Religion

Religion has played a very significant role in the civilisation of human beings. It is a very diverse, controversial and debatable topic. 

When we talk about religion, we often have an idea of religion in the sense of major or organized forms of religion. It must be realized that these organized forms of religions are but a part of a larger concept. 

Till today there have been thousand of religions by small groups of people. And even personal religions with little to no formal organization. 

One has an general idea of religion in which there is presence of god or gods. As many of the major religions that we know have worshiped atleast one god. But this shouldn't be seen as defining essence of religion. As not all religions believe in supernatural beings. Example : Buddhism is a godless religion.

So what is a proper defining elements of religion.  

William James (philosopher) while trying to explain religion says 

"Religion, therefore, as I now ask you arbitrarily to take it, shall mean for us the feelings, acts, and experiences of individual men in their solitude, so far as they apprehend themselves to stand in relation to whatever they may consider the divine" 

Now, divine is a subjective term. It is open to whatever one may consider it to be. One may find God, other may find nature etc as divine .

Sociologist Robert Bellah says " Religion is a system of symbols that, when enacted by human beings established powerful, pervasive and long lasting moods that are motivating, that makes sense in term of an idea of a general order of existence"

Religions attempt to put powerful emotions in its followers. The individual who worships religions comes close to it when it feels it to be considering important.

So in short it can be said that religions attempt to question all fundamental questions in human existence.  We tend to accept religion for answers to these questions because of the inadequacy of our regular daily life.

In our regular life we are busy with work, aim of fulfilling our desires and other practical things, but these do not provide us with answers to these existential questions. Questions like death may come to us, which are frightening questions to many. We try to ignore such questions but not for so long, as these questions cannot be ignored for long.

So we try to find comforting answers which can help us escape these questions. I.e. religion. Religions are comforting as they provide us with stories, beliefs which sootheens our fear and doubts. Religions provide us with existential questions.

These questions are so strong, that even science cannot provide us comforting solutions.

We can say, using of reasons differentiates philosophy from religions. As religions rely on myths, narratives and in expressing feelings.

In short we can say religions strive to find answers to existential questions. They provide comfort in this uncertain world.

We may say. When nothing seems right in the outside world, when all disown him/her, religions redeems an interior world which often would have been of waste.