Personal Identity: An Interpretation Of Religion

Title At the core of human existence is the longing to be a part of something bigger than oneself. Humans desire for understanding of what their purpose is on this little blue planet they call home. They look for a simplification of what the meaning of life is amidst the ambiguous and overwhelming cycle of being alive each day. Aside from the occasional lone wolf, people as a whole look for belonging, acceptance, and understanding in the things and people around them. This desire for community allows an individual to enhance their understanding of the world around them. Language, customs, and cultural norms are all things that are learned when one seeks out personal identity in community. Although there are many unique facets around the world

According to (Meaning of Religion 2”) the interpretation of religion is “ is a fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a group of people. These set of beliefs concern the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, and involve devotional and ritual observances.” In other words, religion is looking to a higher power, or a supernatural force to explain not only why we exist in the world, but also closer on the begging and end of life as we understand it. Now although religion is a human made concept, the idea of a creator and an existence that surpasses comprehension of this world is something that is debated amongst the religious and the unaffiliated. Even among those who practice a religion, there is little consistency in beliefs around the world. In fact, if one were to look strictly from a geographical point of view, the idea of religion varies from continent to continent. Although there may be similar ideas or myths that are rooted in various religions, each religion is unique in its own way. Two religions in particular that share similar moral ideology, but vary in the idea of the supernatural are Christianity and Confucianism. Although these two religions are worlds apart, there are more similarities from a secular view then one might

Originally, his name was Kong Qui and he adopted the title Kongzi or “master”. There is not absolute certainty regarding his upbringing, as some historians believe he was raised in poverty, while others believe he was raised by a wealthy family. These disagreements have fueled a debate on whether or not the stories of this wise man are more myth that factual occurrences. That being said, it is clear that his prodding at the fundamentals of moral teaching and sound philosophy left a mark on a nation. At a time where “traditional Chinese principles began to deteriorate (“Confucius 2”) Confucius understood that he had an opportunity and a duty to establish compassionate values and moral ideals for the betterment of mankind. Although Confucianism itself is seen as a religion, and often idolizes the creator of the religion, Confucius never wanted to be seen as an individual above the rest. In fact, upon his death, he had yet to realize that the people of China held both him and his teaching in such high regards. The “religion” was established to be more of political guidelines to create balance and order in a turbulent and unstable time in China’s history. Had Confucius known the ramifications of how his ideology would be changed and idolize over time, he may have not have pushed his ideals in the first