Defining Religion

When searching for the meaning of the term religion one most go a long way in making an extensive search to actually form a definition that can fit such a broad word. There is no one definition that can satisfy all religions and remain true to all religions throughout its answer. There are many different views and definitions of the word and it is very hard to come up with a reasonable definition that sums such a massive expression up. Religion when used as a single word is almost impossible to define. Different people especially in different religions will all have a difference in opinion when trying to use very few words to define religion. I feel that the definitions in the book are all correct to some extent and may be missing a few important factors or have overextended the meaning to apply to only some religions and or faiths.

In the functional definitions that were defined in the book and by Clifford Geertz, I found little error and would like to expand on my opinion on their definitions. The book defined religion, if I remember correctly as, any person's reliance upon a pivotal value was that person finds essential wholeness as an individual and as a person-in-community." Well, I broke the definition down into similar terms to appreciate its meaning. I interpreted this definition as someone's dependence on an essential value where that person finds it necessary for personal completeness. In other words ones religion is what it takes for that individual to feel complete, I do not feel that this is true for all religions. Now when I broke it down for my personal clarity, I found error in this definition. Not all people practicing a religion would agree that they depend on their religion to complete them as a whole. Yes this would be true of most religions but not of all religions. That is why I find it erroneous when it is being used to define a word that has many more options for words of choice than referring to it as being necessary for wholeness, when some people see their religious practices as daily stress reducers and not as completing them as individuals. I believe the feeling of completion in your life is a personal view and to whom that person shares an identity with. This would include close family and religious family.