Understanding Religion: Purpose and Perspectives

• Religion is a vital part of human life and is used to answer existential questions about life and existence.
• Since the beginning of human civilization, religion has been a vital component of the human condition, providing a system of orientation for what to live or die for, and answering existential and spiritual burdens.
• Religion functions as an anchor at the core of humanity's existence, providing meaning and sense to daily life as humans seek something or someone greater than themselves.
• Logical thinking often leads to the concept of a maker, identified as God, which is why human civilization has established countless religions over thousands of years.
• A German philosopher named Erich Fromm argued that religion is an expression of basic human needs that all cultures will always have as it is an inevitable truth of our existence.
• Religions have significantly affected lives throughout history and continue to do so.
• "Religious experience" is the day-to-day experience of God in ordinary life, requiring a return to raw experience to see everything as manifestations of something greater.
• Experiencing God daily is the goal, and the way one experiences God, even in the most ordinary things, should not be discounted.
• Spirituality discussed is focused on the simple way of life of the ordinary believer.
• Religions, religious experience, and spirituality require careful understanding because a misstep can lead believers, families, and society in the wrong direction.
• When religion is properly understood, it can influence personal and societal levels, transform the believer, and move society forward.
• Every religion has an element of transcendence and a vision of searching for humanity's deepest values through an authentic connection with the Supreme Being – God.

Religion

• There is controversy and little clarity as to the etymology of the word "religion", which has been debated.
• Philosopher Cicero proposed the Latin relegere, meaning "to read or go through again in speech or thought."
• The most commonly accepted etymology is the Latin religare, meaning "to bind."
• Cicero and other early etymologists suggest that religion is a system binding a person to social, moral, and legal duties or contracts.
• The given definitions provide the nominal meaning of religion but do not fully explain the concept.
• Numerous scholars, philosophers, sociologists, and theologians have tried to explain what religion is.
• German idealist Immanuel Kant said that religion "is the recognition of all our duties as divine commands" and is never separated from ethics as a way of life.
• French sociologist Emile Durkheim describes religion as "a set of ceremonial actions, assembling the group, heightening its emotion, and focusing its members on symbols of their common belongingness."
• Karl Marx views religion as the "opium of the masses."

Fundamental Features of Religion

• The Cosmological Dimension aims to answer big questions about existence, creation, nature, meaning, the universe, and humanity's place, using myths, theories, and visions.
• The Soteriological Dimension offers a scheme for salvation, addressing the question of what happens after death and how to ensure a good destination, such as heaven and earth for Christians, samsara and moksha for Hindus, and nirvana for Buddhists.
• The Anthropological Dimension teaches proper living and encourages seeking beyond the mundane world and finite human experience towards something greater.
• The Symbolic Dimension uses symbols as signs for sacred objects or ideas, giving meaning to human behavior.
• Religious rituals and practices are prescribed, repeated behaviors for desired outcomes, enriching religion and individuals, such as the cross for Christians, "om" for Hindus, and male circumcision of Jews.
• Every religion offers a moral compass, indicating a right way to live and act.
• Living a moral life means following the religion's precepts.
• The doctrine of good and evil effectively provides moral guidance.
• Definitions of a good life vary among major religions, and the line between moral philosophy and religion is often unclear.
• The Organizational Dimension recognizes an authority, where religious matters are settled.
• Most religions are headed by trained priests or pastors, while others emphasize internal authority and personal understanding.
• The Theological Dimension introduces the existence and nature of a supreme being, which defines religion.
• A god is the primary object of religious practice and devotion.
• Understanding a religion involves knowledge and appreciation of its supreme being(s), and devotional systems are considered expressions of the divine.

Religious Experience

• Religious experience may be defined as a personal experience that pertains to an encounter of the Sacred, understood within a religious framework and refers to an experience of God.
• According to William James, religious experience is distinguished from normal experience by being transcendental and blocking everything away, drawing one away from their normal physical experience.
• Religious experience connects individuals to the divine and focuses their attention on that particular experience.
• Religious experience may be more challenging to recognize in the modern era because of advancements in science and technology.
• Religious experiences are difficult to understand and sometimes impossible to grasp with limited minds, so this should not be a problem.
• According to Rudolf Otto, religious experience is not readily obvious or given to everyone.
• The consequences of religious experience are more important than the recognition or cause of the experience, because that is what energy should be focused on.

Spirituality

• Spirituality differs from spiritism, which is the belief that spirits exist apart from matter and haunt the world as ghosts when they split from the body.
• Spirituality is not the same as Spiritualism, which is the belief in the survival of human personality and communication between the living and the dead, often associated with tools like Ouija boards.
• Spirituality should not be confused with mesmerism or animal magnetism, which involves inducing a dazed state in a subject to subordinate them to an operator.
• Spirituality is not hypnotism.
• Spirituality is not similar to religiosity, which concerns itself with man-made external and visible elements of religion, traditions, and beliefs.
• Spirituality concerns problems connected with the spirit or soul, presupposing humanity consists of both body and spirit.
• According to Sawan Ashram, spirituality is the science of developing higher consciousness in humans at the soul level, enabling them to transcend bodily consciousness into cosmic consciousness and understand the divine plan.
• Spirituality can exist without religion, allowing one to pursue spiritual growth regardless of religious beliefs.
• Religiosity and spirituality grow more when practiced together.
• Spirituality and religiosity, when practiced together, can produce a better outcome.
• Spirituality can add meaning to religiosity, while religiosity can guide spirituality.

Explore Erich Fromm's views on religion's persistence across cultures and its role in human existence. Consider religion's focus on existential questions, humanity's place in the universe, and the importance of mindful comprehension. Also, examine concepts such as 'homo viator' and 'religious experience'.