Living Religion

WHAT IS RELIGION? Religion is a universal phenomenon and it is virtually as old as humanity itself. It is connected to worship, belief, adoration, feelings and conduct. In ages and times past the words of mouth were treasured more than the written word. The word may have been heard by just one person but it is still prized and highly regarded, for an example, Jesus never wrote down his words yet He founded a religion. One hard question to answer is, what religion is. Is religion the way we think about God? If this is so, then Buddhism may not pass completely as a religion. Next, Is religion living an ethical life? I doubt that also since many ethical atheists or better still non-theists are religious in that they live healthy ethical lives. Is religion only an organized institution? Religion is more than all these. Etymologically, the word religion comes from the Latin religio, relegere (to re-read), relinquere (relinquish). Also religare (relegate, unite, to bind together)- generally then it connotes a sense of person bound to a supreme being(s), God or a deity or superior powers. An all- encompassing description must be one that sees religion as a human activity that satisfies one’s inherent spiritual needs and desires. At this point it is appropriate to take a tour and see the definitions of religion by some past scholars. Karl Marx A German Jew believed that religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the opium of the people. Sigmund Freud Religion arose from humanity’s infantile wish to defend itself from the forces and terrors of life Emile Durkheim This sociologist saw religion as a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things. This was after the model of religio –reverence for God or gods. The nearest term in Hebrew is halakha (walk, path) which suggests ‘law’ which guides religious practice. Friedrich Schleirmacher He defined religion as a feeling of absolute dependence. Edward B. Tylor Religion is the belief in spiritual beings William James Religion is the feeling, acts and experiencing of individual men and women in their solitude so far as they apprehend themselves to stand in relation to whatever they may consider divine. Joachim Wach Wach talked of three forms of religious expressions Theoretical Practical Sociological Theoretical Form It was the postulation of Joachim Wach that all religions teach something which implies that in some way each religion has a theoretical content which it teaches through myths, doctrines, and customs. Even atheists/non-theists still fears hell. One of our major concerns when we study a new religion is to ask what is teaches. Other aspects related to the theoretical expression of a religion include, but not restricted to; -Teachings on world creation -On human origin -Future and destiny of the world -How to live now (ethical codes) -Value orientation Practical Form Practical expression of religion deals with the manner of worshipping, paying reverence to the deity or deities the adherents believe in. This expression relates to what adherents do in worship. There is Mass for Catholics, or service for other Christian denominations, synagogue and temple gatherings for the Jews while the Muslims have salat five times a day. Each religion is known by what her adherents do viz their tradition. All religions have one form of ritual or the other. Sociological Form This deals with the relationships and expressions of different religions as well as their symbols. The Dome in Jerusalem for the Jews, Kaaba of Mecca or the Crescent above mosques and also the Cross as a sign of Christianity In defining religion from whatever perspective, one thing is very clear that every religion deals with beliefs, behaviors and teachings. It is a felt, practical relationship with a supernatural being or beings, it is the human being’s highest effort to know the nature of the ultimate being to recognize his activities and his will for humans. From the anthropologist and sociologist’s response to the existence of the human condition in which humans seek security, status and permanence by identifying themselves with a reality greater, more worthy and more enduring than himself. Religion is a search for the meaning of life amidst fears, doubts, uncertainties, insecurities, death, sufferings, pain, life and there hereafter. In the Christian sense religion simply means believing in and accepting Jesus Christ as the son of God and thereby procuring salvation and eternal life for whosoever believes in his name. The church history is more than a history of an institution or movement. It is the history of the deeds of the Holy spirit in and through men and women, though this history; even though this history may show all features of pure human history. There were and there still will be episodes in the course of church or Christian history where it will be very difficult to see the action of the Holy Spirit: the inquisitions, the crusades. There are three pillars of religion which are primal and we must take into account namely; Faith in a Supernatural Being Morality this points to a written or unwritten code of guides for actions Worship there is relationship of reverence to the Supernatural Being(s), power(s), God or gods We must remember that these three elements are not linked to a written word. A religion is not a religion because its tenets are written down but its tenets are written down because there is a religion in existence with a need to hand over or record its tenets and beliefs to future generations. WHAT IS A LIVING RELIGION? A living religion is one that is exists, is alive, is relevant and equally sensitive to present needs, aspirations and situations of adherents of the religion and open to understanding of non-adherents as well as dialogue with other faiths. Such a religion evolves with time. It changes aspects of itself that are changeable according to the needs of the times yet keeping its ESSENCE intact. To this end, though it essence is same; it is reinterpreted according to the needs of the times. Any belief system that changes and evolves to suit time, and environment is alive. A bad example of a living religion is a religion that has not altered since its birth; holding on to dogma without recourse to explaining it within contexts of new milieus and adapting it to situations –any religion that acts in such a manner may be doomed to irrelevance. In response to the above exposition about a living religion we must ask these questions: Should religion be all about orthodoxy and dogma alone? Has mankind known more peace, inner contentment and happiness after religious and technological advancement? Has religion become truly a way of life or it remains a form of rituals alone? A living religion emphasizes the personal consciousness of believers; it has sympathy for history and the traditions of indigenous people. Such a religion can be doctrinally rooted in the past yet emphasizing strongly personal consciousness and responsiveness of the adherents in succeeding epochs of history. The Supreme Being and his doctrines may not change but the presentations and explanation to successive generations is ever changing and ever new.