...Religion 133 Religion There have been thousands of definitions of religion. Some scholars define religion as a belief in one or more gods, or in the supernatural beings. But this would not include all religions for some religions have a belief in the way of living vice beliefs. Religion could perhaps be best defined as man’s attempt to achieve the highest possible good by adjusting his life according to a higher cause. The majority of the western hemisphere practice Christianity but there are other prominent denominations that are included in the make-up of the United States. Every religion includes ethics, or codes of conduct. But religion is more than codes of conduct. Religion asks us to parallel our own life in accordance with our belief, of what our superior would agree with. Religion is so powerful that many nations have fought one another in defense of their religion. From the beginning of time religion has been part of mankind. Religion traditions In all religions that the belief of the forces that surrounds it becomes part of our daily lives. These forces are called deity. Deity are pratices we submit ourselves to in order to meet the requirements’ of our beliefs. Some religions practice fasting as part of their belief while other practice sacrifice while other maybe observed through ceremonies and observances...
Words: 790 - Pages: 4
...consequences of religious intolerance, and finally explain how religion connects with our culture. Our team discovered while looking at different religions that there were many religions than what we will define here. It is certain that a discussion about religion will at some point bring up the subject matter of there being so many different religions, and do they have any common components. Our group agreed that although that are many differences, there are some similarities, impacting four basic areas, such as : what people believe, what people do, what people think, and what people feel. For many people religion is their way of life. David Barrette in an a weekly column writes, “it is well known that those who think about their own religion often work hard to establish what they believe to be the correct interpretation for the time in which they live.” Another thing to take into consideration before moving on to the next definition is behavior. Behaviors of religion according to David Barrette could include rituals, meditation, and prayer, much of this list is learned after joining a particular religion, and again these all in turn become a way of life. In each particular religion, most members live very close to others practicing the same religion for comfort, strength, and in order to keep growing stronger in order to help newer members as they begin their way of life. The definition of tolerance as it applies to religion may be different depending on who is answering the question...
Words: 2492 - Pages: 10
...The right to religion : The last century has witnesses many conflicts between ethnic grous that rsulted in many victims as wars and havoc dominayed . no one can forget the Bosna was where the Serbians conflictd with the muslims and killed millions of them in group graves . this was raised voices to call for the freedom of reliogion and the freedom to practice religious rituals withot any prevention or obstacles . there are millions of muslims live in all parts of the world like in America and Australai . they have bee treated unfairly in recent times due to the terriorstic attacks on the world trade tower. Also other religions in the area are treated on the basis of their ehnic groups . india for example hosts more than hundred of ethnic groups and religions . the launch of the human rights involved the human right to practice his religion when ever he wants and feely without any barriers . there are mnay voices that support this right while still some countries impose obstacles and annoyance to the small groups within their countries . I have found that this topic is very important to andle and to talk about since human right of religion is very important in the world where people are attributing bad events and attacks to certain religions . the Islamic values preent terrorism and call for peace and good manners . all wars in the current decade and in the previous decades have been are based on the ethnic bsis since enemity has increased between relgions and there has been...
Words: 969 - Pages: 4
...Common Practices in Religion Vanessa Deason REL/133 May 4, 2015 Deborah Wilkinson Common Practices in Religion Religion has several different meanings. To some religion is a way of life or a basis for moral guidance. Religion can vary depending on geographical location, families, and personal beliefs. Different parts of the world practice different religions and have different traditions or beliefs. Religions have been studied for many years and there have been interesting results from these studies. What is religion? Religion can be defined in many ways. Webster’s dictionary defines religion as a belief in a god or gods. It also defines religion as a system of beliefs and ceremonies used in worshipping a god or gods. Rituals may be performed to worship the god or gods. Rituals may be a way for the believers to show gratitude, appreciation, or respect to the god or gods. Religion may be an answer to a moral dilemma or answer the unexplainable. For instance, many religions explain the creation of the earth by a powerful god or gods. The battle between good and evil has been around since the beginning of time and several religions address that battle and guide the religion’s followers on how to ward off bad and prosper. Rituals may be performed to ward off evil spirits or gods and to ask other gods for protection. Religions are as varied as those who believe. Therefore it is a very personal choice. Religion is practiced in every part of the world. There are...
Words: 834 - Pages: 4
...Rebecca Scales World Religions II Marilyn Flege May 9, 2013 Religion is the foundation of morality. Without religion, we would be living in a lawless society with no consequences. Organized religion has helped shape the society we live in today. Religion gives people something to believe in. The definition of religion is re·li·gion [ri-lij-uhn] noun 1.a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs. 2. A specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion; the Buddhist religion. 3. The body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices: a world council of religions. 4. The life or state of a monk, nun, etc.: to enter religion. 5. The practice of religious beliefs; ritual observance of faith. Religion is practicing your own set of beliefs and traditions. Having a belief in something gives people hope and faith that there will be better days in the future; that everything happens for a reason. Religion is something that you may very much practice, and it may be something that one doesn't even care for. Every religion has their own set of traditions that they practice. When it comes to Christianity, traditions that they practice are going to church...
Words: 786 - Pages: 4
...Religion and worship are a personal matter to most people. Discussing these matters with strangers, or writing about them may be difficult at the very least. I have never given deep thought to what my personal belief system is nor have I written out or explored my thought processes on religion. I have always thought what my belief system is what it is. I have never studied the Bible and I do not have such strong convictions that my ideas cannot change. While science continues to evolve and try to explain everything in the universe one thing remains constant on Earth, almost all humans, no matter where he or she live, have some sort of religious belief or religious tradition. Their beliefs may be structured and a commonly held conviction of a traditional religion or it may be something such as atheism. My personal beliefs are as follows; I believe in an all empowering entity. I believe in God. My belief in the trinity is as follows, God is the Heavenly Father, His son Jesus Christ came to Earth and died to atone for the sins of man, the Holy Spirit is within each person as long as the individual believe in God and Jesus Christ. I cannot explain how I came to these beliefs. My family has never been overly religious and we never attended church so my beliefs were not ingrained from birth. Me religious belief system is almost like an entity that you cannot grasp, I have it in my heart and mind but it is probably cannot be explained in writing. I was raised in a predominately...
Words: 1181 - Pages: 5
...RELIGION: MEANING AND NATURE Religion is an almost universal institution in human society. It is found in all societies, past and present. All the preliterate societies known to us have religion. Religion goes back to the beginning of the culture itself. It is a very ancient institution. There is no primitive society without religion. Like other social institutions, religion also arose from the intellectual power of man in response to certain felt needs of men. While most people consider religion as universal and therefore, a significant institution of societies. It is the foundation on which the normative structure of society stands. It is the social institution that deals with sacred things, that lie beyond our knowledge and control. It has influenced other institutions. It has been exerting tremendous influence upon political and economic aspects of life. It is said that man from the earliest times has been incurably religious. Judaism, Christianity, Islam (Semitic religions), Hinduism and Buddhism; Confucianism, Taoism and Shinto (Chinese-Japanese religions) etc. are examples of the great religions of the world. Meaning of Religion: Religion is concerned with the shared beliefs and practices of human beings. It is the human response to those elements in the life and environment of mankind which are beyond their ordinary comprehension. Religion is pre-eminently social and is found in nearly all societies. Majumdar and Madan explain that the word religion has...
Words: 1429 - Pages: 6
...Hindu Religion Hinduism is one of the oldest organized religions in the world. The religion has thousands of diverse religious groupings that evolved in the Indian subcontinent from as far as 1500 BC. The Hindu religion has a variety of traditions, and, therefore, freedom of practices and beliefs are some of the notable feature of this religion. Hinduism includes the following traditionsVaishnavism, Srauta, and Shaivism, among others (Georgis 62). The religion has groupings such as Kapalikas. Hinduism has a variety of philosophies which include a spectrum of prescriptions as well as laws based on dharma and karma among other societal norms. By 21st century, it is reported that the Hindu religion had about a billion followers around the globe, and about eighty percent of Indians practices Hinduism. Hinduism differentiates itself from Christianity and other religions in that; the religion does not have a single founder, a single concept of deity, a central religious authority, a single system of morality, a concept of prophet, or a specific theoretical system. These are some of things that are found in other religions. Early history of Hinduism is a subject to numerous debates, and this is because of various reasons. First, the term Hinduism is a modern term but the sources of Hindu traditions are exceedingly ancient. Secondly, the religion embraces many traditions. Thirdly, there is no definite start point for Hinduism, and the traditions associated with...
Words: 1609 - Pages: 7
...words, what does religion look like. The mean important point in the earth, people try to make meaning to their life. As result, they keep looking for the right way to allow them understand this meaning through many fields such as, religion, philosophy, arts. But the most famous one is religion. Religion is traditions practices and belief system that is based on the belief of a supernatural or higher power. According to David B. Barrett. There are twenty two major religions on Earth each of these religions represents people with especial view of life and set them with different beliefs and practices, however the bottom-line to considered societies are a religion ones; they need not only believe in supernatural, but they should participate in their own kind of tradition action sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss aerfsdfsadfsfasddddddssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss religious — in other words, what does religion look like. The mean important point in the earth, people try to make meaning to their life. As result, they keep looking for the right way to allow them understand this meaning through many fields such as, religion, philosophy, arts. But the most famous one is religion. Religion is traditions practices and belief system that is based on the belief of a supernatural...
Words: 264 - Pages: 2
...The Religious Life of Planet Earth Strayer University REL 211 World Religion Deborah Sarmiento Professor: Zipporah Glass November 3, 2012 THE RELIGIOUS LIFE OF PLANET EARTH 2 The Religious Life of Planet Earth Upon arriving on the planet Earth it is my job to determine if people on earth are religious. To determine this I will try to find out what religion is and what it looks like. Secondly, I will try to describe three examples of behaviors or beliefs of religion observed and then I will explain what the function of religion appears to be on Earth. In conclusion, I will try to determine how else my observations could be interpreted. According to the dictionary religion is defined as a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs. Religion implies a group of believers concerned with matters thought to be sacred. It involves a specific set of beliefs and specific set of rituals. It also involves notions of the right way to live. Discuss three examples of behaviors or beliefs observed that meet religious criteria. It seems that America has always been a religious country. It is generally accepted that more than half the American people attended a place of worship over a weekend. Most Americans attend services on Sunday...
Words: 836 - Pages: 4
...Although the belief structures of the people of this region are similar in many ways they are also different in many ways as well. Today the people commonly referred to as Hindus prefers to be called Sanatana Dharma, meaning eternal religion (Fisher, 2005). Hindus multifaceted belief structure and lack of a uniting belief system has not weakened the religions strong hold on the people of India, in fact the diversity is welcomed. Hinduism has a significant impact on the culture and society of this particular region of the world. Their desire for liberation from earthly existence is similar to many other religions around the world. Understanding these key components of the Hindu religion is an important first step to grasping a better understanding of what Hinduism is all about. Differing and uniting Hindu beliefs Hinduism is a unique religion because its followers do not share the same exact belief in the same “God” or deity. In fact, some believe in multiple Gods. Such as God of Thunder, God of Drink, and Goddess of Dawn. The Rig Veda is the oldest known Vedic scriptures. In this scripture the Hindus are taught about these multiple Gods or devas (Fisher, 2005). Other Hindus, such as the Upanishads, believe there are 1000s of deities that exist as spiritual leaders that help connect them to a higher power. While the exact beliefs in deities are not the same within the various religions that make up Hinduism, there are some common beliefs that hold true to all who practice this...
Words: 851 - Pages: 4
...J. Carpenter 1 Sociological Perspectives on Religion By John Carpenter Sociology B1 CRN 12345 John Carpenter January 1, 2012 J. Carpenter 2 Emile Durkheim (1995: Original 1912) defined religion as a unified system of beliefs, rituals, and practices that define and express the nature of sacred things in relationship to the profane things of the world and, from a sociological perspective, the importance of religion as a social institution cannot be overstated. Consider the fact that literally all major world religions promote a standard of behavior in keeping with the tenets of their particular system of belief. And, with few exceptions, this behavior is motivated by an individual desire for a positive experience in this life and hopeful expectations of an eternal life to come. This individual standard of behavior is shared by a community of believers and practised as a group within the context of the larger society. As a result, religion can have a considerable degree of influence over every other social institution and the nature of the various beliefs, rituals, and practices acquire a cultural significance. Functionalism In support of the functionalist perspective, and in keeping with a macro approach to sociology, Durkheim (1995: Original 1912) placed a far greater emphasis on the collective life or community than he did on the individual. The nature of individual behavior was always considered in relationship to the degree of influence held by...
Words: 1562 - Pages: 7
...Why the Word Religion Good? Religion is an organized institute that shapes the way of individual's life accompanied by the worship of superhuman powers or other gods. Various theories tried to explain the validity of the word religion. Huston Smith is one of the most dedicated scholars who studied about religion, and contributed a lot for understanding of various religions. In his The World’s Religions vividly explains the belief, concept, and practice of different religions. Even though the names, symbols, the way of worship, and practices of the religions are unlike, their ultimate goal is alike, to build morality within the followers. The word is universally accepted by individual followers who worshiping various deities. Based on the...
Words: 490 - Pages: 2
...explore the basic beliefs, spiritual perspectives on healing and the critical components of healing such as prayer, medication and beliefs. It will also explain what is important to people of those particular faiths when cared for by health care providers whose spiritual beliefs differ from their own. In the conclusion, it will explain how the spiritual perspectives from different faiths should be incorporated in the health care progress by medical professionals so that they don’t interfere with their patients’ beliefs and practices. D’souza (2007) warns that doctors and clinicians should not “prescribe” religious beliefs or activities or impose their religious or spiritual beliefs on patients. Introduction The philosophy of providing health care may differ depending on the faith diversity in the world. Different religious groups have different spiritual perspectives on healing and may also believe in different components of healing. This study therefore explores the Buddhism, Bhai and Judaism faiths and compares them with the Christian philosophy of faith and healing. Buddhism Buddhism is an Indian religion that encapsulates a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama who is commonly known as the Buddha. Buddha means “the awakened one” or “the enlightened”. Between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE, Buddha lived and taught in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent. Buddhism remains the dominant religion in the Far East and...
Words: 1694 - Pages: 7
...Elements of Religious Traditions Paper When speaking about religious beliefs, many things can come to your mind and need to be considered. When beginning this topic let’s start off with defining what “religion” means According to "Dictionary" (2013), “it is a set of beliefs usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often have a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs “. By this definition we can say that religion has personal meanings depending on the individual’s beliefs or what they are influenced by. In the following paper elements of religion will be introduced, the relationship with divine will be reviewed followed by the relationship with sacred time, the relationship with scared space, and lastly an examination of how these all relate to each other will be conducted. This paper will also review the critical issues that are presented when studying religion. Relationship with Divine In religious beliefs when speaking about divine the first thing that comes to mind for me is what is called a deity, considered to be supernatural people that are considered being sacred and divine. The meaning of the word divine is “godlike” which makes deities to be perceived as divine because of their supernatural powers individuals believe they have. But not in every religious belief do they have deities’ some beliefs such as; According to Molloy and Hilgers (2010), “The religion Zen Buddhism does not worship a divine being” (Chapter 1). Others such as for example...
Words: 730 - Pages: 3
