The concept of religion was formed in the 16th and 17th centuries, despite the fact that ancient sacred texts like the Bible, the Quran, and others did not have a word or even a concept of religion in the original languages and neither did the people or the cultures in which these sacred texts were written. Accepting a substantive definition of religion means looking at religion as simply a type of philosophy, a system of bizarre beliefs, or perhaps just a primitive understanding of nature and reality. Rituals, for example, exist to bring us all together as a unit or to preserve our sanity in a chaotic world. We have our shamans only.”. Taoist and Confucian concepts often blend and the foundation of beliefs is similar for both religions. Self-actualisation or self-fulfillment is the goal of all religions. Dear concerned, In simplest words the purpose of any religion is to control people in order to rule over them. Religions can show the transcendental dimension of life. Flashcards. It encompasses the features common in belief systems generally acknowledged as religions without focusing on specific characteristics unique to just a few. Ideally, a guide to the nature and history of philosophy of religionwould begin with an analysis or definition of religion. Juha Pentikäinen, Ph.D.Marja Pentikäinen, MSC. 10 Common Arguments Used by Opponents of Gay Marriage, An Atheist's View of the Christian Right's Agenda and Beliefs, Connecting Ancient Greek Mythology to Religion, Connection Between Faith and Theism, Religion, Atheism, Religious vs. Non-Religious Belief Systems. Test. Write. The concept, which to that point had meant only Christianity and Judaism‑sometimes also Islam‑began to cover such Eastern religious philosophies as Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Shintoism, Zoroastrianism, etc. They recognise Jesus as … A distinction between sacred and profane spaces and/or objects. Religion 101: Examining the Nature of Religion and Religious Beliefs, Religious References on the Definition of Religion. The term ‘fundamentalist’ was soon used to describe a section of Protestant Christians who bore a separatist attitude towards modernity. Wetherefore currently lack a decisive criterion that would enable clearrulings whether some movements should count as religions (e.g.,Scientology or Cargo cults of the Pacific islands). He believed that scientific thinking would likely replace religious thinking, with people giving only minimal attention to rituals and ceremonies. This question is difficult to answer in part because the concept of religion is not well defined (to put it mildly). Confucianism is one of three main religions in China, along with Taoism and Buddhism. The narrow concept of religion, more often pressed by government officials than scholars of religion, needs reconsideration in the contemporary world. Aldous Huxley “Religion is the price we pay for being intelligent, but not as yet intelligent enough.” A moral code believed to have a sacred or supernatural basis. As with many cultural advancements and inventions, the 'cradle of civilization' Mesopotamia has been cited as the birthplace of religion. "Religions, then, are systems of meaning embodied in a pattern of life, a community of faith, and a worldview that articulate a view of the sacred and of what ultimately matters." Spirituality. Adjunct Professor in Religious Studies, Brief Analyses of the Religious Nature of Scientology, by J. Gordon Melton, Baylor University, Samuel Hill, Gary Bouma, Irving Hexham, Congregational Services of the Church of Scientology, by Alan W. Black, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia, by Dean M. Kelley, National Council of Churches, Religious Toleration & Religious Diversity, by David Chidester, Professor of Comparative Religion, University of Cape Town, South Africa, by Urbano Alonso Galan, Professor of Philosophy and Theology, Gregorian University of Rome, Scientology: A Way of Spiritual Self-Identification, by Michael Sivertsev, Moscow Academy of Sciences, by Lonnie D. Kliever, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, Scientology and Contemporary Definitions of Religion in the Social Sciences, by Alejandro Frigerio, Professor of Sociology, Catholic University of Argentina, Buenos Aires, by Christiaan Vonck, Rector, Faculty for Comparative Study of Religion, Antwerp, Belgium, Scientology: A Comparison with Religions of the East and West, by Per-Arne Berglie, Professor of History of Religion, University of Stockholm, Scientology Its Cosmology, Anthropology, System of Ethics and Methodologies, by Régis Dericquebourg, Professor of Sociology of Religion, University of Lille III, France, Scientology – Its Historical-Morphological Frame, by Dario Sabbatucci, Professor of History of Religions, University of Rome, by Harri Heino, Professor of Theology, University of Tampere, Finland, by Frank K. Flinn, Adjunct Professor of Religious Studies Washington University. The Meaning Of Islam: The word ‘Islam’ literally means ‘peace’. Usually in addition to individual practices, members participate in mutual ceremonies, observances, and celebrations important to their religion… Austin Cline, a former regional director for the Council for Secular Humanism, writes and lectures extensively about atheism and agnosticism. The rituals and practices of religion began as an expression of the creature’s desire to worship the Creator. The basics of Christian beliefs. STUDY. Prayer and other forms of communication with gods. A more or less complete organization of one's life based on this worldview. Characteristically religious feelings (awe, sense of mystery, sense of guilt, adoration), which tend to be aroused in the presence of sacred spaces and/or objects and during the practice of ritual which is focused on sacred spaces, objects, or beings. Ritual acts focused on sacred spaces and/or objects. The Encyclopedia of Philosophy lists traits of religions rather than declaring religion to be one thing or another, arguing that the more markers present in a belief system, the more "religious like" it is: This definition captures much of what religion is across diverse cultures. Those who follow Islam are actually the representatives of peace and safeness. The concept of the freedom of religion is biblical for several reasons. Religions. Reported experiences of God are remarkably varied and have produced equally varied concepts of the divine being. A good example of a narrow definition being too narrow is the common attempt to define "religion" as "belief in God," effectively excluding polytheistic religions and atheistic religions while including theists who have no religious belief system. This particularly concerns the Northern cultures in the old and new worlds among which we have done field work: people practice animistic and shamanic rituals without calling them religions. Gravity. Definitions of religion tend to suffer from one of two problems: they are either too narrow and exclude many belief systems which most agree are religious, or they are too vague and ambiguous, suggesting that just about anything and everything is a religion. What does each religion require? This seems to be favored on the assumption that it helps explain the power religion has to bind a person to a community, culture, course of action, ideology, etc. The academic study of religions started in the Western world in the early 19th century due to the history of thought inspired by philosophers of the enlightenment period of 18th century Europe. Some argue that religion doesn't even exist in the first place — there is only culture, and religion is simply a significant aspect of human culture. A more or less total organization of one's life based on the world view. ... Wha t we learn from stories is different from what we learn from systematic thought and concepts. It also recognizes that "religion" exists on a continuum with other types of belief systems, such that some aren't religious at all, some are very close to religions, and some definitely are religions. a particular system of beliefs, values, rituals and worship shared by a number of people. Soul, in religion and philosophy, the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being, that which confers individuality and humanity, often considered to be synonymous with the mind or the self. The word “religion” found in one form or another in most European, i.e., Germanic, Romanic and Slavic, languages, comes from a Latin word “religio.” This concept in particular includes the idea of being dependent upon something “divine.” The principle “cuius regio eius religio” in Latin, accordingly, meant that the emperor or a duke had the power since the 16th century to decide in what way his countrymen should believe and behave in post‑Reformation Europe. 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