Religion
hideA religion is an organized approach to human spirituality which usually encompasses a set of narratives, symbols, beliefs and practices, often with a supernatural or transcendent quality, that give meaning to the practitioner's experiences of life through reference to a higher power, God or gods, or ultimate truth. It may be expressed through prayer, ritual, meditation, music and art, among other things. It may focus on specific supernatural, metaphysical, and moral claims about reality (the cosmos and human nature) which may yield a set of religious laws, ethics, and a particular lifestyle. Religion also encompasses ancestral or cultural traditions, writings, history, and mythology, as well as personal faith and religious experience.
The term "religion" refers to both the personal practices related to communal faith and to group rituals and communication stemming from shared conviction. "Religion" is sometimes used interchangeably with "faith" or "belief system," but it is more socially defined than personal convictions, and it entails specific behaviors, respectively.
The development of religion has taken many forms in various cultures. It considers psychological and social roots, along with origins and historical development.
In the frame of western religious thought, religions present a common quality, the "hallmark of patriarchal religious thought": the division of the world in two comprehensive domains, one sacred, the other profane. Religion is often described as a communal system for the coherence of belief focusing on a system of thought, unseen being, person, or object, that is considered to be supernatural, sacred, divine, or of the highest truth. Moral codes, practices, values, institutions, tradition, rituals, and scriptures are often traditionally associated with the core belief, and these may have some overlap with concepts in secular philosophy. Religion is also often described as a "way of life" or a life stance.
For more information about Religion, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with religion
Houses of the rising sun: Research sheds new light on Ancient Greeks
Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils
Nov 25, 2009 |
4.3 / 5 (3) |
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New research at the University of Leicester has identified scores of Sicilian temples built to face the rising Sun, shedding light on the practices of the Ancient Greeks.
Vatican searches for extra-terrestrial life
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Nov 10, 2009 |
4.8 / 5 (4) |
1
Is there life on other planets? The Vatican has asked that age-old question over the past five days during a "study week" on astrobiology gathering leading scientists from around the world.
Rice sociologist looks at pediatric physicians' views on religion, spirituality
Other Sciences / Social Sciences
Nov 11, 2009 |
not rated yet |
6
(PhysOrg.com) -- Pediatricians and pediatric oncologists express differing views on religion and spirituality, largely based on the types of patients they treat, according to a survey that will appear in the current edition ...
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Some patients diagnosed with HIV experience improved outlook on life
Medicine & Health / HIV & AIDS
Nov 25, 2009 |
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0
A new study from researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) and the Cincinnati Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center reaffirms that some patients with HIV experience an improved quality of life following their ...
ET: Check your voicemail
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Nov 24, 2009 |
3.7 / 5 (6) |
6
(PhysOrg.com) -- Alien beings on faraway planets may not have noticed, but it’s been 35 years since human beings made the first deliberate effort to send them a message.
Drug side effects a key factor in reduced quality of life for kidney transplant patients
Nov 23, 2009 |
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People who have kidney transplants need longer-term support than most friends, relatives or even healthcare professionals realise, according to a study of 160 patients published in the December issue of the UK-based Journal of ...
For young boys with cancer, testicular tissue banking may be option to preserve fertility
Nov 09, 2009 |
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For parents of children with cancer, the hopeful news is that pediatric survival rates have steadily improved for decades. Among the bad news—treatments that enable survival often cause infertility.
Russian bomb physicist Ginzburg dead at 93
Nov 09, 2009 |
5 / 5 (6) |
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Nobel Physics prize winner Vitaly Ginzburg, who helped develop the Soviet hydrogen bomb, has died at age 93, the Russian Academy of Sciences said Monday.
Genetic tests for UK asylum seekers draw criticism
Nov 05, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
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(AP) -- Britain is using genetic tests on some African asylum seekers in an effort to catch those who are lying about their nationality, drawing criticism from scientists and provoking outrage from rights ...
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