Religion Essays

Christianity Of Religion Essay
Religion: the best thing to ever happen to humanity or the one thing that is holding us back? While
there are many arguments and testimonies that support either side, there is a clear answer. Religion,
specifically judeo–christianity, in the western world has an array of disastrous issues ranging from
bias teachings to abuse and hate crimes. There are countless examples of ways in which religion has,
and is continuing to regress society's views and morals. Ignorance and disdain from scientific fact,
fear to act upon natural human impulse, innumerable human rights violations and of course wars on
religion, are topics rarely discussed due to the concern of offending those who have a relationship
with the creator. I will not be discussing the...show more content...
Stephen Hawking, one of the greatest minds of our time said "Before we understood science, it was
natural to believe that God created the universe, but now science offers a more convincing
explanation." He is absolutely correct. It is human nature to seek explanations for life's big
questions. Therefore, back when there was no understanding of much at all, the concept of God
provided all the answers. Now, however, with research and evidence to back up discoveries, it is
irresponsible to completely reject them. In history, an example of this is Galileo's theory of
Heliocentrism. Because society was ruled by a theocracy at the time, it was said that the earth was
the center of the universe and the sun revolved around it. Galileo's theory that the earth revolves
around the sun and the sun was the center of the universe, although not entirely correct, was an
important breakthrough for science. Galileo was convicted for having opinions that challenge
scripture and was sentenced to house arrest until he died. Although nothing this extreme occurs in
the western world today, not much has changed in terms of belief. Today, most churches have
realized how ineffectual it is to fight science, and have claimed that there are in fact no
contradictions between science and religion. This is a case of telling rather than showing. If
churches still continue to believe in events such as God creating the universe in six
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Reflection Paper On Religion And Religion
During the course of this class, I have learned a lot about different religions. I still have an
unprejudiced view of religion. However, I did not suspend my belief to have an understanding of
religion. I have been able to learn of other religious beliefs without feeling threatened of my own. I
found there are many different practices in other religions, some I agree with and some I do not
agree with. I have come to except others, ways of worship without getting upset. I have become
humble in my conclusion now that I have a better understanding of others beliefs. The world seems
to jump to conclusions and be judgmental about other religions. Postponing ones judgement on a
religion is a difficult thing to do. Being raised and taught a certain religion and set of beliefs is
distilled in to one's mind. I, on the other hand, reserved my personal judgement until I have
learned more about it. I have come to know of religions other than my own, and each has different
ways of worship. By taking the time to learn the different religions of the world has helped me
with understanding what others believe. In learning of others beliefs will help me in recognizing
the way they dress, act and respond. Religion runs deep in different cultures all over the world, and
with many it is sacred, symbolic, and law. Religion brings people together in time of need such as
deaths, destruction or pain, also in celebration of birth and marriage.
Cooley 2 What I found most surprising

Religion Essays
Introduction
Religion has many classifications, such as tribal, classical, transcendental and cosmological, usually
based on one's belief and understandings. Religion also has many definitions, usually based on one's
experience. A particular definition that I found was Religion originates in an attempt to represent
and order beliefs, feelings, imaginings and actions that arise in response to direct experience of the
sacred and the spiritual (Connelly, 1986). Religion also has many characteristics such as rituals,
symbols and myths which play in an important part in how religion is viewed. We will take a look
on how the definition, classification and characteristics of religion and how it ties into our
understanding of the universe and...show more content...
When fire was introduced, they had to have an explanation for it. The fire became sacred, a
mysterious manifestation of power and presence that is experienced as both primordial and
transformative, inspiring awe and rapt attention (Connelly, 1986). How did this fire become to be?
How can they control it? How could they ask for it? They became to believe that fire was provided
by a God, the living giving source, as a way to survive. They started to worship fire, offering
sacrifices for guidance and protection. The fire then became a God, possibly the individuals or
tribes protector. As monotheism took over the world, what became sacred changed. Now tangible
things like people and relics unlike nature became more sacred, stars and planets weren't Gods,
but part of a universe created by One God. The spiritual is a perception of the commonality of
mindfulness in the world that shifts the boundaries between self and other, producing a sense of
the union of purposes of self and other in confronting the existential questions of life (Connelly,
1986). With the sacred (such as fire), people started to believe in Gods, creators of fire, lightning,
and other unexplainable events. But what was left? Where did their people go after death? Who
else is there to help them when God isn't around? A cat acts strange, a dog starts barking at its
owner, and then they wonder. What if

Essay Christianity
Christianity is the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Most followers of
Christianity, called Christians, are members of one of three major groups––Roman Catholic,
Protestant, or Eastern Orthodox. These groups have different beliefs about Jesus and His teachings.
But all consider Jesus central to their religion. Most Christians believe God sent Jesus into the world
as the Savior. Christianity teaches that humanity can achieve salvation through Jesus. Jesus lived in
Judea (later called Palestine), a Middle Eastern land ruled by the Romans. The Romans crucified
Jesus about A.D. 30. Jesus' followers were convinced that He rose from the dead, and they soon
spread Christianity to major cities throughout the...show more content...
Two practices important to Christian worship usually take place in churches. These practices are
(1) baptism and (2) the Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or the Lord's Supper. The
ceremony of baptism celebrates an individual's entrance into Christianity. The Eucharist
represents the Last Supper, the final meal that Jesus shared with His disciples. Worshipers share
bread and wine in the Eucharist as a sign of their unity with each other and with Jesus. Christians
see Jesus as continuous with the God of Judaism. A collection of Christian writings was added to
the Jewish scriptures known as the Old Testament, or Hebrew Bible. The Christian writings,
called the New Testament, record the life and teachings of Jesus. They also describe the
development of the early church and explain what faith in Jesus means. The Christian Bible
includes both the Old and New Testaments. Some Christian groups also accept as part of the Bible
a collection of writings called the Apocrypha. The origin of Christianity Jesus' ministry.
Christianity originated in the ministry of Jesus. During His lifetime, Jesus preached the gospel,
meaning good news, that God was coming to earth to be among His people in a special way. Jesus
called this special way the Kingdom of God. He warned His listeners to repent their sinful ways to
be ready for the approaching Kingdom of God. In urging

A History of Religion Essay
Running head: A HISTORY OF RELIGION
A History of Religion Learning Team B: Nikki Gibbs, Antonio Rodney, Deborah Saude, Dan Hugo,
David Sullivan University of Phoenix History of Western Civilization to the Middle Ages HIS/112
Whitney Bell June 20, 2009
A History of Religion
When humans first became religious is unknown. What we do know is that religion has grown
from carvings of rocks and paintings on cave walls into vast libraries of knowledge and magnificent
structures of spiritual worship. We have gone from worshiping our ancestors to worshiping powerful
deities and nature. Your beliefs have...show more content...
Celtic Christianity refers to the branch of Christianity, which was unique to the peoples of the British
Isles during the early Middle Ages. Although there is some debate over exactly when and how
Christianity got to the British Isles, there is no doubt that it firmly established by the 2nd Century,
because Ireneaus, the Bishop of Lyon, had significant interaction with them. They started to integrate
the Gods and Goddess of their ancestors with the Saints of the Christian churches. The Goddess
Bridge became St. Bridget. Several festivals since Christianized such as Samhain, which turned into
the ever–popular Halloween and Beltane, now know as the Feast of St. John the Baptist.
Undoubtedly, even without the guidance of the Empire, Christianity had influenced this people and
their religion which gracefully flowed from a once primitive and ghastly rite, to a more modern and
civilized structure. Roman persecution of the Christian Religion The Christian religion began
spreading throughout Rome after Jerusalem was seized by Pompey in 63 B.C.E. He was careful not
to interfere with their religion and even left them under the control of the Jewish high priests and the
Jews were even excused from making sacrifices to the Roman gods. During this time there was no
persecution by the Romans but things would soon change. The beginning of the Roman persecution
of the Christians started with

Religion, Religion And Religion
When discussing religion, many people have different perspectives about religion beliefs and how to
approach it. Religion is grouped in different sections such as, religion and spirituality, religion and
philosophy, and religion and politics. Religion has many different views from different cultures
because everyone approaches it differently with different beliefs also. To make somethingreligion, is
to have some type of belief in God, but everyone's belief is different depending on the culture
someone is located in. In society back then and today, religion has no set essence of a definition
because of the different aspects people group religion in. This paper will explain the different
aspects of what people believe constitutes different types of religion. The different approaches in
how many people define religion gives different effects on how people actually group the word in
different categories. According to the book "introduction to the study of religion" the authors gives a
brief statement about how religion is interpreted. They state two definitions "1. Religion is
awareness expressed through symbols of relationship to, or participation in, the fundamental power
of life. And 2. Religions are symbol systems that facilitate relationship to, or participation in, what
the members understand to be the fundamental power of life." (Ring, Nash, MacDonald, and
Glenmon, p 79). This explanation the book gives explains why it is so difficult to define religion.
There are

Religion Is A Social Institution Essay
Religion is a social institution dedicated to establishing a shared sense of identity, encouraging
social integration, and offering believers a sense of meaning and purpose. Even though the
participation of religious practices varies from place to place, it still continues to be a major force
in the world and in individual lives. Each religion has unique content to it. Usually that includes a
supernatural realm, such as heaven, but that does not necessarily mean it is outside our world.
There are two ways to describe religion. First, sacred encompasses elements beyond everyday life
that inspire respect, awe, and even fear. People interact with the sacred realm through practices
such as praying or sacrifice. These practices help people accept what they cannot understand. The
sacred realm exists in contrast to the profane, which includes the ordinary and commonplace.
Different religions define their understanding of sacred and profane in different ways. A
functionalist perspective focuses less on what religion is and more on what religion does, with a
particular importance and how it contributes to social order. Religion does not need to have gods
or goddess, or an afterlife, because almost any social practice that strongly unites people and has a
strong following, such as being a sports fan can have the same function as a religion. Emile
Durkheim defined this functionalist approach with three focuses. First, it is important to have a
unified system of beliefs. Each

Defining Religion Essay
Defining Religion
The most fundamental question when examining a religion is "what is religion?" That is a
distinctly hard question to answer considering that what is ordinarily considered to be religion is
not all it is, and what many consider not to be religion may be near religious (i.e. sports).
The truth is that there are no genuine answers to the question of "what is religion". Definitions of
religion tend to suffer from one of two problems: they are either too narrow and exclude many of
the belief systems which most people will agree are religious, or they are too vague and ambiguous,
leading one to conclude that just about any and everything is actually a religion. Thus defining
...show more content...
This assumption often tends to confirm for the student the value of being religious.
There are basically two approaches students tend to adopt when studying religion. The first is a
dogmatic approach, which assumes that the truth about God is "out there" to be grasped by us
human beings. The second approach is that of the sceptic, who assumes there is no way we can
grasp any knowledge of God.
Interestingly, dogmatists and sceptics seem to share a common assumption because they both
believe that what we find as a result of studying God or religion will be something objective,
something quite distinct from the investigator's own heart and mind. They differ only in how they
view the "object" towards which the religious search is directed. Dogmatists believe this object must
lie at least partly within the grasp of human knowledge, whereas sceptics believe it does not.
But how should a religion be examined? There is no recipe in doing this, but there are certain rules
which can be followed.
(1) First, the study of religion requires comparison and contrast. That means when we study
religion, we have always to ask ourselves what we are doing and why we are doing it. The study of
religion always involves

What Is Religion Essay
Religion is a hard concept to comprehend. It is showing us a different side to look at our life. Instead
of having hard facts that can be physically proven, religion shows us to take a leap of faith and
believe the impossible. In The Nature of Existence Charles Messer says: "Religion is simply a
system of actions meant to give you access to God and Heaven. (eternal Life)". In my faith I am
taught that we are created by a higher being; God. That He is omnipotent and he loves all human
beings, even if we do not believe in him and follow him. That he sent his only son, to die on the
cross for all of us. Other religions may say the opposite: that there is more than one god and that
Jesus was not the messiah. Edward and people with...show more content...
People who have a strong faith in what they believe in, and will say that their religion is the true
religion. I am one who believes that my religion is the correct. But like Nancy says; I have created
my own religion. I discovered my own belief system, by challenging other religions and figuring
out what others have to say about their own beliefs. Brother Jed Smock is one who challenges
our faith, by going to college campuses and spreading his beliefs onto others. What he talks about
at the colleges, causes the students to question and challenge Brother Jed's beliefs. While asking
these questions, the students have to also look at their own beliefs and may question them as
well. To truly grasp our religion we need to ask questions and find answers. One of the best ways
to do this is to challenge others and to break down the answer they have provided. It strengthens us
and takes our beliefs to a whole new level.
Believing in something is a way of life. Everyone has some kind of belief system. We can believe
that there is a God or believe that there is no God. This is the same as an opinion: we all have
opinions on everything no matter what. If no one had an opinion then there would not be
discussions or arguments.(Without this progress could not be made) Whether or not we belive in
a religion or science or even both, there is a reason why we do. It is a way to explain things we
cannot explain (it is a way to ease our

What Is Religion?
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. Religion has its connections, some more than others,
with politics, economic, social norms, behavior, and almost all parts of life. With some religions,
just going to church and praying isn't enough. Some "religions" are a way of everyday life because
of the traditions and beliefs that are followed. Not all religions have withstood the test of time, wars
and corruption have destroyed many. Many...show more content...
The basic goal of achieving salvation is the basic common goal of both faiths. Meditation is a key
element to find one's identity and detach from reality. Goals and mediation have their similarities
within the beliefs, but how each is applied has some variance. Variance is present in the early
beginnings of both religions. The most notable difference is the presence of Gods in Hinduism, but
no Gods in Buddhism. The social structure present in Hinduism is not accepted in Buddhism
teachings. It's important to understand the similarities and differences because of the popularity of
these religions. We can compare and contrast these ways of life with our own religion. Both of
these religions used to be very popular but new religious movements and more a more rebellious
society have caused these faiths to fade in the homeland. Before we know it, Buddhism and
Hinduism could cease to exist like many other religions that have come and

What Does Religion Mean To Me Essay
My parents have always strongly believed in religion, responsibility, and integrity. At a young age
they put these values into action. We always attend church on Sunday's and make God our number
one priority. My parents always give me responsibility, even as simple as making my bed, doing the
dishes, or coming home at curfew. . But they always expect things to be done the first time they ask,
and on time. My family has always been big on lying. They would much rather me tell them the truth
no matter how bad it is, rather than lie about it.
Religion has always played a big part in my life. Religion means a set of beliefs concerning the
cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a
superhuman agency...show more content...
As I have gotten older the church has begun to play an even bigger role in my life. My family and I
attend Fellowship church every Sunday. Awhile ago I was afraid to go to the high school group
on Wednesday but my mom insisted I go. Ever since I walked through that door God has blessed me
more and more. I have met some of my greatest friends at my church. If I am ever having a bad day
my mom will send me a bible verse and tell me to pray about it. I have learned that putting it all in
God's hands is the best way to go. My parents always try and set a good example for me by putting
God first. My mom recently became a leader for a women's group at church. She helps with a
bible study at a nursing home and serves in the preschool every Sunday. She sets a good example
for me to get involved with the church. Not only do my parents set good examples of valuing
religion, my grandparents do to. My mom's dad is a retired pastor, the church he had was not very
close so we were not able to attend much. My grandma always will send me cards with inspirational
bible verses, or send me books. Sometime she even send me a text with a bible verse if she knows I
am

Essay on Religions of the World
The Religions of the World Religion is big part of human life. Every area of the world has some
kind of religion or belief system. Religion is defined as "a personal set or institutionalized system
of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices" ("Religion" Def.2). With such a large amount of
religions today, religion is widely variegated, usually with divisions in each one. Despite the large
amount of religions, I will only be covering only three religions: Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism.
Christians are those who believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came down to earth from
Heaven in order to save humanity from its' sins. The reason for Jesus dying for the human race is
traced back to the beginning of time, in the Garden of...show more content...
His entire life was devoted to delivering the message that God had given Him, the theme of which
was forgiveness and a new life, in which we could have eternal life through the death of Christ
(John 3:16). His means of sharing this message were often in parables, "earthly stories with
heavenly meanings," but at other times they were blunt and straightforward (Bowker 141). There
was much division among the people because of Him, and the religious leaders of the time wanted
to kill Him, mainly because He claimed to be Son of God, while He looked like any other human to
them (John 7:8–9, 8:40–53). Their anger rose and, eventually, they set out to capture Him and
crucify Him. Jesus' Death was a tragic event indeed. There was so much division about Him that
His own people had decided to vote in favor of crucifying Him, and that is exactly what happened
(John 19:6–7). Jesus was lead to Golgotha, while carrying His own cross, to be crucified. As
horrific as this was for many, it fulfilled all the scriptures pointing to Jesus. Because He had lived
a sinless life, He became the perfect and final sacrifice for humanities' sin (1 Peter 2:22). Jesus
was raised on the third day after His death, showing His supremacy over the power of Death.
Obviously, a main belief of Christians is that of Jesus' death and resurrection. Christians also
believe in the teachings Jesus' gave them while He lived His life on the earth, which are recorded in
the four gospels in the New Testament

What Is Religion? Essay
What is religion? Each person's definition of religion is different. Each person's faith is different.
This is a question that has been asked for centuries, and regardless of the answer given there is no
right or wrong answer. Religion can be defined as a group of people who have shared beliefs who
feel their life has purpose or meaning. This feeling or belief that their life has meaning can come
from outside of themselves, as well as within. Taking this one step further, these shared beliefs put
into action in the form of worship, can be easily identified because they happen regularly. It can be
said the Primal religions were in fact not religions. Some may argue Confucianism is not a religion.
Others may say Taoism is not a...show more content...
They are teachings learned by previous generations then passed down, they are not always
actions. The fifth feature of religion is grace. Grace is defined by Smith as "the belief and
assurance that reality is on our side and can be counted on." Lastly there is mystery. For this there
is no exact definition, but it is all of what a religion cannot explain, it is all that the human mind
cannot grasp, it is the certain "higher power" that religion offers. Of these six features, there are
three that are present in most all religions, they are: authority, tradition, and mystery. Authority,
tradition, and mystery further explore and define religion when looking specifically at Primal
Religions, Confucianism, and Taoism. Primal Religions are often mistaken to be the religion of the
primitive man, often thought to be unintelligent. There is a definition of "primal" that is better
suited than unintelligent or primitive. Primal in terms of religion, refers to the lack of exposure to
technology, it is not "knowing" the state of consciousness given to many by the technological
environment. Primal religions preceded organized religion as we know it today by thousands of
years, in some cases millions, but are still present in the world today; we now call them tribal
religions. Within primal religions there are people who are knowledgeable about life, who are
knowledgeable about
Defining Religion–4 traditions, and who are

Science and Religion Essays
Science and religion have always been in conflict with one another because they each represent
complete opposite ideals, science is about how nature controls how the universe works and religion
is about how God controls how the universe works. In the five models on science and religion I
believe that Conflict best describes the relationship between the two. Conflict tells how either
science is completely right and religion is wrong or the other way around and that religion and
science are completely different. It also tells on how many scientists are religious and may be
inspired be many religious ideals but on the other side is that if God created the universe he also
created the rules that go with it....show more content...
I'm my opinion since God is the creator of the universe and all life then he is the creator of
science as well. There are four other models that explain the relationship between science and
religion but in my opinion they do not explain the relationship between the two. Independence
tells how the two are complete opposites which is true but it also says that religion seeks to
explain experiences of inner life which I don't believe to be true. Religion does try to explain
experiences of inner life but it's much more than just that, religion tries to explain how and why
were created, how God created the world, and what purpose do serve on this earth. Complimentary
tells how science and religion benefit each other and that information from one enriches the other. I
don't think this model fits at all because I believe that the two are completely different and do not
enrich or fulfill one another. I believe that in the world there opposites to everything, good and evil,
white and black and science and religion. The only way science and religion compliment the other is
to be the opposite of the other.
Integration is the model that tells how science

organized religion Essay
Organized Religion
Ever since man has chosen to write down his history, organized religion has been a prominent topic
and has influenced and shaped all people's lives. There have always been believers and
non–believers. Since the beginning, non–believers have been persecuted by inquisitions, prosecuted
by witch trials, and murdered by stoning and crucifying for even questioning the "truth" about a
supreme being and supposed crimes against that being. Religion had a purpose in earlier times to
explain life, but today science provides more concrete answers. Religious beliefs are old and outdated
and people should trust the scientific facts that have been proven, not what has been...show more
content...
They trust their faith because "The Bible Tells Me So." The books of each religion explain why
everything is the way it is and each religion teaches at very young ages, so how could it be
wrong? It has "always been" so it must be the truth. When I was younger I would come home from
school complaining to my mom about science class. "Why don't they leave everything alone and
just say it is that way because God made it that way? The grass is green because God wanted it to be.
Recently, education appeared as the truth. Perhaps people in the science field and I wanted facts,
proof for the truth. Charles Darwin had come up with the idea of natural selection and the theory of
evolution in the 1800's. The questions and answers offered by science are more plausible. Scientists
struggle with these questions every modern day. Open–minded people question and look for
answers. Science suggests that religious ideas are incorrect.
Today's religions have aided both personal and international peace. It has given hope to people
and has helped some deal with difficult situations. Religions give some people purpose to life, and
an explanation as to why things are the way they are. Praying can give some peace of mind to those
who are dealing with problems in life.
Throughout history people have taken their religious beliefs too serious. Religions are hypocritical
in their values,

What Does Religion Mean To Me Essay
Growing up, church was never a huge aspect of my life, but it was always around me. My
grandmother was a deeply religious Catholic, and many of the kids on my street went to the church
around the corner. Despite this, my mother never forced my sisters and I to go. She wanted us to
choose our own beliefs. The proximity to Christianity influenced what I believe in today. I believe in
God and that he created everything in the observable universe. The rest of the Bible, well, is
debatable to me. Some call me an agnostic Christian, but the label doesn't matter. As long as I can
find faith and solace in something when I need it, I'm happy. What I ponder the most is the final
chapter: death and the afterlife. What I hope is that everyone is delivered what they...show more
content...
To another, they might believe it's nothing at all. Even fire and brimstone is in some people's future
if they think they deserve it. There are an infinite number of heavens to every person. It is a
self–determined fate. However, if I am to be quite honest to myself, my own belief written here is
always changing. Nothing is really ever set in stone. Even my own personal heaven is shifting
constantly, based on what I believe I deserve at that point in my life. If you had asked me as a
child what my heaven was, it would be being able to wrestle with my sister without getting
injured for hours on end. If you asked me after my grandmother died, it would be on her lap as I
listened to childhood stories. A week later, I would have said Hell for not listening to more of
them. Right now, my heaven is a road trip's summer night. Great music with great people on the
highway is a lovely way to spend a teenage eternity. Of course, my best friend Elyse Leskovic is
there (and of course she is driving). A song with too much bass is blasting. I can feel the beat in my
chest and I'm singing along at the top of my

Religion on the Internet Essay
Religion on the Internet
Religion can be a very controversial topic. There are so many different types of religion and
different people who practice and believe in these religions. Some people don't believe in any, some
have their own, some have one, but don't practice it, and some people even have multiple religions.
Religion is not a topic you bring up while having a cup of coffee with some friends, unless you are
all of the same religion. Usually discussing different religions it causes nothing but problems and
arguments. There is even a country music song that is titled, "Politics, Religion, and Her." The
singer goes on in the song to say how he never likes to discuss any of these three topics with anyone
and how they only cause...show more content...
The cult "teaches" a person how to know with certainty, so those who ascribe to its world–view exist
in a completely different reality than the rest of society."(alt.religion.scientology) This is the
starting paragraph for the site titled, "Cult Think" which talks about how a cult brainwashes a
person into their beliefs. As it is stated above these people are living in a totally fake world in
which their beliefs totally conflict with the norms of society. Hopefully people will read this site
before reading one of the cult sites that try to suck in vulnerable viewers. People are so vulnerable
and ready to believe anything that they get pulled right into them.
For example, the University of Queensland had a site on some cult information. "No, none of my
family members have been in cults, but I started one. I pulled a two week long mystical experience,
started to tell others about it and within a month had about twenty people who were trying to tell me
that I was jesus's second coming, it took a long time to tell them that they were wrong. That was
without consciously attempting to set up any of the various methods that can be used to ensure
conformity (although some of them were being used).(www.com!duke.den!conv.lynx) As we can see
here, this gentleman, named Mr. Lawson had a short two week long mystical experience and formed
a cult.

Religion : What Is It?
Religion: What is it? There are many different religions that people believe in today. When I think
of religion I think of a group of people who believe in a god or gods that created the world and
determine your faith. There are different forms of theist religions, some of these religions believe
in many gods and some only believe in one. That to me was the main part about being religious, is
that you had to believe in a god. I never believed or knew that religions could be non–theistic, so I
always counted atheism as a non–religion. Coming in to college and having the knowledge that I
would have to take two religion courses I was a bit weary. I did believe in a God or that any
non–theistic views are religious. So I had some bias about what I was going to learn about such as:
about this all powerful being God, that all religions have the same basic core just different practices,
that the evolutionary theory would be thrown out and that there would be an underlying tone that
everyone should be religious. Thinking that I would be shunned for not believing in a god was the
one thing that scared me the most.
Even though I am a naturalist, I was brought up around religion and for a while even lived in a
religious house hold. When I was four years old and younger I went to a Christian church and went
to Sunday school. Unfortunately, I don't remember the things I learned when I was 4 I only
remember going every Sunday. Eventually my mom and I moved out of my grandmother's house

With the over one hundred different religions in the world, all proclaiming different things, it can
getting a little frustrating to decide on one to call home. However, every Religion claims to be the
one true religion. Is it the fact that one has a large following, or even a large building erected in
the manifestation of the words they proclaim? Or is it a minute group of disciples focused on
solving the ever frightening problems that the world faces every day? Mirriam Webster Dictionary
defines a Religion as "the belief in a god or in a group of gods."1 and this is simply incorrect. A
religion is a community of people who believe in on set of beliefs, have established rituals, have
faith in some sort of set principle/higher power, and have symbols and signs that they hold to be of a
higher nature than other objects. A very important aspect to many religions is community, this is
especially true in Christianity. In Christianity many of the rituals that take place, happen in a
community environment. This is true for other religions as well, in Judaism, a large celebration of
all members of the community is held when someone becomes a full member of the faith. This
event is called a Bar/Bot Mitzvah, during this ceremony the boy or girl gets up in front of the
congregation and recites from the Torah. Afterwards there is a reception in the new members honor.
This idea of the need of community can also be seen in Christianity, when Christians get married
they have to have

Religion is a very difficult topic for me to navigate, and a rather personal one. While on the surface I
might seem very atheistic and anti–religion, this is very far from the truth. I have had quite a
complicated relationship with religion over the years, and it is still something I am struggling to
figure out. When I was in primary school we were taught quite a lot about religion. It was something
that was constantly there in the school's agenda, with assemblies every Monday morning in which
our songs about recycling were intermingled with songs about God and Jesus, and the things they do
for us. Easter and Christmastime were spent being told stories from the Bible and eating chocolates
from Nativity–inspired advent calendars. I never really thought much about any of it at first, being
quite young and naГЇve. Having never really talked about religion much before coming to school
meant that this was the first I had heard about the matter, and hence my impressionable young
mind took these stories in to be truths as opposed to religious beliefs. It was only when I became
slightly older that the topic of religion came up more frequently in my household conversations. I
was still under the impression that all of these stories I had been told were more or less true, but
my parents' atheism soon caused me to begin questioning whether or not I actually believed what I
was hearing in school. I started to doubt that there was a God, simply because my still
impressionable mind was

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