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Religion As A Social Network

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A majority of the population of the world follows a special sort of moral code and set of beliefs that could be considered a religion. However, religion is an especially perplexing concept considering the vast array of customs and practices that could fit under the label. Personally, I define religion as a social network of individuals who happen to share similar beliefs and practices. While also following a written scripture that is based around the word of an enlightened individual. In a similar respect, it can also be deliberated as a system of beliefs and taboos that stem from a physical book that was transcribed by human beings themselves. Per contra, it can also be described discerningly as a way of living life every day. There …show more content…

If you exclude the sacrificial offerings and direct your attention to less excessive practices, an argument could be made that being a fan of a football team could be considered a religion. Football fanatics attend games during specific times of the year much like spiritual individuals visit church on the weekends or visit the privacy of a temple to pray. There can even be a connection made between singing religious hymns and vocalizing a universities fight song during a game. However, the primary aspect that differentiates religion from practices such as football fandom is the belief in a holy scripture and maintaining faith in an afterlife or reincarnation. Religions such as “Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism all maintain belief in samsara, the “wheel of life” that implies a series of lives, deaths, and rebirths for every individual.” Alternatively, Christianity and Islam advocate that people are destined for some sort of afterlife whether that be a version of heaven or hell. Certain perspectives even stretch to say that a maintaining of faith in there being no afterlife at all could be considered a qualification for religion. Regardless, a religion is best defined by a network of people that share common beliefs and practices. Many of these beliefs and practices can be often be displayed in food ways. Food “is central to religion—as a symbol, as subject of prayers, as marker of sharing and unsharring, and as communion.” Many

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