Religious Life of Planet Earth

1751 Words8 Pages
Felicia Lee Dr. Charles Fisher World Religion REL 212 Assignment 1 January 30, 2012 Abstract The word religious has many different meanings. Religion is a collection of cultural systems, beliefs, and worldviews that establish structure that relates humanity to spirituality as well as moral values. Many religions consist of narratives, traditions and scared histories that are intended to give meaning of life or to explain the origin of life or the universe. Religion also tends to derive morality, ethics, religious law or a preferred lifestyle from their ideas about cosmos and human nature. Religion is sometimes used interchangeably with faith or belief system, but religion differs from private belief in that it has a public aspect. Religion is also a specific, fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects. Discuss the criteria you will employ to determine if people on earth are religious – in other words, what does religion look like. The world religions of planet Earth contain fifteen major religions. Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism are the top three religions that represent Earth’s population. These three religions represent nearly sixty eight percent of the planet’s religious beliefs [ (Major Religions Ranked by Size, 2005 - 2007) ]. The definition of religion is a particular response to dimensions of life considered sacred, as shaped by institutionalized traditions [ (Fisher, 2011) ]. The criteria used to determine if people on earth are religious involves understanding what they believe in regards to the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe; as well as the way they observe rituals, and the way they live their lives according to the moral code established by their specific religions. People long to make sense of life; to find the key that will unlocks its mysteries and enable them to
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