So what do I mean by religion helps us with things that make us alive rather than happy ?
Sometimes preachers tell us that Christianity / the Holy Spirit / Jesus comforts the uncomfortable and discomforts the comfortable. It may be trite but there is a lot of truth in this so long as we are clear about what is meant by comfort.
The word in old English is subtly different from the way it is used in modern English. For example, it used to be possible to comfort a statue. This meant to position it on its plinth so that it has a snug fit. Today we would think the statue was upset!
The other story is that King Harold is shown on the Bayeux Tapestry's depiction of the Battle of Hastings, comforting his troops at the point of his spear. I've no idea whether this is true or not but I've illustrated this article with a possible scene from the tapestry.
However, the point is to be comforted is to be engaged. This is what religion does for us, it doesn't make us happy but it does invite us to be engaged with the world with all its pains as well as it pleasures.
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