What Is Religion



What Is Religion

Introduction

Most of the people state that religion is derived from a Latin word 'religare' that means 'to bind' or 'to tie'. This appears to be preferred on the idea that it contributes in explaining the power of a religion. The Oxford English Dictionary shows, that the word's etymology is doubtful. Previous authors, for instance, Cicero linked the word with relegere that means to read over again, probably to highlight the ritualistic character of religion. Few of the people claim that religion is not present - only culture exists.

Discussion

Religion is a collection of cultural systems, world views and beliefs that are organized and it relates humanity to spirituality and supernatural dynamics. Majority of the religions have sacred histories, symbols and narratives that are supposed to describe origin or meaning of life or Universe. They are likely to derive ethics, preferred lifestyle, religious laws and morality from the beliefs about human nature and cosmos. According to little estimation, there are around four thousand and two hundred religions around the world. Majority of religions might have ordered clergy, behaviors, scriptures and holy places (Tomoko, 2007). Religion practices even involves sermons, festivals, public service, funerary services, gods and goddesses, music, matrimonial services, art, prayer, rituals, initiations, veneration of a deity or commemoration, meditation, dance, feasts, other features of human culture, sacrifices, and trance. Religion might even include mythology.

The religion's definition tends to experience a couple of obstacles: these are either very much narrow and leave out numerous belief systems that many accept are religious, or they are very much ambiguous and vague, telling that everything or anything is religion. The narrow definition's good example is an ordinary effort to define the religion as a 'belief in God,'' efficiently leaving out atheistic religions and polytheistic religions where as counting ...