What is Religion?
There are many different answers to this question. For some people it can be answered by definition while that definition may not apply for others. This question can only be answered by what meaning and value it has to a certain individual. Religion is basically the belief in something of higher existence or power. This could be money to a rich man, shelter to a poor man, or weapons to a terrorist. There are no set guidelines of what can be holy to an individual and each individual has a human right to believe in whatever they claim to be holy or sacred. Religion can have many different meanings to many different people. In my opinion religion is a faith in something greater than us.“the essence of religion consists in the feeling of absolute dependence.” This quote implies the concept of relying on a “God” or Higher Power for life itself. It’s the same idea of a child to its mother. Absolute dependence translates to being non-existent without this Supreme Being. Under the implications of this quote, religion becomes a spiritual guide that governs the way a person lives day-to-day . . .
Geertz: “Religion is (1) a system of symbols which acts to (2) establish powerful, persuasive, and long-lasting moods and motivations in [people] by (3) formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and (4) clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that the moods and motivations seem uniquely realistic. Religion can be whatever a person makes of it. By determining what is holy or sacred to the individual they can choose to make that their religion. Many people or cultures worship numerous "Gods" for different occasions. In my opinion, a religion is a faith. Being a recovering drug addict has opened my eyes to the value of spirituality and faith. On one side this concept can be used to create a religion to control a community. The American society accepts this and exercises self-control based on these principles. Marx: “Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature… a protest against real suffering… it is the opium of the people… the illusory sun which revolves around man for as long as he does not evolve around himself. ” This quote can be interpreted as negative and positive. Either way this idea initiates social order based on a single religious view shared by those in the same community. by giving that person hope, belief, and reason to exist in this world. It gives them hope and belief by making the individual feel loved or cared about by their religion and its deities.
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