What is Religion?
 

After asking myself What is Death? & What is Life?, now I got another question in mind kinda related to the previous questions...

What is religion?

Well in one word I think everyone would agree that a religion is a belief.

My question goes actually deeper, it's more like what's the purpose of religion?

According to me:

-religion exists to explain the unexplainable to assure everyone
-it's somewhat a guide to our conduct
-every religion tends to claim that they have THE truth but I seriously doubt that one religion detains THE truth, I think maybe every religion has part of THE truth
-the diversity of religions might just be different point of views on THE truth over the years
-at a certain point, it might be true that religions is here blind us from discovering THE truth by ourselves


*by THE truth I mean the truth on everything like the creation of the universe, the absolute truth.

Religion is the mask people hide behind because they are unsure of themselves.

It's a belief, and it gives people an alternate perspective.. (Aside from the view presented by other fields, like Science.)

Honestly, I'm inclined to think it's something put out there to guide us toward the higher power that's out there...:nod:

And for some people, it's to help them maintain some kind of ethical/moral code. After all, even if their religion doesn't have all the right answers, most if not all of them point toward doing what is good and just toward other people and living things...thus in the end, every religion has its place...whether its facts are slightly misconstrued or not...at least imo...:nod:

I really don't like the idea that we have to conform to one of the religions out there. I'm more like I believe in what I believe in & that's all.

Hehe I guess that's how a religion starts....one person believe in certains beliefs & more people join the "club". Somehow they build a reference (i.e.: bible) to spread the words out & try to persuade others with it. Down the way, other people deviate from the "club" & made other branches.

Religion acts as a moral code.But i don't get why many people try to impose practises and rules cos the religion states so.People try to bind communities with the rules of thier religion.I feel a person should be given the freedom to express it's feelings toward the supreme power,rather than dictating it to them.

I agree with pretty much everything u said.


I hate it when mom keeps trying to convert me into a christian. She really believes that the Bible IS the absolute true. She keeps telling me all those miracles & stuff, she's like if it says so in the Bible then it really happened. To me it's just a book...

I think religion is nothing but another thing people made up to feel better.

Dont get me wrong about that, because I think everybody should believe in something but all the religions I know are just hypocritical.

Religion is being insecure in the meaning of life and desperately clinging to the idea of a greater purpose. It means throwing logic and reality out the window and indulging in blind faith that you are better off believeing in "god" and if you do you will be fine in this life and any after life. You can cling to this ideal even if you are a rapist, murderer, jackass or general scum/thief/all around baddie, to call yourself religious and a beliver of god, you give yourself permission to be off the hook for all your sins coz God still loves ya coz you believe.
The faith part gets me the most, so many people want to "believe" and feel better in believing so honestly, good for them, but realistically and logically, bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people.
Religion is blind faith for brainwashed suckers.
Religion discriminates gender and sexuality also.
I am an each to their own kind of gal, so I don't dislike religious people or anything or disrespect my religious friends, because everyone is entitled to their opinion and this is just mine.
I am very glad I was brought up without religion because of all the religous people I know and all the things I have learned or read, I only feel sorry for those who feel that for whatever reason they choose to cling to it blindly.

I agree with you :nod: For awhile I'd been unsure of whether or not I believed in God (or a higher power like that), but now I realize I really don't; people just made "Him" up, in my opinion. I mean, I still want to practice my religions--I'm half Jewish & half Christian--just to keep up with traditions, but I would feel extremely out of place in church.

Yep bad things happen to good people but by believing it gives people hope. It amazing how people believe in their religion without any doubt & questions.

I just came across this: Belief-o-matic. It gives you a religion based on your beliefs.

It tells me how close my beliefs are from the following religions:

1. Unitarian Universalism (100%)
2. Liberal Quakers (96%)
3. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (96%)
4. Neo-Pagan (93%)
5. Secular Humanism (80%)
6. New Age (75%)
7. Bahá'Ã* Faith (67%)
8. Mahayana Buddhism (61%)
9. Theravada Buddhism (59%)
10. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (56%)
11. New Thought (56%)
12. Reform Judaism (55%)
13. Nontheist (49%)
14. Scientology (47%)
15. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (46%)
16. Taoism (46%)
17. Jainism (43%)
18. Orthodox Quaker (41%)
19. Jehovah's Witness (39%)
20. Sikhism (34%)
21. Hinduism (31%)
22. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (31%)
23. Orthodox Judaism (22%)
24. Eastern Orthodox (18%)
25. Roman Catholic (18%)
26. Islam (15%)
27. Seventh Day Adventist (15%)

I totally agree with you.:nod:

My results from the Belief-O-Matic...;)

1. Unitarian Universalism (100%)
2. Mahayana Buddhism (90%)
3. Liberal Quakers (90%)
4. New Thought (88%)
5. Neo-Pagan (86%)
6. Hinduism (85%)
7. New Age (81%)
8. Reform Judaism (78%)
9. Scientology (78%)
10. Sikhism (73%)
11. Jainism (71%)
12. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (71%)
13. Theravada Buddhism (68%)
14. Taoism (63%)
15. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (62%)
16. Bahá'Ã* Faith (56%)
17. Orthodox Judaism (53%)
18. Secular Humanism (50%)
19. Orthodox Quaker (48%)
20. Islam (45%)
21. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (28%)
22. Nontheist (28%)
23. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (27%)
24. Seventh Day Adventist (24%)
25. Eastern Orthodox (21%)
26. Roman Catholic (21%)
27. Jehovah's Witness (18%)

I'm a proud Christian, and I really don't use my beliefs as a cloak; I KNOW that God exists, because he's shown me.

Despite what some people might think, not all Christians are belief-pushers, because it's not Christ-like, and true Christians strive to be like Jesus; I don't consider myself a pusher :)

Anywho (sorry for rambling), I hope you all got my point ;)