Religions of the World Essay

Having the privilege to serve in the military has allowed this writer the opportunity to be exposed to the pluralistic society in a way which has exposed him to the beauty of the diversity enjoyed in American culture. One aspect of said diversity is the interaction which has taken place amongst the Christian and various world religions who also wear the same uniform in defense of America. It was the pleasure of the writer to attend a local synagogue in which his Jewish brothers and sisters welcomed him with open arms. The local congregation of Jewish believers went out of their way in order to ensure their newest visitor understood the flow of service and the significance of the ritual which took place on the first Shabbat or Sabbath of the month. The following essay will serve to detail the worship experience as well as how it and other beliefs of Judaism compare/contrast with the Christian faith.

Society in all cultures share a common trait: Religion. Studying religion in any society reveals many of their traits and explains the actions of the individual. For example, Jewish people live their lives according to what was written in the Talmud and the Torah. They respect the Sabbath and also eat Kosher meat. Even when looking at Huxley's A Brave New World, analyzing religion still helps us understand the actions of the societies and characters within the book.

More than three quarters of the world are following a religion, we as human beings use religions as a way of answering the unexplainable questions in life like what happens after we die. What’s similar between these religions even though they’re so spread out? Some believe in gods, some believe in giving up your worldly desires, and some provide a social hierarchy to live your life on.

Arabia to Islam. All practicing Muslims accept belief in the ‘Six Articles of Faith’ and are

Though each religion is unique, some religions have several traits in common. For example, many religions are polytheistic, meaning that there are many gods. But, some religions only believe in one god, meaning that the religion is monotheistic. The religions also have many things that differ with each other, like the sacred text, symbol, and traditions. These qualities are what make each religion different and special.

Practices and rituals are an important key element of a worldview. These are the physical expressions of a worldview which serve as the very fabric that ties the other elements of norms, ideology, and narratives together. They provide adherents with the ability to express their core beliefs by allowing for reflection of the meaning of the beliefs they hold within a worldview. These rituals and practices also allow for adherents to renew bonds, recreate important events, and facilitate important transitions in life. Baptism and communion are two important practices (rituals) within a Christian Worldview. In Scientific Naturalism, the use of the scientific method would serve as an example of a practice which is important to adherents.

An observation and practice that includes all forms of religion and includes ethical and moral beliefs

Indigenous religions exist in every climate around the world and exhibit a wide range of differences in their stories, language, customs, and views of the afterlife. Within indigenous communities, religion, social behavior, art, and music are so intertwined that their religion is a significant part of their culture and virtually inseparable from it. These religions originally developed and thrived in isolation from one another and are some of the earliest examples of religious practice and belief. The modern world; however, has taken its toll on these groups and many of their stories, customs, and beliefs have been lost to, or replaced by, those brought in as a result of popular culture and the missionary work of Christians and Muslims.

Eller makes a point that anthropological method of studying religion is different because it focuses on the social and diverse aspects of religion with the intention of understanding the impact on society rather than the definition of religion itself. Anthropological method of studying religion is not looking to interpret or explain the theology of religion. So the aim is not to provide defense or offence against the religion. In order for the participant to be unbiased while studying religion and to be more objective, the method used by anthropology is fieldwork wherein the participant observer does a case study or ethnography by immersing himself in the practices of the religion and experiencing not only as an observer but as an active participant

A close cousin of the classical method is the evidential method. The evidential method uses a “one-step” approach, beginning with implementing a display of facts, both scientific and historical, to defend the central claims of Christianity . A problem may arise due to different interpretations of fact that some evidentialists may not take into account; for example, a Jew may become convinced that Jesus rose from the dead but that does not mean that they will become convinced that Christianity is true . The advantage of using the classical method is that it is beneficial to establish the truth of theism before presenting historical

The idea of the soul varies widely in religious tradition. While these variations exist, its basic definition is unvarying. The soul can be described as the ultimate internal principle by which we think, feel, and will, and by which our bodies are animated. The soul is seen as the core principle of life or as the essence of a being 1. Views on the permanence of the soul vary throughout religious tradition as well. While some view it as a mortal entity in flux others believe the soul is an immortal and permanent unit. These interpretations vary from time period to time period and between religions. These characteristics of the soul are interpreted differently through an Eastern or

Learning different religion and seeing what the eastern and western are like and comparing them.

According to Russel McCutcheon, the academic study of religion emphasizes two main points. These two elements of analysis are historical accuracy and descriptive accuracy (McCutcheon, 1). Ideally, this approach to the study of religion should be completely neutral. Theology, on the other hand, may accentuate a particular viewpoint or method of living that is consistent with the religion being studied. The approach that McCutcheon describes is also utilized by Brown throughout the first chapter of his book. This is evident due to the plethora of examples which describe the branches of the Islamic people, and the different set of beliefs that come with it.

We all have some experience with religion. Whether our parents are religious, our own religious views, or others who try and convert you to a religion, we have all come in contact with a religion. But what do sociology and religion have to do with each other? The answer to this question is that religion meets sociology in the affects that it has on an individual or society (Schaefer, Richard T, 2009, pg 323).

The method of critical thinking explores what it means to be critical and how we think critically. Critical thinking can be defined as an approach to ideas from the standpoint of deliberate consideration. Philosophy differs from Religion in that this critical thinking is a primary characteristic used in Western Philosophy. Religion is a belief and way of life while philosophy is the knowledge or understanding of life. In Greek Philo means love of and Sophy, wisdom. Hence philosophy is most directly the love of wisdom. Non-western Philosophy incorporates both science and religon to answer questions. Furthermore, all Sciences are subsets of philosophy. Philosophy represents the mind, a process of thinking and religion, a process of faith. Philosophy is Dogma while Religion is a code of conduct revealed upon mankind through revelation. Furthermore religion depends upon a superior being or unknown force (think god). Because of this, when a philosophy is codified into rituals and faith, it becomes a religion. Religion tends to back away from rational discourse, as opposed to Philosophy, which is all about rational discourse and critical thinking.