Chapter 1 Notes: What is Religion?

**Chapter 1: What is Religion** **Some points covered in this chapter:** 1\. Religion has been around for a long time. Archeologists have proven that when graves were dug up, were buried with the dead. Why bury tools with the dead? They also found inscriptions on cave walls about after-life? What...

**Chapter 1: What is Religion** **Some points covered in this chapter:** 1\. Religion has been around for a long time. Archeologists have proven that when graves were dug up, were buried with the dead. Why bury tools with the dead? They also found inscriptions on cave walls about after-life? What does that indicate. Might there have been some thinking about a life beyond this world? Might there have some thinking about a higher being existing beyond the material beings? 2\. Some others believe that religion goes back to the beginning of humanity. Why? Because humans are seekers of meaning and belonging. When humans seek meaning in their lives, they begin to ask the existential questions, which we all ask at some point in our life: - Who am I ? - Why am I here or what is my purpose? - Where did I come from? - Where do I go after this life? (question about afterlife) - Why is there evil and suffering in the world? (This question is asked quite frequently by humans.) What all this is saying is that humans are seekers and questions. Because we are transcendent beings, with an intellect that enables us to question, we will continue seeking meaning and questing until we die. 3\. As humans continue to question and seek answers, those answers led them to something beyond the material world. They were seeing (not physical that they could) something of higher value and being, whether is was the gods or a God. 4\. Can we define religion? Yes, we can define it, but we must remember that religion has many definitions. There is not just one definition that fits all. Religion is rooted in culture and every culture is different. Therefore, every culture's view of the ultimate is different, and it sees anything connected to religion. 5\. Most people in the world belong to some religion. There are more believers6 (those who believe in some form of ultimacy) than there are atheists (those who deny the existence of God and refuse adherence to any religion). 6\. Religions deal with core values. Look at the religion's scripture book and see those core values stated. For example, in Judaism and Christianity we see the core values stated in the Ten Commandments: value of God and the value of neighbor. Buddhism states its core values as a way of life, a life of compassion and concern. 7\. Because religions were constructed by humans, they are imperfect, fallible, and limited. Only God is perfect, infallible, and unlimited. God did not create religions. God judges religions in that God sees how is that religion living up to what it professes in its beliefs. So, religions can abuse as much as they can perfect them. If religions are to stay true to what they profess and believe, then they must continually reform themselves on a daily basis. Religions stray from their path when they forget their beliefs and cater to their own selfish ways. All we have to do is look at history and see when religions fall away from their path. A religion falls away from its path when it takes a position that is contrary to its teachings. 8\. When you talk about "religion," you must talk about "faith." While faith and religion are connected, they are distinct. In this course we define faith and religion as follows: - Faith is a trust, a trust in someone or something beyond oneself. Faith is interior -- no one can touch your faith. Faith is personal but not private. Our faith shows itself in our behavior. - Religion is the atmosphere or environment where faith is lived out. For example, if one is a Jew, that Jew lives out his/her Jewish beliefs in a Jewish environment. The Jew celebrates rituals with his/her Jewish brothers or sisters. The Jew is educated in the Jewish religion. Religion is the external. We see the religion being expressed by the people. 9\. The more we begin examining other religions and criticizing them, the more we are challenged to look at our own religion. The more we question religion in a constructive way, the more they will adhere to their purpose. Religions are in the world to make the world a better place. If they are not doing that, then we need to question them.