Religion

## **What is Religion?**

Religion is a collection of beliefs, cultural systems and world views that
relate humanity to an order of existence. Most of them aim to explain the
meaning of life, the origin of life, or the universe.

## **What is the link between religion and "The problem is choice"**

Religions need
to be understood as consisting of a complex system or framework. Religions
often offer its followers an identifiable tradition of rituals and beliefs, as
well as the opportunity to share the religious experience with others. How
these traditions, stories and rituals are supposed to be understood is often
disputed. It is not the case, as is often thought, that a religion produces a
single sacred text which unbendingly directs its followers. A follower does not
behave in a certain way or adhere to a certain belief simply because the Bible
or any other holy book says so. People always refer to other sources in order
to understand what the meaning of any one particular selection from of the
Bible might mean. Religion is and always has been a long-lasting conversation
and debate regarding the meaning and interpretation of what the sacred text
actually means. For example, the term Torah is derivative from the Hebrew noun
“ to guide” or “ to teach” and has come to stand for “guidance”, ”teaching” or
even “doctrine.” The way of critical thinking within or out a religion is very
similar on how the world makes legal decisions. For example, the American
constitutional law. One makes legal decisions based upon previous court cases
and legal opinions which seek to interpret the meaning and the consequences of
the Constitution of the United States. Critical thinking between religions is a
form in which one compares and makes judgements regarding the truths and claims
of different religions. Religions are portrayed as adjusting their doctrines
and activities so as to be appealing to members of a certain society. It is
commonly know that members of a religion practise the concept to adopt and
which to reject. For example, a member of a religion chooses not to eat a
prescribed diet, or perhaps another chooses not to observe certain holidays.
These considerations often stem from outside religious traditions as where
other religions are to “blame.”
However for those people whose religious convictions are very strong, the
category of critical thinking between religions is unacceptable. For many
believers, religious teaching covers all aspects of life and for a follower to
consider outside sources is for that follower to deny the truth that the
religion provides answers for every aspect of life. For others this category may
be acknowledged as the process of examining, evaluating and comparing one’s own
beliefs with whatever religious options one is understood to have, as well as
the ability to choose to renew or reject allegiances to religions based upon
what one believes to be either the truth or an adequate substitute thereof.

In
conclusion the essential lesson of the relationship between critical thinking
and religion is a sense of respect, both for the complexity of religion and for
the complexity of critical thinking.

## **Sources:**

Wikipedia (religion) Via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion Marjorie Hall Davis (the positive side of religion) Via http://www.iras.org/positivereligion.html The unbounded spirit (the negative Effects of Religion on Society) Via http://theunboundedspirit.com/the-negative-effects-of-religion-on-society/

http://www.und.edu/instruct/weinstei/jrweinstein%20-%203%20Types%20of%20CT%20about%20Religion.pdf