Week 1--Understanding Religion (UR Post)

There is no simple approach to defining a word like "Religion", the most difficult task would be to make the definition encompass the most common religions and list each ones general purpose. The HarperCollins Dictionary of Religion (1995), states that religion is defined as a “System of beliefs and practices relative to superhuman beings…. Superhuman beings are beings who can do things ordinary mortals cannot do.”, we can quickly discount this definition when comparing it to the eastern religion "Zen Buddhism" which does not worship or include a Superhuman being in its practices or beliefs. The traditional definition of religion is "A system of belief that involves worship of a God or gods, prayer, ritual, and a moral code.", unfortunately this definition is not much better than the HarperCollins definition.

The easiest way to define religion is to list what elements are most prevalent in the worlds most common religions, these eight elements are: Belief System, Community, Central Myths, Ritual, Characteristic Emotional Experiences, Material Expression, and Sacredness. Most scholars find that breaking a religion down into these elements makes the overall process of comparison easier and more efficient. In general it is a difficult task to define religion as most religions rely on faith or belief of something intangible and unseen. I personally believe that with a greater understanding of all the worlds religions one can have a greater understanding of any one religion.