What is Religion? Webster’s defines religions as beliefs in nature, purpose and supernaturality. Being supernatural is a possibility, however it may be overpowered if there are personal gods. Religion is a set of beliefs that have been codified and are accompanied by rules of conduct for believers. Every society is home to many different religious organizations, which provide a guideline for their members. When people are feeling down, they turn to their religions to find comfort.
There are two types of religions. Charismatic religious leaders are the ones who lead small groups of religions. Cults are a type of this. The word cult can have many different meanings. Jan Groenveld says that Christians, who are both cult researchers and authors, define a religion as a group of people who differ from the teachings of traditional orthodoxy. A cult is a group that some people consider to be a threat. When a group claims to be a true religion, they are often a cult. Religions are distinguished by the leadership, their authority over members and their rigid boundaries. A person who wants to be a Catholic nun will have some freedoms taken away. Pettinger Tejvan says in Religions and Cults that this method is used to discipline the inner and outer self, and includes “cultist” behaviors. It includes religions that have similar teachings and evidence of cult behavior.
In general, a larger religious group will have more temples and churches than a cult. The second course of religion is denomination. Webster’s dictionary defines a denomination as a classification or identification of a religious branch. Some denominations have regional bishops. Seminaries are used by many denominations to train ministers. A denomination’s convention describes how overseers are elected. Denominations represent sub-groups of a particular religion. Christian denominations include Anglican, Roman Catholic and Protestant. Judaism, too, has different denominations, including Orthodoxes, Reformers, and Conservatives.
Sunni and Shia are two different denominations in Islam. The United States has many more denominations, but these are the denominations you will most likely encounter. Sociologists examine religions and their various aspects and try to understand the role and purpose of religion.
To summarize the essay’s conclusion, religion has a role in teaching its members to worship and how to live. It’s because religion is so closely tied to human and social experiences that it plays such an important role in our century. Religion is a way to motivate people in their work and life.
