1.What is Religion?
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Religion: a body of beliefs and practices regarding the supernatural and the worship of one or more deities. Synonyms: credo, creed, cult Antonyms: atheism, godlessness. About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. The term religion defines a system of formally organized beliefs and practices typically centered around the worship of supernatural forces or beings, whereas mythology is a collection of myths, or stories, belonging to a particular religious or cultural tradition used to explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon. While myths are.
There are many definitions of religion.It is not that easy to pin down exactly what religion is and then to insure that the definition distinguishes religion from magic and from cults and sects.Many people offer definitions without much knowledge of the wide range of religious phenomena and the many different cultural manifestations of religion.It is a rather common misconception to think that religion has to do with god, or gods and supernatural beings or a supernatural or spiritual dimension or greater reality.None of that is absolutely necessary because there are religions that are without those elements.
In this millennium there are over 6.2 billion people on the planet earth. Most of them would declare that they are religious in some way. Rough estimates are made that place people in the various traditions.
Here is a tabulation from adherents.com and available at: http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html
(Sizes shown are approximate estimates, and are here mainly for the purpose of ordering the groups, not providing a definitive number. This list is sociological/statistical in perspective.) Last modified 13 June 2001.
- Christianity: 2 billion
- Islam: 1.3 billion
- Hinduism: 900 million
- Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist: 850 million
- Buddhism: 360 million
- Chinese traditional religion: 225 million
- primal-indigenous: 190 million
- Sikhism: 23 million
- Yoruba religion: 20 million
- Juche: 19 million
- Spiritism: 14 million
- Judaism: 14 million
- Baha'i: 6 million
- Jainism: 4 million
- Shinto: 4 million
- Cao Dai: 3 million
- Tenrikyo: 2.4 million
- Neo-Paganism: 1 million
- Unitarian-Universalism: 800 thousand
- Scientology: 750 thousand
- Rastafarianism: 700 thousand
- Zoroastrianism: 150 thousand
The three religions that are proselytizing religions, seeking more members actively are: Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. Islam is the fastest growing of the traditions and will most likely have the most adherents in the world by 2020.
Some of these religions have no belief in a god. Some have no belief in the survival of a soul. Some believe in more than one god. What do they have that makes them religion?
Here is a definition that captures the common core and yet distinguishes religion from other institutions and phenomena. It is from Federick Ferre in his work Basic Modern Philosophy of Religion.
Religion is the most comprehensive and intensive manner of valuing known to human beings. We shall put this definition or understanding aside until the final chapter and after we have examined a number of important issues related to religion. For now it would be less abstract and more useful if the initial idea of religion would be phrased in terms of its characteristics which most people who have any experiences with religion can most likely identify.
2. Characteristics of Religion
Religions Of The World
These are the common characteristics or family traits of those members of the category or “family” of religion. Just as with family members not every member must have every trait but most have most of the traits. The more any human phenomena demonstrates these traits the more likely it is that it will be included into this category of social institutions known as religion.
Religion Nbsp Definition
Common Characteristics: (family traits)