Running head: COMMON PRACTICES IN RELIGION

Common Practices in Religion

Eric Raymond
REL/133
August 24, 2015
James Finch

COMMON PRACTICES IN RELIGION

Common Practices in Religion

The purpose of this paper is to discuss common practices in religion. The author will
define religion and discuss experiences across a variety of world religions including indigenous
religions. The author will also discuss critical issues to the academic study of religion.
Definition of Religion
The most basic definition of religion is the belief in a higher power or deity. According
to "Religion" (n.d.), the Webster Dictionary defines religion as a set of beliefs concerning the
cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a
superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often
containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.
Critical Issues with Academic Study
There are some critical issues to the academic study of religion because it leads student to
engage in discussing various religions including their own choice to not participate in any
religion. People have various opinions about religion and what it means to them as well as
opinions about other religions they may or may not actually be familiar with. Voicing opinions
about religions you are not familiar with either by experience or research can be very damaging.
People are very passionate about their beliefs and can easily offend others which can spark
outrage and arguments. This can be damaging to the learning process. People should be
respectful of others and their beliefs as to not create arguments and heated discussions but to
facilitate healthy, respectful discussion with the goal of gaining understanding.
Practices and Experiences
Some religions are very different from others and some have many things in common.
There are three main monotheistic religions in the world today and most of the people who

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practice these religions do not realize they have more in common than differences. Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam are known as Abrahamic religions, meaning that they all come from the
principles of the prophet Abraham. Abraham believed that there was one God and one God only
and we should only worship that one God no matter how we worshiped Him. There are many
people who practice these three religions who have been at odds with each other for centuries
but, many are unaware that they worship the same God. This may be due in part to the
differences in language. It is important to learn some aspects of different languages in order to
understand the different religions because different religions are practiced in different regions of
the world and by different nationalities who speak many languages.
These religions follow different sacred texts that originated in the different languages
spoken by the people in those regions. Many Christians speak Latin-originated languages while
many Muslims speak Arabic-originated languages. In my experience, this has led many
Christians to believe that Muslims worship a different God that they do named Allah when in
fact, the word Allah is the Arabic word for God. There are many differences between Islam
and Christianity but there are many, many similarities but, it is hard for people to come to this
realization. Judaism also teaches the belief in one God however, has different practices than
Christianity and Islam. People often focus on the differences between the religions rather than
focusing on the common principles.
Indigenous Religion
Indigenous, which is considered to be the people who are native to a region or
geographical location, have people who have their own religions practices which are traditions
that have been handed down from generation to generation over long periods of time. According
to Bassett (2011), indigenous religions tend to be rooted in specific communities and their

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surrounding landscapes. Their focus tends to be more on uplifting their local communities
rather than spreading their religion and beliefs to others like many other world religions (Bassett,
2011).
In conclusion, there are many differences in the different religions on this planet which
are practiced by people of many different cultures. However, there are many similarities and
common practices between the different religions in existence today. The author feels as if these
differences were to be put aside and the commonalities focused on, then understanding of each
other will come about and we would be able to come together as a people and have respect for
each other. In studying other religions and beliefs in an academic setting, it is essential that we
put our differences aside and approach the study of religion with an open mind to get the
knowledge necessary to gain understanding without the worry of disrespecting or going astray
from ones own religion.

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References

Bassett, M. H. (2011). Indigenous Religions, Global.

Molloy, M. (2013). Experiencing the worlds religions: Tradition, challenge, and change (6th
ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
religion. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/religion