Throughout history man has been trying to find answers to a host of issues. Perhaps the most important ones are "why are we here?" and "where do we go from here?" and similar questions. In an effort to provide the answers that we need, we came up with religion. Most of the world's present religions have some sort of "super being" or "main god." These super beings are supposed to be all-powerful and all knowing. Many also have lesser gods and saints. The path or communication channel to these "main gods" is not usually a clear and direct one between "main god" and believer. It is usually cluttered with a lot of intermediaries and detours. One important feature of most of these religions is that they usually have some "super entity" that controls evil. All that is good is as a result of some good entity and all that is bad is as a result of some bad one. Now all of these and other general features serve an important function, especially in the past. Most (if not all) early civilizations had a large part of their origins in religion. The early pharaohs of ancient Egypt, for example, were considered to be gods. Priests in most of these ancient societies held extremely important and many times powerful posts. Even in modern times, religion continues to play a very important function. The Pope in Rome, once a very powerful figure in centuries past, is still seen by many as very important and relevant. The point to all of this is that as man saw the need to get some sort of community together, religion was used to great effect to help start civilizations. It would have been more difficult if a man was to claim authority on his own - he needed some sort of supernatural authority. This was where religion came in. Without a doubt, religion helped to keep people, communities, and nations together. It is also important to note that religion served another important function -- providing ready and easy answers and "solutions" to difficult issues.
After He died, his disciples spread his teachings over the land. Christianity is now the world's largest religion. ... That Jesus is the Son of God who died to forgive our sins. ... After someone dies, their relatives usually give gifts to the monks. ... There is a large difference between these two religions in the way their religion has impacted their life and culture. ...
The role religion plays in world history is, at best, tremendous. ... The view of God in the Christian religion is quit different from the view of Gods just seen in the Greek religion of the Iliad. ... Like a mortal he was able to die. ... They believe that he has died for their sins, therefore saving the Christian people. ... The cities were full of every type of religion imaginable from Judaism to various religions devoted to Greek Gods. ...
But religion doesn't always have to be the belief of a god. ... Such religions could be the quest for inner peace or the belief that we were sent on this earth just to die and go to another plane of existence. In most religions, the society is the foundation for any belief. Society is the structure used to keep most religions alive. ... The aspect of faith is a must for all religions, for faith keeps the bonds of the religion strong. ...
In the New World, Aztecs believed that dying in certain ways led to different post-death existences: a man who died in battle would become a humming bee that would bring on the sunrise, a woman who died in childbirth would be reborn into a goddess that would bring on the sunset, sacrificed victims became one with the sun and a person who died an ordinary, undistinguished death would go to the underworld realm of Mictlan. ... All of these cultures feature predominant religions that serve as end-games, so to speak, that are not really end-games. ... Another important similarity is the ascension ...
Religion identifies a way of life. ... Those who practice a religion strive to be perfect. ... It is difficult to imagine what need there would be for religion in a world in which no one ever died or became ill. ... Why do people die and what happens afterwards? ... Religion is something that human nature demands. ...
The purpose of religion is summed up well in the book The Worlds Religions: Understanding the Living Faiths, by Peter B. ... Through its various rituals, religion releases energy within the committed followers of a religion in a particular community. ... This applies to all religions. ... In the following stories people chose to risk dying without a child, dying period, and being alone in the world just to do what they believe is right. ... In The King Must Die a boy, Theseus, makes a transition into to becoming a man. ...
Religion provides answers to ultimate meaning. ... There is nothing more devastating to a child then to hear that you will die someday. ... One of the most memorable days that I can remember in grade school was about my teacher talking about death and what happens when we die. ... She told us that we would all die one day, but not to worry because you will be saved since you loved God. ... People were saying I want to die now and we all thought that way because we weren't afraid anymore. ...
We have cast down other belief systems and have been conditioned to think that our religion is the one true religion. ... One of the most talked about and most important issues in World History and all over the world, is religion: not just religion, but the unreal concept of a world religion. ... In discussing religion the questions of, "What is the right religion?... However all of these religions are faith based religions. ... Unlike other religions avoid theology C. ...
Their religion highly emphasized the sacrifice and ascetic behavior as the necessary means of pleasing the gods. ... In Aztec religion there were four worlds to which the dead might go. Mictlan, the underworld for those who die of old age by normal causes. Tlalocan, the eternal spring paradise for those who die in water-related accidents, or strange unusual accidents. Tonatiuh Ilhuicac, the place of the sun for those who die in war or are sacrificed, or for women who die in childbirth. ...
