figure, may be another answer. Some people may say that religion is full of crazy people that have a misunderstanding of the world. What do you think? I think religion can be answered in many ways.
For starters here are some religious theorists answers to this question and how they define it. "Religion is an experience of the 'sacred'." -Eliade
"Religion is an experience of the 'wholly other.'"-Otto
"Religion is one's ultimate concern."-Tillich
"Religion is a 'cumulative tradition'-not an 'ism'."-Smith
"Religion is a seven dimensional organism."-Smart
I feel all these are good definitions some of which meeting certain dynamics and some missing certain dynamics. If put together I think you are very close to fully understanding Religion in society
today. In Smarts definition the seven characteristics of religion are as follows:
Myth's: sacred stories of two kinds:historical and symbolic myths.
(side-note in this instance myth is not necessarily meaning non-
truth)
Rituals: repeated activities done to connect yourself with the
sacred, i.e. dancing, praying, singing, chanting, etc.
Experiences: religious experiences of the sacred, the feeling's of
that religion, i.e. feeling the breath of god upon you.
Doctrines: the beliefs of the group.
Ethics: what is right and/or wrong to the religion.
Social aspect: the form the religion takes in it's organization.
Material Forms: Material objects that are sacred to the religion.
How should we study religion? Well I think if you really want to study religion you are going to have to put your personal feeling behind during certain portions especially those of your own religious group if you have any. You must study religion from a historical, psychological, sociological, physical, and academical
standpoints. You must also study religion in the believers perspective as well to get an all around feel for what you are studying. You must try to see things the way a believe does. This may sound hard to do especially with your own religion but it can be especially fun and interesting. Personally I've studied my own
religion from a historical standpoint in several classes and lecture series and found it extremely interesting and fascinating. I never once felt threatened or offended because I put the "religionism" out
of it and learned about where the "religion" started.
Why should we study religion? I feel we should study religion to have a much better understanding of the world around us. And like the example given in the reading material by Dr. Diem we must do it
so we can be compassionate to others. It allows us a partial understanding of someone else and their culture and reasoning behind some of their standpoints and viewpoints. It also allows us to understand our own religion if one is held by the individual a little better. It also allows us to shed light on myths about
certain religions and allows us to explore the truth into why those myths might have been aplace in our society.
For some religion merely came from neurological cells in our brain, for others religion came directly from a divine being and was imparted to us as a gift. Which is true I think we shall never find out until we die, and if one is true we may know, if another is true we would not be conscious to know so therefore who knows no one. Science exclaims that religion may allow our species to populate itself and to collectively fight and help each other out. From a theological standpoint each religion feels their religion was imparted to them from a spiritual being, whether a god being, or an intelligent person, or a mystic, magi, etc. Psychologically religion
may just be a coping mechanism developed in our brain almost like a safety button or a self preservation tool to keep us from going insane, allowing us to attempt to grasp the uncomprehendable, or allowing us to deal with the day to day things that happen on this earth. I heard a question once that asked are your dreams really
your dreams or are they the real life and the real life you think is real just your dreams. Hmmm, ridiculous it sounds but if you think about it ??? =) In a socialogical perspective religion is what's kept us alived, it's what allowed us to survive, to co-habitate, to lay out rules and be "good neighbors", it's given us reasoning to
even be alive. Maybe all these claims are correct, it's quite possible for each of them to be right. Think about it. That might make the most sense for it all, who knows. I personally think God imparted religion onto us and created us and gave us these things so we can do all of the other reasons give, to cohabitate, for
psychological reasons, for sociological reasons, and etc.