Report on the Religious Life of Planet Earth - Essay Example

? REPORT ON THE RELIGIOUS LIFE OF PLANET EARTH Introduction The concept on religion is understood to encompass a set of beliefs in relation to the nature, cause and purpose of the universe (Swatos & Kivisto, 998). This is more so when the creation of the universe is attributed to a supernatural entity or entities, and reverence is accorded through ritual activities. There are equally provisions for moral codes that oversee the conduct of humanity. Evidently, religion constitutes a multidimensional concept that integrates a person’s behaviors, identity and beliefs (Swatos & Kivisto, 998). To this end, a renowned reflection of religion is one which exhibits the inextricable connection of the multi-facets of beliefs, behavior and personal identity. Moreover, religion not only defines a person but also structures the behavior of a person and his or her beliefs. In countries across the world, it is common to come across an individual or groups which confess faith towards some religious affiliation. Evidently, majority of humanity seeks identity and purpose for life through establishing a connection with religion. To this end, in determining if people on Earth are religious and consequently how religion looks like; the best assessment is through examining the relationship between the characteristics of religion and its conformity to the behaviors, actions and belief systems of humanity. The Spread of different religious Systems In the historical and contemporary world, there are a variety of different religious systems which people exhibit an affiliation. Evidently, these religious groups or systems offer a sense of identity and influences the behavior and belief values of the adherents. In this regard, the world is filled with diverse religions and proof of it is through the diverse range of adherents that subscribe to such individual faiths. These include the religion of Islam which was revealed by the prophet Muhammad and its adherents are spread all over the world such as in the Middle Eastern countries (Swatos & Kivisto, 998). Second, the religion of Christianity is notably the largest faith and has its teachings firmly grounded on the Bible. Evidently, it has approximately over 2 billion followers in the entire. (Swatos & Kivisto, 998) Buddhism is equally another famous religion which teaches the adherents on the best way of living in accordance to Siddharta Gautama (Swatos & Kivisto, 998). Hinduism is a religion in which the faithful have their ideas firmly founded on Indian religious beliefs. The Candomble religion represents an African driven belief system of religion that traces its origins and followers in Brazil. On the other hand, Taoism connotes ancient religious, philosophical tradition that has its belief founded in Chinese worldview (Swatos & Kivisto, 998). There are equally contemporary and growing religions such as the Bahai religion. The aforementioned religions are just but a sample of the many religions in the Earth. Their existence and adherents that subscribe to the religions offers part of the proof of the religious nature of man on Earth. Belief in Supernatural beings or elements The belief in the existence of supernatural beings is a foundational precinct in the belief system of religious people. To this end, they acknowledge the existence of supernatural beings such as gods, spirits or a supreme God. Evidently, the belief in supernatural beings offers a connection to the existence and experiences of humans. For example, among Christians they believe in a supernatural being of God who is composed of three elements. That is, The Holy Spirit, God the Father and God the Son. In addition, they believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. On the other hand, the Islamic adherents believe in Allah as a supernatural being and in Muhammad as his prophet. The Hindus on their part believe in the existence of 330 million gods but in one supreme ultimate god known as the Brahman. Contemporary religions such as Bahai express their faith in Bahaullah as the reincarnation or manifestation of god. Existence of Ethical Codes or Moral Principles The defining characteristic of the practice of religion among people lies in the existence of moral principles or ethical codes which define the standard of individual behavior in society. For example, among the Buddhists, they believe in adhering to the ethical principles of wisdom, morality, chastity, meditation, dietary restrictions and a life of poverty in attaining Enlightenment. On the other hand, Christians derive their moral codes of conduct through teachings in the Bible and especially The Ten Commandments which define the moral requirements of individuals. The Muslims on their part derive their moral teachings based on the Islamic laws derived from the holy books of Quran and Sunnah. Ritual Acts The practice of ritual activities by individuals and communities offers a practical example of the extent of man’s devotion to religion. Evidently, most religions are unique in terms of ritual acts that are dedicated to the supernatural entities. To this end, annual rituals across the diverse religions of the Earth entail the reenacting of sacred stories which are mostly conducted during celebrations. In addition, the lifecycle of all religions are normally connected to birth and death. For example, the Muslim rites related birth entail a simple prayer known as the adhaan. Evidently, the words are whispered by the infants’ father through by chanting “God is great, there is no god but Allah.” In addition, the baby is supposed to have a taste of something sweet when it is born. Therefore, the parents chew up a piece of something sweet such as date and squeeze the juice on the baby’s gums. Furthermore, the birth rites entail shaving the baby’s head after seven days. This evidently is a symbolic representation that the child is a servant of Allah. The Christian faith has ritualistic activities such as the Eucharist or Holy Communion. Evidently, the Eucharist is a thanksgiving celebration that marks the final supper which Jesus had with his disciples before His crucifixion. Evidently, it involves the consumption of bread and wine by Christians which symbolically represent the body and blood of Jesus Christ respectively. To this end, the Eucharist is a sign of unity among Christians. On the other hand, adherents of Buddhism practice meditation as a ritual. Evidently, meditations serve as a physical and mental state of action in which a person is in separation from their feelings and thoughts. This eventually leads to a state of full awareness among the Buddhists. It is a practice that is very much synonymous with Buddhists and most adherents can be viewed sitting in a cross legged position while engaged in deep meditation. Contemporary religions such as the Bahai adherents engage in annual fasts. This annual fast is referred to as the Nineteen day fast which was designated by the god Bahaullah and occurs before the Bahai New Year. Evidently, the fasting is symbolic to disciplining the soul which aids in spiritual preparation and rejuvenation for the upcoming New Year. The Taoists adherents practice one important ritual known as chiao or jiao (Tyler & Ried, 2005). It is rite that represents cosmic renewal whereby people village households present offering to the local deities. The Taoist priest hence performs a dedication of the offerings and performs a ritual which restores order in the universe. The priest equally requests the gods to bring prosperity and peace within the village. Communication with the Divine Religion plays a central role among adherents towards offering spiritual nourishment, encouragement, a sense of personal identity and reason for existence. In order to achieve this religion offers a means of interacting with the supernatural realm. To this end, prayer is one of the modes of communication that is evident in practice among religious people. In this regard, the aspect of prayer is evident in religions such as Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Communication through prayer is normally visible as people engage in it privately or either as a group. Functions of Religion Earth According to functionalists such as Emile Durkheim, religion plays a pertinent role in ensuring cohesion and control within the society (Tyler & Ried, 2005). Evidently, the social cohesion arising from religion is due to the shared beliefs and rituals which result to social solidarity. Furthermore, the morals, ethics and norms arising from religious doctrine assist in ensuring social control due to the maintenance of conformity. In this regard, the social control and conformity is evident through restrictions and punitive measures on deviant behavior such as stealing or murder. Furthermore, religion plays a vital role in the projection of cultural values and traditions (Tyler & Ried, 2005). In this regard, religion is a tool through which transmission of sacred stories, rituals and beliefs are made possible. This eventually shapes the characters and activities of a particular social group. Conclusion The existence of religion on Earth is evident through the functional perspective in which humanity has employed the various paradigms of religion within their actions, and relations with each other. Furthermore, religion plays three pertinent roles of social cohesion, social control and cultural transmission and preservation. References Swatos, W. H., & Kivisto, P. (1998).Encyclopedia of religion and society. Walnut Creek, Calif.: AltaMira Press. Tyler, S. K., & Ried, G. (2005). Religion & society (Edexcel ed.). Deddington: Philip Allan Updates. Read More