Dear Mr Opinion,

The great variety of religious behaviour and belief makes
it very difficult to say exactly what "religion"is. Many
definitions have been offered in the past, but most of the
ones we are familiar with have been biased by ethnocentric
Judeo-Christian ideas about religion. And as we know these
ideas are based on a number of central beliefs:

That there exists one supreme being or God; that God
created the universe and all life and takes a continuing
interest in the creation; that there is a life hereafter;
and that our moral behaviour in this life influences
our fate in the next.

In cross-cultural terms, however, this particular
combination of beliefs is unusual. Many religions do not
recognise a supreme bring, and a number do not believe in
gods at all.

Several religions ignore questions about the origins of
the universe and life, leaving these problems to be dealt
with instead by nonreligious myth.

Many religions assume that the gods take little interest
in human affairs. Some have almost nothing to say about life
after death, and many - perhaps most - do not link our
earthly morality with our fate beyond the grave.

And, obviously, as I stated earlier, religion cannot be
defined in terms of Western religious tradition alone.

What then are its essential features?

You're right Emile Durkheim was one of the first
sociologists to study religion. He pointed out that a single
feature is common to all religions - a sharp distinction
between the sacred and the profane.

cont'd ...

Dear Belly,

Not quite correct. This is something that didn't seem to bother the ancients.

cont'd ...

The sacred is anything that is regarded as part of the
supernatural rather than the ordinary world; as such it
inspires awe, reverence and deep respect. Anything can be
considered sacred, a god, a rock, the moon, a king, a
symbol such as a cross. On the other hand, the profane
is anything that is regarded as part of the ordinary rather
than the supernatural world; as such it may be considered
familiar, mundane. Of course the profane too may be embodied
by a rock, the moon, a king, or a symbol. Something becomes
either sacred or profane only when it is socially defined
as such by a community of believers.

Durkheim also observed that a religious community always
approaches the sacred through a ritual - a formal stylized
procedure such as prayer, incantation, or ceremonial
cleansing. Ritual is a necessary part of religion because
the sacred has extraordinary qualities and must be approached
in a carefully prescribed reverential manner.

We can say then, that religion is a system of community
shared beliefs and rituals that are oriented toward some
sacred, supernatural realm.

The phenomenon is of such universal social importance
that it has been, and remains, a major focus of
sociological interest.

I hope to discuss its pros and cons next.

First, we need a definition of religion; any takers?

Dear Foxy,

Best keep it to a few salient points of interest otherwise you will end up throwing ttbn, Hasbeen, individual, Loudmouth, mhaze, etc., into a spin.

Dear Belly,

I can only speak from my own experiences with
religion. Growing up I had strict Irish nuns
(Sisters of Mercy), who were anything but merciful.
They preached the Catechism with a cane. And taught
us to look at "outsiders" with suspicion.

They made a virtue out of faith. Trust and obey - do
not think for yourself. They taught us helplessness -
And whatever happens is God's will.

Inter-marriage was a no, no. And so it went.

Yet despite all that I found my own way and today would
feel that life without my belief would be difficult.
So there you are.