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Religion Is Not As Straight Forward As Many People

Decent Essays

From my studying of religion, I have come to understand that religion itself is not as straight forward as many people, including myself, tend to believe it is. Religion has such complexity that it is extremely difficult to define it in just a few words. This difficulty of finding a clear definition of what religion is seen when limitations are drawn about what religion involves and other activities such as a worship of chocolate then becomes a religion due to the fact that it could possible hold the same religious aspects to some individuals.
When it comes to my personal beliefs, I define religion as the practice of following and abiding by a specific faith that suites the beliefs and understandings of the world which are determined by …show more content…

The final part of my definition says, “to aid [the believer] in their search for fulfillment and purpose in life." The previous section and this section of my definition go hand-in-hand as they emphasize the meaning of life. People tend to seek out their purpose in life and in almost every religion there is a purpose that help drive people in times of darkness and light. I find that religion needs to have this meaning of life aspect to help followers live on and fulfill their lives no matter what they believe or what religion they associate themselves with. I find all of these aspects important to making a religion what it is. In reference to other aspects such as prayer, worship, tradition, and community, I feel as though these can easily fall under shared beliefs, values, and practices due to the fact that they all build on one another. For example, if an individual has shared beliefs, values, and practices then they will share those with others forming a community and tradition among that community. Also, prayer and worship are easily fit into shared beliefs, values, and practices. Though these aspects are important to have in a religion, there are some aspects that are not necessary in my opinion. I do not believe that sacred days and places are needed in order to make a religion a religion. They are simply there to enhance the religious experience between the believer and the belief.

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