¶ … Religious Life of Planet Earth
This report seeks to establish if planet Earth is a religious planet. In so doing, the report will primarily outline the criteria used to determine if the inhabitants of the planet are religious and the various beliefs and behaviors they exhibit in line with the criteria. Further, the report will also highlight the function of religion (as it appears to be) on the planet under consideration.
To establish whether or not Earth is indeed a religious planet, the very nature of religion on the planet must first be understood. This can be accomplished using a number of approaches. On of the most effective approaches in this case has got to do with evaluating the primary characteristics of religion. This is the criteria the report utilizes in an attempt to determine if the inhabitants of planet Earth are indeed religious.
Characteristics of Religion: What Religion Looks Like on Planet Earth.
In general, there are many characteristics of religion. Some of those taken into consideration in this undertaking included:
Belief in a Deity
As Hinde (2009) notes, "belief in the supernatural is the essence of religion." This is more so the case given that a majority of religions are theistic. Thus evidence of belief in supernatural...
A curse or a blessing. Religious rituals include but they are not limited to the performance of elaborate religious ceremonies and acts.
Evidence of Accepted Salvation Teachings
Yet another critical element of religion is the doctrine of salvation. In basic terms, any form of religion is based on the promise of salvation. In this case, salvation is regarded the utmost goal for all those who subscribe to a certain religious belief. As Gogerty (2001) points out, "each religion has faith that they are moral and that their beliefs will lead to eternal rewards."
Presence of a Code of Conduct Whose Origin is Considered Supernatural
All religions have values derived from certain religious teachings. These values ideally govern how those who subscribe to a certain religious belief relate between themselves and with others, conduct their lives etc. As Gwynne notes (2011), "each…
