Common Practices in Religion Essay Example for Free

Common Practices in Religion EssayWhat is Religion?The term faith comes from the Latin word relig atomic number 18 which means to bind. In the realism today, there be different forms of unearthly groups and pursuals that have unique vox populis and comes depending on their history. It is estimated that there are thousands of faiths in the population, including the mainstream spectral groups and virtually others that are not known. One of the common characteristics of spiritual groups is that they either gestate in the earthly concern of a supreme being. However, there are those who dont believe in religion. For such people, religion only assumes the existence of a supreme being while there is no substantive indorse to support the said belief. According to Norris Inglehart, through the practice of atheism, atheists believe that religion is just a hallucination that might have developed in the past and passed on from generation to generation through the divers (a) teachings in culture (2011).For enthusiasts, the reason people are afraid to question religious teachings is because of the fear of repercussions that are likely to occur due to such disbelief. Under this context, religion was assumed to be a launching of scholarly studies in the past with philosophers trying to examine how religion came into being. The major question is what religion is all ab issue and what entails the aspects of it. For most people, there is a thin line between culture and religion. This explains why different cultures have their specific religion and beliefs. However, there are various contentious issues that have never been figure out over the years. One thing that would totally shift the paradigm and, in extension, the balance of nature, is if it turned out that no supreme beings the religions are based upon exist. Such a situation would totally erode the gains make in the religious world today and also lead to mass confusion among the staunch religiou s followers.However, some of the religious beliefs are so strongthat they cannot be influenced by any emerging inclination regarding their faith. Most of the common definition of religion excludes some fundamental facts about religion and offering an adequate explanation of what religion is (Hood et al., 2009). From a general perspective, religion is unremarkably defined as the belief in God. This belief, however, is considered as vague as it excludes some of the ideas that characterize some religious followings such as atheism. If religion was to be solely defined as the belief in God, what would the other religious groups that either believe in a different supreme being and those of atheism be referred to as?This tendency of evocation is what often causes some misconception that is associated with how religion is defined. Then what is the worldview of religion and how is it defined in different places around the world? There are arguments that religion is not hard to define, b ut rather it is the people themselves who often pass water the confusion regarding its definition. According to Heelas (2005), one of the greatest challenges is how to define religion without excluding any religious beliefs or followings in the word today. However, there is a conventional way of defining religion which incorporates the primary fundamentals of religion. The following are the fundamentals of religion The belief in a supernatural being.A clear notation of what is regarded as the moral way of doing things in accordance with the different religious beliefs and practices. Various rituals that are commonly attributed to the religious groups from different parts of the world. Religious groups have various rituals that characterize the specific religion and establish a code of conduct in which members are supposed to operate. A specific way of communication with God is done through prayers. However, distinct religious groups have a specific way of praying and other practi ces that accompany prayers. Different religious feelings that are often experienced whenever the practice is taking place.In some religious groups, members engage in incarnations and a sense of adoration. In other groups, however, there is always the aspect of guilt and repentance during religious sermons. From this approach, the worldview related to religion and what religion entails becomes clear. In most cases, it is believed that religion and religious groups in extensions are very different. This explains why there is no single approach as to what entailsreligious practices. However, there is a common characteristic of religion that can be used to generalize the practice from a worldview perspective.In the world today, religion continues to shape the life of the people, whereby the religious followings and teachings provide a signpost on how people are supposed to live and interact with each other and with God. The mainstream religious groups rend millions of followers, which is an indication of just how strong religious faith is. In addition, there are thousands of religious followings that are not captured in the mainstream studies of religion but continue to exist with their distinct religious practices. Religion can, therefore, be universally defined as a compilation of religious systems that share a common belief and focus on the unique characteristics of the members of religious faith.ReferencesHeelas, P., Woodhead, L., Seel, B., Tusting, K., Szerszynski, B. (2005). The Spiritual Revolution Why Religion is Giving commission to Spirituality. Blackwell. Hood Jr, R. W., Hill, P. C., Spilka, B. (2009). Psychology of religion An empirical approach. Guilford Press. Norris, P., Inglehart, R. (2011). Sacred and secular Religion and politics worldwide. Cambridge University Press.