Daily Question Jan. 30

Religion is a complicated discipline to study that asks many questions that must be considered in order to fully understand its function. First, I think it is important to classify religion as the study of all things surrounding God. This means that religion includes literal Scripture, both the Old Testament and the New Testament, preachings by priests and other members of the church, and general interpretations from all members of the church. Religion is also used as a way to find meaning and make sense of our existence in the world. By believing in some form of religion, individuals can understand and receive an explanation for how things in the world function. A key aspect of religion is faith and as discussed in class faith is connected to knowing, whether it is with certainty or without certainty. The ability to truly know and have faith leads us as humans to believe in God and religion. However, it is important to note that religion has different meanings and forms for different people, as some people take religion much more seriously because of their high degree of faith, while others do not take religion to be as important. These different forms of religion are not problematic because religion is meant for the individual. 

Finally, in his article Cavanaugh lists five features of religion: ultimate concern, building community, appealing to myth and symbol, enforcing through rites and ceremonies, and demanding certain behaviors. These features of religion encompass the majority of how religion functions in society. Additionally, I think these categories allow for multiple interpretations and understandings, which allows for different individuals and religions to follow them in different manners. I think this segment of Cavanaugh’s article does a very good job of listing and explaining the different aspects of religion, which creates a good picture of what religion actually is.