The task of defining what a religion is, is certainly not an easy task. For countless millennia mankind has worshipped a pantheon of deities whether that is the Sun as seen within ancient Aztec culture or whether that is the God of the Hebrews. Therefore a definition of what is Religion must be accessible and far encompassing as it seems it must address a myriad of beliefs which differ in scope. The three definitions I have chosen in order to analyse focus primarily on the nature of the Belief within a religion. For example Marx saw Religion as a means of enslavement in order to maintain the status quo through the impartiality of an ideology which maintained absolute equilibrium leading to stagnation and thus a lack of change. Thus the belief in a religion is simply the reaction of the oppressed to offer them a shade of comfort in a “heartless world.” Tylor focused upon the notion of belief as defining religion, in that Religion itself is formulated by primitive man explaining what he did not understand by giving all things Anima`s to explain what they could not understand. He claims belief in spiritual beings to be Animism and that mankind has carried the resultant ignorance. Feuerbach`s definition is certainly thought-provoking as his definition of God being a construct of Man, rather than traditional vice versa. Feuerbach as with Tylor and Marx, focus on the nature of belief within religion, I have chosen this as I would prefer to focus upon the belief of religion, rather than the practice due in part to Freud’s insistence the practice of religion is a neurosis which has spread through the generations, and also as I would prefer to be able to make comparisons between the three definitions with the nature of belief being a funda...
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... primitive man could not understand, and as such are of the result of the ignorance of early society. Tylor therefore argues that the idea of a belief in a God or Gods is the result of the “survival” Religion surviving, Tylor claims that Religious survival is due to some being guilty of limiting and relying on an outdated custom whilst science can explain away such phenomena away. This explanation is difficult to categorise, as it is certainly a sociological explanation, as well being anthropological and psychological. Studies analysed by Keleman have identified that children seem to identify some objects in a similar method of Tylor`s animism in that things are given morality – positive or negative based on the likelihood of causing harm to the child. This could be evidence supporting Tylor`s argument that through knowledge such things become more than good or bad.
Religion is considered as a pervasive force in this world. It shapes people as to how they behave and interact with almost everything present in the society. Influencing behavior, character formations, ideals, policies, standards are just among the dimensions and societal perspectives affected and impacted by religion. Because of these applications and implications in human lives and existence, religion should be understood deeply, particularly, on how it affects the world. Looking at the American perspective of the term "religion," it could be simply
According to Marx, religion comes from the imagination of the mind, “Man makes religion.” (H/R,p.11) Marx believes in Atheism and that religion is simply justification to our actions and behaviors as “followers.”
Rubenstein and Herzl viewed religion in very similar ways. Their major works, After Auschwitz and The Jewish State described their view of a place where Jews from around the world could gather and call home. They believed this society should be fundamentally based in secular law rather than religious doctrine. It was more important for them to live freely as a culturally Jewish society, rather than living as a religiously Jewish society. I would suggest that the definition of religion would be the belief of a God, or once God, and the worship of Him through religious practices. The distinction between this definition and a more standard definition, “the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, esp. a personal God or gods” (Webster), is that they believed societal matters and personal freedom should be in the hands of the people rather than predetermined by an all powerful God.
“Religion is a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considering religion as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs”, as stated by Webster’s dictionary.1 Religion is basically the belief in a higher being who controls the life of the people, and ultimately decides the fate of a being after death. There about 21 major religions today each with thousands of different denominations, this branched from under them. Christianity is responsible for 32 of them by itself! There are so many different religions because of the difference of opinion in beliefs, and in the different denominations the difference in beliefs are very minor. The key aspect that differentiates these religions is usually because they worship different Gods.
In this essay Karl Marx will be discussed using his arguments concerning religion and religious institutions which is thought to play a powerful role in influencing a society and the lives of its members. Karl Marx (1818-1883) referred to religion as the ‘opium of the people’ (1975), like a misused drug it administers to true needs in false ways, however Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) defines religion as a “unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say, things set apart and forbidden-beliefs and practices which united in one single moral community called a Church, all those who adhere to them”- Elementary Forms of Religious Life, however they both agree that religion is an important aspect to society. This essay
Religion is defined as a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs. Throughout time, religion has been debated to the point where many have philosophers have claimed it as a crutch for individuals in times of depression or despair. However, the purpose of religion has been argued numerous times and now the age old question remains whether or not religion is a want or a need. This question has been debated, and it is clear where philosophers such as Kierkegaard, James and Nietzsche stand, in regards to such prominent men as Marx, Skinner and Freud. Both sides pose salient arguments and each present strong points. Based on each argument presented, religion is therefore both a want and a need under certain conditions.
What is religion? Each person’s definition of religion is different. Each person’s faith is different. This is a question that has been asked for centuries, and regardless of the answer given there is no right or wrong answer. Religion can be defined as a group of people who have shared beliefs who feel their life has purpose or meaning. This feeling or belief that their life has meaning can come from outside of themselves, as well as within. Taking this one step further, these shared beliefs put into action in the form of worship, can be easily identified because they happen regularly. It can be said the Primal religions were in fact not religions. Some may argue Confucianism is not a religion. Others may say Taoism is not a religion. However, one argument can be made. All three of these “religions” share “features.” Huston Smith, author of World’s Religions, says “six features of religion appear so regularly as to suggest that their seeds are in the human makeup.” These six features discussed in World’s Religions are as follows: authority, ritual, explanation, tradition, grace, and mystery (World’s, Page 67). First is authority, Smith argues religion is so complex that people will need assistance or guidance from those held in a higher light, or of a higher authority. Next is ritual, which can be happy (a wedding) or sad (a funeral), rituals are shared between people of the same religion in many forms as a sign of common beliefs. Following rituals, some explanation is required. Many of a religion’s followers ask for explanations, some ask, “What is my purpose in life?” Others may ask, “Who is God?” Depending on one’s religion, the questions or
Religion is a very important factor to a variety of believers. People have the liberty to decide what they want to follow and believe. Conflicts have emerged in Christianity due to the abundant amount of sects that broke off from Christianity. Not having the significant amount of information on religions has led to insignificant remarks and rumors. Each sect has different values and perspectives. The Church of Latter Day Saints and The Roman Catholic Church have different beliefs that reveal different values.
Each thinker has his own definition of religion. Karl Marx believed that “Man makes religion, religion does not make man”, (H/R, p. 12). Karl Marx views on religion came during the time of an industrial revolution. There were two societies during that time, the rich and the poor. Marx believed that religion was created to make the poor
Erich Fromm in his psychoanalytical approach to religion is distinct from the earlier works of Sigmund Freud. Fromm defines religion as “any system of thought and action shared by a group which gives the individual a frame of orientation and an object of devotion.” Fromm argues that irreligious systems including all the different kinds of idealism and “private” religions deserve being defined as a “religion.” Based on Fromm’s theory, it is explained that there is no human being who does not have a “religious need,” almost every part of human life reflects religious need and its fulfillment, in fact he states it to be “inherent” in man.
Religion is intertwined with culture, economics, politics, and modern social relationships on every dimension. Whether you attend a cathedral, a synagogue, or a mosque, habitually, intermittently, or abstain entirely, you simply cannot escape religion.
According to the American College Dictionary, religion is a noun defined as the quest for the values of the ideal life. This definition is vast and general, allowing for a variety of interpretations by people from all cultures. There is no single path to follow in order to lead an ideal life, only personal beliefs and experiences. Religion is non-finite so there is no way of determining a boundary (Smart, 5). In my quest for a true understanding of what religion is I explored my own traditions and religious beliefs as well as life experiences. Slowly, with the added insight from the text and videos, my own definition of religion has begun to take shape.
Smith explains to us that originally in Europe, religion was understood as the “observance of ritual regulations” (Ward, 2008:10) and later a shift in this understanding occurred where it was understood as being devout and focused on worship. Then, moving into the 17th century, the concept of religion changed yet again and was defined by having a system of doctrines and focused on the idea of having the “correct beliefs” (Ward, 2008:10).
Together I believe these two definitions give a very clear example of what religion truly is. Religion cannot be defined as something with a one fixed meaning. It is unique to almost every individual. At times it can be vastly different from its surrounding culture. So it is easy to see why it has caused so many controversial world issues. Religion has existed as long as humans could think and wonder. A vast majority of people have always believed that there is a higher power or a divine being that controls the events that occur in our lives. Unfortunately, though, religion and its many components has commonly raised more questions for people. Why is it that wars and international tensions are, almost always, strongly influenced by a person's religion? A person's religious belief has the potential to get him killed. Why is it that religion creates so much turmoil? It is this question as well as others that create a hunger within people to seek out and ultimately discover the truths of the world, whatever that may be. Inevitably this search leads to a multitude of ideas and theories, or better known as philosophies.
The reason for the secuarlisation can be seen in the fact that sociology is a theory both guided by and aims to build theories (Wuthnow/Dillon 2003:21). Theories require analysis and generalisation. It is impossible to analyse a subject without first defining the subject (Robertson 1970:34). Definition is a contentious issue because different definitions entail different criteria which lead to different patterns being indentified in data. Theories are created by the identification of patterns in data which are then generalised.(Davies 2007:5). Thus a definition will vastly affect the content and concept of a theory. Definitions of religion in sociology fall into two categories, functional and substantive. This essay will assess...