In your opinion, what is the CONCEPT of Religion in general?

Question

I am writting a concept paper on religion in general and I am having a hard time with it. I am just looking for a few opinions.

Answer 1

Religion is man's attempt to please God through their actions. Christianity technically is not a religion but a living relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ.

Answer 2

Our perception of religion is often prejudiced by the use of the word in the modern era to denote a sociological and cultural construct open to ideological critique-- evidence of which you find a great deal of in this board-- (ex. "supernatural claims are by necessity fraudulent": this is an advocacy of materialism or rationalism, not a clear definition, "religion is used to make some people rich": this is not a definition, but a criticism and a generalization, "religion and faith are not the same": this is also not a clear definition, but an example of a dialectic.)

It is easy to see why people might become confused in terms of what religion is, when much of what is proposed as a definition is more about what people do not like about religion, or what they would prefer religion to be, rather than offering a clear description of the phenomona.

Here's a way to look at religion. A more classical understanding would view religion as that which concretizes, explains, or expresses the relationship of the human to the divine, the natural to the supernatural, and the temporal to the eternal. Religion serves humanity as a source of social cohesion, inspiration for art and literature, a basis for human inquiry, and provides a system of convictions concerning the meaning of human existence. Like anything in this world, the goodness of religion can be mitigated by the narrowness and wickedness of humanity.

In terms of the claims of whether or not the claims of a particular religion are true or false, that is part of the dynamism of the the phenomona of religion itself.

Answer 3

God said that He put eternity on the heart of EVERY man.

Everyone is searching for the Truth, their purpose in life.

Concept of Religion is simple everyone is trying to find the Truth.

Answer 4

Well, I believe religion was created to keep societies in check at a time when governments weren't stable enough to do so. It is a tool for societal cohesiveness.

Answer 5

Unfortunately, there is no proper word in western languages to adequately describe the concept of true religion. Religion, as it has become to be defined is self-righteousness. A religious attitude is a self-righteous attitude, the righteousness of man, as opposed to the righteousness of God. Christianity is not religion----it is a personal relationship with God. As close as I can come to giving you an answer is stated in James 1:27, "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this:to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." This is the basic goal of Christianity: to help the afflicted and stay away fro sin. In doing so we exhibit the righteousness of God and keep his commandments. The 11th Commandment also expresses true religion quite well: "Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy mind and with all thy soul, and love thy neighbor as thy self." In this all of the law and the prophets are fulfilled.He who loves his neighbor will not sin against him. He who does not sin against his neighbor does not sin against God. Religion is NOT going to church and going through the motions of religious ritual---this is self-righteousness, believe that we can get to God by our own efforts. Simple obedience to God is true religion. there will be people in heaven who never entered a church a single time in their life and their will be people in hell who never missed a Sunday morning service. The dying penitent thief on the cross probably never entered a synagogue in his entire life, but because he believed in Jesus our Lord promised him a place in Paradise. True religion comes from the heart, not from the head. True religion is by faith, not by intellect. You cannot scheme your way into heaven. Salvation is a free gift from God.

Answer 6

Religion is the constitutional position of the living entity as eternal servant of God. And means to obey and love God.

Answer 7

Religion is from the greek word religare, re means again ligare means relationship to God.

Answer 8

You are one 7-billionth of humanity. I am one 7-billionth of humanity. You and I are one 3-billion-500-millionth of humanity. Your joys/sorrows and my joys/sorrows are one 3-billion-500-millionth of humanity's joys/sorrows. Feel all your selfishness dissolve in that realization. THAT's religion.

Answer 9

A set of rules and restrictions on how to worship.

Answer 10

It's just another political strategy.