Religion is a way to respond to the sometimes unanswerable questions in life. Religion is used to look for the ultimate meaning, and the purpose to these questions, when answered they can give a peace of mind to people. In our society today there are five main religions practiced in the world, these are; Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Buddhism. The eight characteristics of a religion include cultic practices or rituals, beliefs, sacred stories, social structure, sacred texts, sacred symbols, religious ethics and religious experiences. Out of the 5 major religions I have chosen Buddhism.…
Religions provide and teach a system of ethics which help us determine between right and wrong conduct. Religions provide answers to questions that we may not otherwise be able to answer. To truly understand the meaning of religion a definition is not sufficient as it omits the motivation of believers, which is the Identity - Religion can give us a sense of belonging that may otherwise escape us, and connect with others who feel the same way. Family and Culture – many people all over the world become associated with the practice of religion through their family or because of a cultural connection. When asked why they follow a faith system, many people respond, “Because I was raised that way.”…
Arelys Loriga Professor Theology 9 October 2015 Not religiously different after all In a world with many different countries, ethnicities, and cultures comes a variety of religious groups, such as Hinduism, Santeria, and Scientology. Religion is a sort of belief that people acquire from either a family tradition or personal beliefs. Religion tries to generate an explanation for many things, for example, why the earth was created and what purpose does human life have.…
The text written by Rick Rogers is a brief introduction to give students an idea of what to expect in the course. This text also builds a foundation needed for future endeavors within the course. As stated previously, the assigned text written by Rick Rogers is written with a purpose of creating the foundation needed to venture into the enigma of religion. The foundation consists of defining key terms, understanding origins, how to categorize religions, and understanding the methodologies of approaching religion (historical and scientific).…
Religion is a powerful idea, but that’s all it is is, it’s an idea that constitutes the need for human curiosity. What makes a religion, a religion, is an idea that gives people hope, it acts guideline for which a person to base their ideals on, and most importantly, it is a humble reminder that humans are one big family, a community working together, for better and brighter…
Understanding Religion AS90826: Analyse the response of a religious tradition to a contemporary ethical issue Credits: 6 Hina Patel What has been the response of Catholicism to the issue of abortion? 1. Explain in detail a contemporary ethical issue, and break it down into essential features Abortion “is the medical process of ending a pregnancy so it does not result in the birth of a baby.”…
The Definition of Religion Perhaps one of the hardest words to define on the societal and personal level is religion. The ideas in which this one word encompasses has been the cause of countless wars, crusades, misconceptions, and prejudice but also gives millions the sense of hope in dark times, community, moral codes, and a reason for existence. However, while religion often affirms that a supreme being is the founder, the ideas and moral codes brought forth can also shape families, communities, and countries. Therefore, when attempting to assign a definition, it is important to define religion as a whole idea, what it is based upon, and its societal functions rather than how each group of people worships their gods or lack of gods. As…
Specifically during this time, common religious beliefs provide natural boundaries for communities to develop. Religion can be defined as a belief and/or worship in a superhuman controlling power such as one single God or multiple gods. Religion aims to provide individuals with a greater perception of life. It allows a greater…
What does it mean to be Buddhist? There are many ways to interpret what it means to be a Buddhist. Buddhism is a religion that has faith in in customs, views and divine practices that are based on the teachings of Gautama Buddha. The Buddha referred to his religion as “finding peace in oneself”. Buddhism is all about finding inner peace and being content with oneself.…
In the beginning of the this course I believed that religion consisted of worshipping a God or a higher power, but through the semester I have realized that religion does not have to revolve around a God or Gods. Through the analyzation of a variety of religions we can see that religion is a common set of beliefs among a numbered amount of people that involves ritual practices that create a meaning to life. I came to this definition, though it is far from perfect, by looking at the different religions and what they encompass. Several religions such as Buddhism do not worship a God but they still come together with their common beliefs and motivations to practice certain rituals. While some religions have several Gods and Goddesses such as Hinduism…
As we continue to explore the depths of religion and the Christian faith this semester I have learned that religion influences greatly all the areas of my life. One of the topics that we have discussed in class that I feel is very important and influential, is the stages that are involved when a system of belief is forming. Before taking this class the concept of believing and how the Christian faith is developed in someone seemed to me like a spiritual mystery. I always saw faith as a gift that has been bestowed by God unto others. Now though I have understood that belief starts of by learning how to trust others in the childhood phase.…
According to Jeffrey Mahan, “religion includes the various ways in which human beings and their communities relate to the sacred, including their beliefs and practices and the way they have created institutions to organize and contain the sacred”…
Religion and its accompanying world view reflects the values of the culture which practices that religion as exhibited in the ancient world cultures of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. In Mesopotamia, it is evident that the religion and world view of the Sumerians reflects the values of their culture based upon their negative outlook on life and the inability they had to trust their gods to take care of them. In Sumer, peoples were afraid of unexpected floods and possible raids by outsiders, which according the Kidner, “this gave the Sumerians a pessimistic outlook on life.” The pessimistic Sumerians believed that these uncertainties in life were caused by their unpredictable gods. The Sumerians believed they could influence the gods in order to make the world more secure, which caused their culture to focus mainly on pleasing and persuading the gods.…
Religion plays a huge role in our daily lives. Rather your religious practice is Judaism, Christianity, Amish, Buddhism, Hinduism, atheism, etc., religion seems to shape minds and have a part of every society. “Over the past 100,000 years, no group of people anywhere on earth have been found that did not practice some type of religion (Haviland, 2011)” In researching religion, I’ve found that most religions work towards positive change within its members, in return brings positive change in society.…
Why do groups of people need a religious system in order to form stable cultures and societies? In his address before the Farmington Trust, philosopher Edward Goldsmith argues the importance of religion as a control mechanism for a stable society. He discusses a philosophy in which, “(Religion) provides a goal, whose achievement must ensure the society’s stable relationship with its environment, and a means of achieving this goal, i.e. a ‘hierarchical organisation of instructions or guidelines.’” (Goldsmith) In order to illustrate this organization, provided for by religion, and vital to a stable society, aspects of Ancient Greek culture are highlighted.…