What Is Religion

What Is Religion

What is religion? According to an Oxford dictionary, religion is the belief in the existence of a supernatural ruling power, the creator and controller of the universe, who has given to man a spirtual nature which continues to exist after the death of the body. Religion appears to be a simple idea on the surface, but in reality it is a very complex system of ideas that many base their lives upon.

There are many religions in the world. Christianity seems to be the one religion believed widely in the modern world. However, this is not the case in a group of five people in a World Religion class. These five people share common knowledge on several aspects of religion, yet they have some major conflicts. The focus of this paper is to explore the ideas and beliefs of the group, analyze the importance of religions dialogue, and to discuss the challenge of religious pluralism in the contemporary world.

The first group member states her firm Christian views. Melissa recognizes all the religions of the world, but she holds Christanity to be the only true religion. To her, Christianity is the only way one person can attain salvation. All other religions are false and those who do not follow

Christanity are misguided and will not attain salvation. It is only through

Jesus Christ's death on the cross that one can repent, be forgiven, and attain salvation. Melissa feels that others who are non-Christians believe that their religion is true. Afterall everyone is brought up to believe in the faith or religion they are taught. If this was not the case, no one would have any beliefs. Although their religions are not true religions Melissa respects their views of being true.

Quite similar to Melissa's opinion, Jason feels that there is only one true religion in the world, which is Christianity. However, he recognizes that there are many other religions in the world in which their followers believe are true. He does not believe that one should criticize others for their beliefs, and that they should respect each person's beliefs even if they are different from his.

For Jason, Christianity is the true religion. It is the only religion that he believes Has the right answers for...

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...ecially if their views do not necessarily agree with someone else's views. We think trying to understand different religions takes compassion and understanding.

Often, people fear the "unknown."

So, another way to meet the challenge of religious pluralism is through education. People can learn about different religions and respect the diversity that exists. Further, to help understand a different religion, our group thinks that going to check out different religion services will give people personal experience of that different faith. People do not have to feel they have to accept the other religion, but going to visit another service will broaden their horizons. We believe that if society can respect the religious diversity in the world, the challenge of relgious pluralism can be met. W.C. Smith says it best,

"Unless men can learn to understand and to be loyal to each other across religious frontiers, unless we can build a world in which people profoundly of different faiths can live together and work together, then the prospects for our planets future are not bright" ("The Christian in a Religiously Plural World"

11).