Religion is a system of beliefs, practices and values that people use to deal with the ultimate questions about life, death and what comes after. It usually focuses on a belief in something that is considered holy, sacred or absolute, spiritual or divine and worthy of special reverence. It also often includes a code of behavior that provides guidelines for personal morality and social interactions. Religion may also involve a belief in the supernatural, about forces and powers that are beyond the control of humans.
Some scientists who study human cultures have suggested that religion evolved as a response to biological or cultural needs. Specifically, some anthropologists believe that early humans needed to control uncontrollable parts of their environment and so they developed religions in order to do this. These early religions tended to be either magic-based or faith-based. Magic-based religions tried to manipulate the natural world directly through rituals, for example, by drawing images of animals on cave walls in hopes of assuring a successful hunt. Faith-based religions, on the other hand, hoped to gain control over their environments by appealing to gods or spirits for help.
Today, many scholars and laypeople use the term “religion” to describe a wide variety of beliefs, practices and behaviors. They argue that these beliefs, practices and behaviors have a significant impact on individuals’ lives and on society in general. Consequently, they deserve to be taken into account when formulating public policy or psychotherapy and when teaching children in schools. Moreover, the fact that many religions have been around for thousands of years means that it would be unreasonable to exclude them from consideration in any discussion of society and culture.
Although there is debate over how to define and categorize religion, most experts agree that it encompasses at least two major elements. The first is a relationship of believers to that which they regard as holy, sacred or absolute; the second is a set of beliefs about the supernatural and the spirit world. In addition, most religions have some form of organization and worship, sacred texts, a clergy or priesthood that governs the faith, a special place, symbols and days that are held to be of special value, and an emphasis on a code of ethics or morality.
There are also those who argue that the concept of religion is not a useful one to discuss because it is essentially a Western category that does not make sense for non-Western traditions. Others, such as anthropologists Clifford Geertz and Emile Asad, argue that although the word is culturally specific, it does refer to a type of reality that exists in many cultures.
Regardless of how the term religion is defined, it is clear that it plays a critical role in the lives of most Americans and deserves to be taken into account when making policies or decisions. Further, it is important to recognize the benefits that religion can provide in terms of promoting ethical conduct, encouraging positive relationships with family members and strangers, providing social support, and reducing stress and anxiety.
