· + Words Essay on What Is Religion? Religion refers to a belief in a divine entity or deity. Moreover, religion is about the presence of God who is controlling the entire world. Different people have different beliefs. And due to this belief, many different cultures exist. Further, there are a series of rituals performed by each religion Estimated Reading Time: 4 mins Religion is the belief in a superhuman force, such as a god or gods, in a devoted and respectful manner. Religion is the basis of society in the fact that it gives people the opportunity to choose what they would like to believe in, and give individuals a sense of identity. In some cases, religion isn't chosen because people are born into it Essay about Religion. Type of paper: Essays Subject: Religion Words: Bonuses and discounts give up to. 20% OFF! Write my paper now! Religion is an integral part of the life of modern society. It is closely related to the social, economic and political areas of people’s lives
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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 essay.
Religion goes back to the beginning of the culture itself. It is a very ancient institution. There is no primitive society without religion. Image Courtesy : upload. Like other social institutions, religion also arose from the religion essay 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, religion essay. Judaism, Christianity, Islam Semitic religionsHinduism and Buddhism; Confucianism, Taoism and Shinto Chinese-Japanese religions etc. are examples of the great religions of the world. Religion is concerned with the shared beliefs and practices of human beings. It is the human religion essay 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 its origin religion essay the Latin word Rel I igio. This is derived from two root words. The second root refers to the carrying out those activities which link human beings with the supernatural powers.
Thus, we find that the word religion basically represents beliefs and practices which are generally the main characteristics of all religions, religion essay. Central to all religions is the concept of faith. Religion in this sense is the organisation of faith which binds human beings to their temporal and transcendental foundation.
By faith man is distinguished from other beings. It is essentially a subjective and private matter. Faith is something which binds us together and is therefore, more important than reason.
According to James G. Arnold W. Thus, religion essay, there are numerous definitions of religion given thinkers according to their own conceptions. As a matter of fact the forms in which religion expresses itself vary so much that it is difficult to agree upon a definition, religion essay.
Some maintain that religion includes a belief in supernatural or mysterious powers and that it expresses itself in overt activities designed to deal with those powers, religion essay.
Others regard religion as something very earthly and materialistic, designed to achieve practical ends. While it is possible to define religion as belief in God or some super-natural powers, religion essay, it is well to remember that there can also be a Godless religion as Buddhism. In sociology, the word religion is used in a wider sense than that used in religious books. A common characteristic found among all religions is that they represent a complex of emotional feelings and attitudes towards mysterious and perplexities of life.
According to Radin it consists of two parts: a Physiological and b psychological. The physiological part expresses itself in such acts as kneeling, closing the eyes, touching the feet. The psychological part consists of supernormal sensitivity to certain traditions and beliefs.
If we analyse the great religions of the world, we shall find religion essay each of them contains, five basic elements: 1 belief in supernatural powers, 2 belief in the religion essay, 3 ritual, 4 acts defined as sinful and 5 some method of salvation. The first basic element of religion is the belief that there are supernatural powers, religion essay. These powers are believed to influence human life and control all natural phenomena, religion essay.
Some call these supernatural forces God, other call them Gods. There are even others who do not call them by any name. They simply consider them as forces in their universe. Thus, belief in the non-sensory, super-empirical world is the first element of religion. There are certain holy or sacred elements of religion.
These constitute the heart of the religion. Religion essay are certain things which are regarded as holy or sacred. But a thing is holy or sacred not because of a peculiar quality of thing. An attitude religion essay a thing holy, religion essay. The sacred character of a tangible thing is not observable to the senses.
Sacred things are symbols. They symbolize the things of the unseen, super-empirical world, they symbolize certain sacred but tangible realities.
When a Hindu worships a cow, he worships it not because of the kind of animal the cow is, but because of a host of super-empirical characteristics which this animal is imagined to represent.
It includes any kind of behavior such as the wearing of special clothing and the immersion in certain rivers, in the Ganga for instanceprayers, religion essay, hymns, creedal recitations, and other forms of reverence, usually performed with other people and in public. It can include singing, dancing, weeping, crawling, starving, feasting, etc. Failure to perform these acts is considered a sin, religion essay.
Each religion defines certain acts as sinful and profane unholy. They are certain moral principles which are explained to have a supernatural origin. It is believed that the powers of religion essay other world cherish these principles. It may also bring upon him the disfavour of the supernatural powers.
If the behaviour is not in accordance with the religions code, religion essay, the behaviour or act is considered as sinful. A method of salvation is the fifth basic element of religion. Man needs religion essay method by which he can regain harmony with the Gods through removal of guilt.
In Hindu religion Moksha or Salvation represents the end of life, the realisation of an inner spirituality in man. The Hindu seeks release from the bondage of Karma, which is the joy or suffering he undergoes as a result of his actions in his life. The ultimate end of life is to attain Moksha, religion essay. The Buddhist hopes to attain Salvation by being absorbed in the Godhead and entering Nirvana.
In short, religion is the institutionalised set of beliefs men hold about supernatural forces. It is more or less coherent system religion essay beliefs and practices concerning a supernatural order of beings, forces, places or other entities. Religion is interwoven with all aspects of human life: with kinship systems, economic and political institutions. It has shaped domestic, economic and political institutions.
Hence, it is obvious that religion performs a number of functions both for the religious group and for the wider society. These functions of religion are discussed bellow.
Religion may be said to help in the struggle for societal survival. Rushton Coulborn has shown that religion played a crucial role in the formation and early development of seven religion essay civilisations: Egyptian Mesopotamian, religion essay, Indian, Cretan, religion essay, Chinese, Middle American and Andean.
Religion in each of these societies gave its members the courage needed for survival in an unfavourable environment, by giving explanations to certain aspects of the human conditions which could not be explained in a rational manner.
In present societies religion also performs this role. By relating the empirical world to the super-empirical world religion gives the individual a sense of security in this rapidly changing world. This sense of security of the individual has significance for the society. Religion acts as a unifying force and religion essay, promotes social integration in several ways.
Religion plays an important part in crystallising, symbolising and reinforcing common values and religion essay. It thus provides support for social standards, socially accepted behaviour. Common faith, values and norms etc. are significant in unifying people. As the individuals perform rituals collectively their devotion to group ends is enhanced, religion essay. Through a ritual individual expresses common beliefs and sentiments. It thus helps him to identify himself more with his fellows, religion essay to distinguish himself more from members of other groups, communities or nations.
By distinguishing between holy and unholy things, religion creates sacred symbol for the values and this symbol becomes the rallying point for all persons who share religion essay same values. The cow as a sacred symbol of the Hindus, religion essay, for example, is a rallying point which gives cohesion to Hindu society. Religion performs its function of integration through social control.
It regulates the conduct of individuals by enforcing moral principles on them and by prescribing powerful sanctions against them for violation, religion essay.
It is the ultimate source of social cohesion. The primary requirement of society is the common possession of social values by which individuals control the actions of self and others and through which society is perpetuated.
These social values emanate from religious faith. Religion is the foundation upon which these values rest, religion essay. Children should obey their parents, should not tell a lie or cheat, women should be faithful to men; people should be honest and virtuous are some of the social values which maintain social cohesion.
The five major world religions - John Bellaimey
, time: 11:10Sample Essay on Religion - Essay Writing Help
Religion, according to Mrs. Kieffer, is “a set of beliefs and rituals based on a unique vision of how the world ought to be”. Religion has been a significant role in the lives of the everyday person, and while it has been a major factor in the history of humans, – creating hope and faith [ ] · + Words Essay on What Is Religion? Religion refers to a belief in a divine entity or deity. Moreover, religion is about the presence of God who is controlling the entire world. Different people have different beliefs. And due to this belief, many different cultures exist. Further, there are a series of rituals performed by each religion Estimated Reading Time: 4 mins blogger.com ️ Current Issues in Religion, Essay Example from students accepted to Harvard, Stanford, and other elite schools. Back to School Offer Get 20% of Your First Order amount back in Reward Credits! Get 20% of Your First Order back in Rewards. All papers examples
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