those points even address the main questions that religion is supposed to answer:

What is the purpose of life?
How should I live my life?
Why does death exist, what does it mean and what comes after it (if anything)?

In addition, some points - especially #12 - are flat-out wrong. You don't think absolute evil exists? Oh, it does. Speak to a survivor of genocide and they will describe it to you. There are unspeakable atrocities in this world, which entirely deserve the name "absolute evil."

We live by the wiccan rede it says " An it harm none, do what ye will". And some things are unknown to us. Unlike other religions we simply will admit that we do not know.

[Norstal]

See, that's my problem with Wicca - none of those points even address the main questions that religion is supposed to answer:

What is the purpose of life?

Christianity answers this?

[Qubec]

Here is a simple outline of Wiccan Beliefs, keep in mind that these vary from one person to another

1. We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal Quarters and Cross Quarters.

2. We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility toward our environment. We seek to live in harmony with nature in ecological balance offering fulfillment to life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.

3. We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that apparent to the average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary it is sometimes called ‘supernatural’, but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.

4. We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity – as masculine and feminine – and that this same Creative Power lies in all people and functions through the interaction of the masculine and the feminine. We value neither above the other knowing each to be supportive of the other. We value sex as pleasure as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energy used in magical practice and religious worship.

5. We recognize both outer worlds and inner, or psychological worlds sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconsciousness, the Inner Planes etc – and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magical exercises. We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.

6. We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.

7. We see religion, magick and wisdom in living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it – a world view and philosophy of life which we identify as Witchcraft – the Wiccan Way.

8. Calling oneself ‘Witch’ does not make a Witch – but neither does heredity itself, nor the collecting of titles, degrees and initiations. A Witch seek to control the forces within her/himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and without harm to others and in harmony with nature.

9. We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness giving meaning to the Universe we know and our personal role within it.

10.Our only animosity towards Christianity, or towards any other religion or philosophy of life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be ‘the only way’ and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practice and belief.

11. As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the craft, the origins of various terms, the legitimacy of various aspects of different traditions. We are concerned with our present and our future.

12.We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as ‘Satan’ or ‘the Devil’ as defined by Christian tradition. We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.

13.We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well-being.

See, that's my problem with Wicca - none of those points even address the main questions that religion is supposed to answer:

What is the purpose of life?
How should I live my life?
Why does death exist, what does it mean and what comes after it (if anything)?

In addition, some points - especially #12 - are flat-out wrong. You don't think absolute evil exists? Oh, it does. Speak to a survivor of genocide and they will describe it to you. There are unspeakable atrocities in this world, which entirely deserve the name "absolute evil."

And with the afterlife it depends on what part of wicca you practice. For example I think we will be reincarnated until we can truly live the Wiccan Rebe, then when we can we go to a place of everlasting summer

[Constantinopolis]

We live by the wiccan rede it says " An it harm none, do what ye will". And some things are unknown to us. Unlike other religions we simply will admit that we do not know.

What is "harm"? Physical harm? Emotional harm? Intentional harm? Unintentional harm? Is harm objective or subjective? If the latter, who decides if something was harmful? If the former, what are the objective standards by which we judge harm?

Yeah... too much room for interpretation.

[Soldati Senza Confini]

Recently I have noticed an increase of thing Wiccan in my area. Some new Wiccian shops have been opened and has caused an uproar in my community. Many people seem to think of Wicca as evil and something against god. What do you think NSG? Is Wicca "bad"? Why or why not?

For those of you who do not know what wicca is ---> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicca

As a Wiccian myself i think wicca is very misunderstood. Wicca is a religion of peace, tolerance, and respect for others and the environment. I thin if people did their research and really studied Wicca and new what we really are we would be more accepted.

Wicca is not bad really.

It's the same as any other religion, as long as you don't harm others and that's your message I'm okay with it.

[Qubec]

We live by the wiccan rede it says " An it harm none, do what ye will". And some things are unknown to us. Unlike other religions we simply will admit that we do not know.

What is "harm"? Physical harm? Emotional harm? Intentional harm? Unintentional harm? Is harm objective or subjective? If the latter, who decides if something was harmful? If the former, what are the objective standards by which we judge harm?

Yeah... too much room for interpretation.

all of the above

[Norstal]

We live by the wiccan rede it says " An it harm none, do what ye will". And some things are unknown to us. Unlike other religions we simply will admit that we do not know.

What is "harm"? Physical harm? Emotional harm? Intentional harm? Unintentional harm? Is harm objective or subjective? If the latter, who decides if something was harmful? If the former, what are the objective standards by which we judge harm?

Yeah... too much room for interpretation.

Just like Christianity? Again, the same problems you have with Wicca are the same problems Christianity shares. Otherwise there wouldn't be so many denominations out there.

[Nature-Spirits]

Wiccans may not believe in Satan, but Satan influences them.

While not Wiccan myself, I don't believe it is any better/worse than any other spiritual system. Actually, its decentralized nature and lack of a single controlling hierarchy kinda appeals to me. But then I'm not a big fan of religious hierarchies, given I'm of the firm opinion that a person's spirituality (or lack thereof) is a highly personal thing that cannot truly be dictated to them by any other person. Coached and advised, "Maybe you should try doing X and see how it works for you," sure. Dictated and commanded, "If you don't do X, you're doing it wrong!" not so much.

I completely agree.

We live by the wiccan rede it says " An it harm none, do what ye will".

Honestly, while I used to believe in the Wiccan Rede, I've since lost much faith in it. I still believe in a form of it (i.e. I believe that, for instance, if you destroy a bunch of people's lives for no particular reason your life will, eventually, fall apart and you will probably not die peacefully of old age), but I've seen too many people get away with terrible things to believe in it totally and completely.

See, that's my problem with Wicca - none of those points even address the main questions that religion is supposed to answer:

What is the purpose of life?

Christianity answers this?

^ This.

[Soldati Senza Confini]

Here is a simple outline of Wiccan Beliefs, keep in mind that these vary from one person to another

1. We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal Quarters and Cross Quarters.

2. We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility toward our environment. We seek to live in harmony with nature in ecological balance offering fulfillment to life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.

3. We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that apparent to the average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary it is sometimes called ‘supernatural’, but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.

4. We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity – as masculine and feminine – and that this same Creative Power lies in all people and functions through the interaction of the masculine and the feminine. We value neither above the other knowing each to be supportive of the other. We value sex as pleasure as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energy used in magical practice and religious worship.

5. We recognize both outer worlds and inner, or psychological worlds sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconsciousness, the Inner Planes etc – and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magical exercises. We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.

6. We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.

7. We see religion, magick and wisdom in living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it – a world view and philosophy of life which we identify as Witchcraft – the Wiccan Way.

8. Calling oneself ‘Witch’ does not make a Witch – but neither does heredity itself, nor the collecting of titles, degrees and initiations. A Witch seek to control the forces within her/himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and without harm to others and in harmony with nature.

9. We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness giving meaning to the Universe we know and our personal role within it.

10.Our only animosity towards Christianity, or towards any other religion or philosophy of life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be ‘the only way’ and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practice and belief.

11. As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the craft, the origins of various terms, the legitimacy of various aspects of different traditions. We are concerned with our present and our future.

12.We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as ‘Satan’ or ‘the Devil’ as defined by Christian tradition. We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.

13.We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well-being.

See, that's my problem with Wicca - none of those points even address the main questions that religion is supposed to answer:

What is the purpose of life?
How should I live my life?
Why does death exist, what does it mean and what comes after it (if anything)?

In addition, some points - especially #12 - are flat-out wrong. You don't think absolute evil exists? Oh, it does. Speak to a survivor of genocide and they will describe it to you. There are unspeakable atrocities in this world, which entirely deserve the name "absolute evil."

I think that by absolute evil they mean we can't point at one single thing and say "this is the most evil thing in the universe and it should be exterminated". In that view there are different degrees of evil, with the bottom layer being that which for us is most unacceptable, but there's not one single thing that can be said it is evil.

[Empire of Narnia]

Yes. It is a pointless "religion" created by edgy teenagers who want to dress in black and perform fake magic spells. If ya wanna cast spells, go play Skyrim. At least you'll see some cool effects in the video game. I don't consider Wicca much of a threat, it's more something to be laughed at.

[The Grey Wolf]

See, that's my problem with Wicca - none of those points even address the main questions that religion is supposed to answer:

What is the purpose of life?
How should I live my life?
Why does death exist, what does it mean and what comes after it (if anything)?

In addition, some points - especially #12 - are flat-out wrong. You don't think absolute evil exists? Oh, it does. Speak to a survivor of genocide and they will describe it to you. There are unspeakable atrocities in this world, which entirely deserve the name "absolute evil."

And with the afterlife it depends on what part of wicca you practice. For example I think we will be reincarnated until we can truly live the Wiccan Rebe, then when we can we go to a place of everlasting summer

But I prefer winter.

Also, another problem with Wicca: the overtly sunshine image of the world. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wicca, if my memory serves, claims that if someone died young that means they learned everything they came here for, and that they're simply going on to the next life or the summer world or whatever.

[Qubec]

We live by the wiccan rede it says " An it harm none, do what ye will".

Honestly, while I used to believe in the Wiccan Rede, I've since lost much faith in it. I still believe in a form of it (i.e. I believe that, for instance, if you destroy a bunch of people's lives for no particular reason your life will, eventually, fall apart and you will probably not die peacefully of old age), but I've seen too many people get away with terrible things to believe in it totally and completely.
[/quote]

AS i said i believe in reincarnation so I think that they will be reincarnated until they can get it right and that is their punishment

[Soldati Senza Confini]

See, that's my problem with Wicca - none of those points even address the main questions that religion is supposed to answer:

What is the purpose of life?

Christianity answers this?

Yea, I'm not sure there's even one single interpretation within Christianity as to what is the meaning of life that I have encountered that doesn't differ from person to person.

[Qubec]

And with the afterlife it depends on what part of wicca you practice. For example I think we will be reincarnated until we can truly live the Wiccan Rebe, then when we can we go to a place of everlasting summer

But I prefer winter.

Also, another problem with Wicca: the overtly sunshine image of the world. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wicca, if my memory serves, claims that if someone died young that means they learned everything they came here for, and that they're simply going on to the next life or the summer world or whatever.

and again it depends on which branch of Wicca you practice, I am not going to claim I know everything because not knowing is part of the religion

[Soldati Senza Confini]

only according to your religion not ours

Most people who have a religion believe that their religion is true, not merely a matter of interpretation. So "according to his religion" = "the truth, in his opinion".

For the record, I believe that Wicca is entirely man-made, and Satan probably has no influence over it at all. There's really nothing Satanic about it; the themes don't match. In order for something to be Satanic, it would have to be based on selfishness and egoism as the supreme values.

So, you know, something like Ayn Rand's views. Now that is Satanic.

Oh come on, she's a lightweight.

Try post-Randian Objectivists.

[Constantinopolis]

See, that's my problem with Wicca - none of those points even address the main questions that religion is supposed to answer:

What is the purpose of life?

Christianity answers this?

Yes. Our answer is that the purpose of life is to "become Christ-like" - to draw closer to God and prepare for union with Him in the afterlife. This is to be achieved through repentance and communion and through making an effort to avoid sin as much as possible. Ideally, we should be self-effacing, seeing no distinction between ourselves and other human beings, "loving others as ourselves", because that is how one prepares oneself for union with God. Every human being is an image of God - to achieve unity and harmony with one another is what is required if we are to achieve unity with God. When we fail to live up to this ideal, we must repent, and try again.

Well, at least that's the Orthodox Christian answer, anyway.
...for the union of all, let us pray to the Lord...

Other religions have their own answers.

[Soldati Senza Confini]

Christianity answers this?

Yes. Our answer is that the purpose of life is to "become Christ-like" - to draw closer to God and prepare for union with Him in the afterlife. This is to be achieved through repentance and communion and through making an effort to avoid sin as much as possible. Ideally, we should be self-effacing, seeing no distinction between ourselves and other human beings, "loving others as ourselves", because that is how one prepares oneself for union with God. Every human being is an image of God - to achieve unity and harmony with one another is what is required if we are to achieve unity with God. When we fail to live up to this ideal, we must repent, and try again.

Well, at least that's the Orthodox Christian answer, anyway.
...for the union of all, let us pray to the Lord...

Other religions have their own answers.

I thought that was actually the answer to the how must we live our lives part of the religion, not the why are we here part.