FREE Brief Overview of World Religions Essay (original) (raw)

Religion can be defined as a system of beliefs and worships which includes a code of ethics and a philosophy of life. Well over 90% of the world's population adheres to some form of religion. The problem is that there are so many different religions. What is the right religion? What is true religion? The two most common ingredients in religions are rules and rituals. Some religions are essentially nothing more than a list of rules, dos and don'ts, which a person must observe in order to be considered a faithful adherent of that religion, and thereby, right with the God of that religion. Two examples of rules-based religions are Islam and Judaism. Islam has its five pillars that must be observed. .
Judaism has hundreds of commands and traditions that are to be observed. Buddhism and Hinduism are also primarily ritual-based religions, but can also to a lesser degree be considered rules-based. I believe that true religion is neither rules-based nor ritual-based, it is more about having a real relationship with God. True religion does have rules and rituals, but there is a crucial difference. In true religion, the rules and rituals are observed out of gratitude for the salvation God has provided NOT in an effort to obtain that salvation. I believe true religion, which is Biblical Christianity, has rules to obey (do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not lie, etc.) and rituals to observe (water baptism by immersion and Communion). Observance of these rules and rituals is not what makes a person right with God. Rather, these rules and rituals are the result of the relationship with God, by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone as the Savior. False religion is doing things (rules and rituals) in order to try to earn God's favor. True religion is receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and thereby having a right relationship with God and then doing things (rules and rituals) out of love for God and desire to grow closer to him.

1. Critical Book Review of The Millennial Maze by Stanley J. Gr

He has served as president of the National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion and as a member of the national board of the American Academy of Religion. He participates in both the Doctrine Commission and the Theological Education Committee of the Baptist World Alliance, is a consulting editor of Christianity Today. ... Next, Grenz gives a brief overview of the historical theology, and of the various changes and developments throughout church history. ... It understands history as divided in distinct dispensations and looks for a literal millennium on earth after the Second Coming...

2. Literary Analysis Of The Greek And Roman World

The Greek and Roman World by W.G. ... Beginning with a brief overview of how the Greeks came about, Hardy explains the archaeological findings of German Businessman Schliemann and Englishman, Sir Arthur Evens. ... Religion was the other principal element that shaped early Roman life, and religion and family remained closely intertwined as the twin pillars of Roman society for the five centuries of the Roman Republic. ... Roman conquests encouraged the spread of their innovations throughout the Mediterranean world. ... From this reading I was able to gather that the world of Rome is much too...

3. Race & Social Identity

How is the perceived social identity of an entire nation created through pockets of diasporas all across the world? ... This will be followed by a brief overview of the development of "identity" and this will lead finally to the discussion of race and social identity. ... These layers include race, religion and national identity. ... Development of Identity - Brief Overview According to Jenkins (1996), individual identity formation has its beginning in the earliest formation of socialization. ... This relates to differences pertaining more towards language, religion, and culture, amongst...

4. The Spiritual Vision of Pope John Paul XVI

The atrocities committed by Hitler and the Nazi's left an indelible mark on the world and millions of people's lives. ... The world appeared to be bereft of any benevolent god in the minds of many people. ... The first half of the book gives a brief overview of Benedict XVI's history and early life, and then delves into deeper subjects like his faith and his views on today's world. It follows his life from his childhood living in Germany during the Second World War to his election as pope. ... Spirituality and religion tied hand in hand with each other. ...

5. afghanistan

In America, our thoughts about this country from halfway around the world have been affected by our personal experiences of September 11, 2001. ... All three information sources give a brief overview of the states history and slightly skim the surface of the political system. ... Although we live in a very modernized world there was an extremely low expectancy of life for both men and women. ... There was a huge section of the population that was left out completely of the first two articles - the Afghani people who do not speak the major language or practice the major religion. ... This incl...

6. Church in New France

Below is a brief overview of a few of its roles, which are considered significant by historians. Around the world and throughout history, religion has been seen as the basis of a civilized society. ... In 1658, Marguerite Bourgeoys opened a school for girls in Montreal and the following year she organized women to provide primary instruction to the children of the poor and rural areas.13 The quality of instruction was not better than the mediocre standards of similar schools in France, thus it is unlikely that many girls continued their education in those schools, even though the fees wer...

7. Madonna Stirs Controversy

Many things can be said about Madonna: unconventional, anti-institutional religion, feminist and gay movement icon, a shrewd business woman, and, as quoted in Pamela Robertson's book, Guilty Pleasures, "She's become a repository for all our ideas about fame, money, sex, feminism, pop-culture, even death." 1(Page 117) Michel Dion's essay, "Madonna in the French Press"2, reveals the reasons why the French Press react to Madonna in such an extreme fashion, and one reason would be what he calls the "religious transgression". ... Popular culture is globally pervasive making it an int...

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