Photo Credit: http://www.psychologytoday.com/files/u589/World_Religion.gifDefining religion is no easy task. One might think he/she knows what religion is until they are faced with the very same question. At least, I can say this happened to me. The reason I had such a difficult time coming up with a definition was because all the religions in this world are so diverse and do not carry universal practices. Although religion does not really carry one definition, one can refer to multiple definitions to get a sense of what religion is (providing they have never been exposed to the multiple characteristics the concept takes on). One characteristic I found to be fairly common among many definitions I looked at was the mentioning of a God or a spiritual being. Therefore I argue that it's safe to say that the belief of a God or a "Higher Spiritual Being" is fitting for any definition of "religion". More abstract definitions describe religion as a concept that we learn to live without as we adopt reason and science as our guidelines. The latter definition isn't as correct in our Canadian society today as opposed to two, three hundred years ago. As science and technology is advancing at high speed, we are exposed to many concepts that answer some of the same questions religion does. The creation of the earth, evolution, etc. Hundreds of years ago, these claims were blasphemous and many of the scientists who contributed in answering such questions were threatened.
Many scholars do extensive research regarding many old religions and some newer religions. New information regarding these religions keeps on springing up through new finds of documents, artifiacts and other religious memorabilia. These scholars for the most part have to have an unbias and partial opinion on religion as every religion is different. What do you guys think about religion? Do you guys believe most of the undiscovered documents and artificats have been found or does anyone believe there is much more out there to find?
I think it's interesting to muse about "religion as a concept that we learn to live without as we adopt reason and science as our guidelines". Of course, the fetishizing of "reason" or "science" could in fact be considered a religion by some definitions. Richard Dawkins seems to think that atheism is the only true recourse for the reasonable mind... but from the way that he so fanatically evangelizes atheism you'd think it was a religion. It's true that most social systems centred around the concept of "a God or a spiritual being" are considered to be religions, but could an atheistic moral and symbolic code, perhaps preaching good-ill and peace towards others, also meet the necessary criteria? HMM...
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