Religion is an organized collection of belief systems, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to explain the origin of life or the Universe. From their ideas about the cosmos and human nature, they tend to derive morality, ethics, religious laws or a preferred lifestyle. According to some estimates, there are roughly 4,200 religions in the world.
Many religions may have organized behaviors, clergy, a definition of what constitutes adherence or membership, holy places, and scriptures. The practice of a religion may also include rituals, sermons, commemoration or veneration of a deity, gods or goddesses, sacrifices, festivals, feasts, trance, initiations, funerary services, matrimonial services, meditation, prayer, music, art, dance, public service or other aspects of human culture. Religions may also contain mythology.
The word religion is sometimes used interchangeably with faith or belief system; however, in the words of Émile Durkheim, religion differs from private belief in that it is "something eminently social". A global 2012 poll reports that 59% of the world's population is religious, 23% are not religious, and 13% are atheists.
No
The term "atheist" is not explicitly mentioned in the Bible, but the concept of non-belief is addressed. In the Bible, non-belief is often associated with rebellion against God and a rejection of His existence. This shapes the understanding of non-belief in religious texts as a serious offense and a challenge to the authority of God.
Depends on the period, however, philosophy is often used as an attempt to justify "wars of faith", so often religious wars will cause justifications to appear in the philosophy behind the faith.
During the Nara period Buddhism rose to become the religious tradition that influenced Japan. Temples were constructed in cities during this time.
How the Grand Canyon was formed depends on your worldview. If your belief is based on a secular worldview, it was carved out by a gradual process of erosion over a long period of time using a little water. If your belief is based on a biblical worldview, it was carved out over a short period of time during the Flood.
Yes, a cross is a shape commonly associated with the Christian religious symbol.
None
In the Middle Ages, religious beliefs, particularly Christianity, profoundly influenced lifestyles in Europe by dictating moral values, social structures, and daily practices. The Church was a central authority, guiding everything from governance to education, and it shaped community life through rituals, festivals, and the calendar. Monasticism promoted a life of asceticism and devotion, while the concept of sin and salvation affected personal behavior and societal norms. Additionally, religious doctrines influenced art, architecture, and the distribution of wealth, reinforcing the Church's power and the interconnectedness of faith and daily life.
Religious significance refers to the importance or symbolic meaning that a particular belief, practice, ritual, object, or place holds within a religious context. It is often tied to the spiritual beliefs, traditions, and values of a specific religion or faith community. Religious significance can shape how individuals or communities understand the world, their place in it, and their relationship to the divine or supernatural.
The life theme approach to religious studies attempts to relate religious education to daily experiences, enabling learners to interpret and understand such experiences from a theological and a sociological perspective.
It can have any shape that you like. The main point is that it is repeated for each period.
A 'T' shape could be called a cross, and in a religious manner, a crucifix.