What is Religion?

Religion is a broad category of study.

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So broad, in fact, most everyone is religious, even those who state they are not. There is a difference being a religious being and knowing anything about it as a study topic. The objective here is to help provide a way of thinking about the subject.

So I began by stating you are religious. What is not clear, and very personal, is what exactly your religion is.

Note I did not say religion has anything to do with God. It might, but then we each have the opportunity to state who that God is or isn’t to us.

A better way to describe where religion fits into life is to say it deals with one’s relationship to the supernatural. If it helps, you can replace the word supernatural with the word mystery. This is simply acknowledging there are things outside our ability to explain.

The supernatural or mystery realm has to do with things beyond the natural.

To practice any religion will require the exercise of belief, and believing things or not believing them involves making decisions as to whether or not to trust in something unprovable beforehand. This sounds difficult or foolish but it is operational in our lives all the time and every day. For example, when we sit on a chair, we first must believe the chair will hold our weight. If we are not sure we might test the chair first, but usually we just sit down. My point is belief, once made, usually becomes an unconscious action from then on or until a test comes up that questions the soundness of our belief. It turns out our faith is constantly tested and this is part of our spiritual maturity.

When applying the process of belief to the realm of religion we have to make decisions about powers and forces that affect our lives but cannot be measured or proven. We are choosing to trust and step into the mystery in order to live a better more fulfilling life as a result. Our hope is that over time our faith will be confirmed and rewarded, not necessarily materially but spiritually, meaning we will find more serenity, contentment, and fulfillment having elected to take this particular narrow path.

In time, through experience our faith can grow or we might return to searching once again for a better path.

Skepticism is not the enemy of religion. It actually should be an aspect of religious practice because it can protect us from people and ideas that are potentially harmful. However, skepticism and doubt should themselves be kept in check. They are not proofs that there is nothing supernatural intersecting our lives.

Is science a religion?

No.

Science is a method of discovery. It is a discipline. However, the belief that science is the answer to all of mankind’s problems is a religious conviction many label as Scientism.

Are atheists religious?

Absolutely.

They believe there is no God. This is a statement of faith, and faith is how all religions are practiced. We all walk by faith. The question is where or what are we placing our faith in?

In Conclusion.

Because man has an intellect, and because he or she cannot know everything, part of coping with the mysteries of life is to seek to find scientifically unprovable explanations as to why we are here living the lives we did not create. One way many do this is to consider how those in the past, especially those whose characters we admire and who lived inspirational lives, coped with mystery.

In our early childhood years we encounter and only know, to the limitations of our developing brains, the lives closest to us. Later we have the opportunity to expand our experiences beyond family and closest friends. As a result of all of this we encounter different religious beliefs and practices. This is a good thing and hopefully should lead us to wonder —

What is a good religion?

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