Final answer:
Melford Spiro identified that religion satisfied the needs for understanding spiritual mysteries, providing emotional comfort in crises, and creating social support and cohesion.
Step-by-step explanation:
Melford Spiro suggested that religion satisfied three main desires. Firstly, religion provides answers to spiritual mysteries, answering existential questions such as the creation of the world, the reason for our suffering, and the possibility of an afterlife. These explanations give individuals a sense of understanding and a framework for interpreting their own existence. Secondly, religion offers emotional comfort during times of crisis, providing a source of solace and support through rituals and beliefs that help individuals to cope with life's challenges. Lastly, religion facilitates social support and cohesion, creating a community of individuals who share similar values, beliefs, and rituals, further strengthening the social fabric. These functions highlight how religion plays a critical role in individual and social life by addressing human needs for understanding, comfort, and social connection.