Acknowledgement: 1.0. Concept of Religion

2018 - 19 - Kalyan – 2nd year - Scientific paper on Religion – December 3
Acknowledgement
Introduction
Chapter 1
1.0. Concept of Religion
1.1. Origin of the word ‘Religion’
1.2. The definition of Religion
Chapter 2
2. 0. Kinds of Religion
2.1. Hinduism as Religion
2.2. Christianity as Religion
2.2. Islam as Religion
2.4. Buddhism as Religion
Chapter 3
3. 0. Aspects of Religion
3.1. Religious Belief
3.2. Religious Ritual
3.3. Religious Experience
3.4. Religious Community
Chapter 4
4.0. Religion of Society
4.1 Science and Religion
4.2. Family and Religion
4.3. Religion and Secularism
4.4. Religion and Social Conflict
4.5. Religion as the expression of Social Unity
Conclusion
Bibliography
1
Chapter 1
1.0. Concept of Religion
Religion is nothing, but one’s own life, faith and experience. Religion is more of faith and
belief oriented concept. In the concept of religion, faith plays significant role. This faith
depends on the convictions of people, which make people to experience the life of newness
with the bound of religion rather than the evidence of scientific. Dr. Radhakrishnan says,
“Religion is not the acceptance of academic obstructions or the celebration of ceremonies, but
a kind of life or experience”1. Each religion has got their own concept of beliefs. But the
ultimate thing in all the religions is faith. All the people of each religion are obliged to their
own religion for keeping them as faithful and helpful to all. They are all endowed with love of
their religion.
Ibnal-Arabi say, “My religion and faith is the true religion”2. The faith within the lives of people
itself makes all of them to recognize the values and practices of their own religion. With their
firm faith, they do all the ritual with the responsibilities and great respects. Dr. Radhakrishnan
say, “Religion is a hopeful sign that religious feel that they have a responsibility to the whole
of mankind and not merely to their own adherents”3.
It is one of great things for all the people from different religions. When the people of certain
religions do certain good things, there would be some difficulties, which put them down to the
earth. Thus Dr. Radhakrishnan says, “ we are living in a world in which tragedy is universal”4.
When people do certain good things to the others, there would be a negative point towards
them. But, however, the faith that they have in their own religions helps them to overcome all
this criticisms, that have been coming from the others.
To be strong enough in the religion of one’s own, all should have faith and strong belief which
put him or her in the deepest love of his or her religion. Dr. Radhakrishnan says, “ religion rests
on faith”5. This faith is being created by one’s own belief. By having great convictions to do
some good things for the people by the name of religion, he or she must have great faith. Having
1
Radhakrishnan, Sarvepalli. The Hindu view of life, 15.
2
Radhakrishnan, Sarvepalli. Religion and society, 53.
3
Radhakrishnan, Sarvepalli. Religion in a changing world, 9.
4
5
2
this great faith, all live with the hope in religion that they are being blessed and helped by the
gods of their particular religion.
1.1. Origin of the word ‘Religion’

Religion is the regular system of belief that creates a kind of atmosphere to purify and make
one’s own self holy. The very word religion derived from Latin word “religio”. “It means a
kind of moral bond and anxiety self- consciousness. Actually the concept has been founded in
the 16th and 17th centuries”6. At that time, the ancient sacred texts like the bible, the Quran did
not have the word religion as well as the concept of religion in their language. “In the 21th
century the word “religion” did not have translation into any non-European languages”7.
But , however, “the anthropologist Daniel has said that the word religion is something every
unique, in its nature, which could be right only to its history and itself”8. This religion is the
set of beliefs which makes all to strive for the holiness and faith. It plays an important role in
the life of each individual. Many would say that it is a culture of freedom to be good human
being to the other. It is said in the 19th century that “the religion is as a socio- culture which
makes all to be moral”9.
Everyone must think and have an idea of keeping the norms of the certain or particular religion.
The religion is the strength of our inner self that could be helpful to ourselves as well as the
others. There would be difficulties to go along with the norms of certain religion. But through
those difficulties we could be strengthened in our spiritual life. “Religion refers to our common
spiritual struggles and aspirations”10. By facing the problems and difficulties one could see the
light of God that makes all to have faith and belief in religion.
1.2. The definition of Religion
The very definition of religion is the set of beliefs, which allow to have the faith in a personal
god or gods with obedience and worship. Being in one religion or choosing a god is the one’s
own freedom. By being chosen a god in a religion one could have faith and different way of
6
History of religion, [online].
7
8
9
10
3
worship through which expressions could be expressed to god. “Religion is the bond of piety
that binds to God”11. By this bond or relation, the believer committees him or herself to god
totally. Having committing oneself to god the believer needs to reflect of him or herself as he
or she reflects upon god.
Dr. Radhakrishnan Sarvepalli says that “religion reflects both God and man”12. Being in one
religion alone does not make any sense as well as does not bring any change or make to be
holy. Bearing the name of certain religion dose not bring joy and happiness rather than having
the experience of god. But having frim faith in God and reflecting of god brings the true form
of religion. The true religion of one’s own makes to have the experience of god. Being in one
religion is the ways of our experience with God. The doors of religion invite us to be with God
and to have intimate relation with him. With these one can have the bond of relation that enables
all to go to the level of experience.
“Religion has many doors; the observance of its duties can never be useless”13. The duties and
rituals that we have would be the ways of our expression to God. Through these all can get the
power of the divine. This divine power or spirit leads everyone to know the strength of
everyone that could be the instrument in the hand of god. Actually the word religion itself is
the instrument that makes everyone to have faith in one God. “The fruit of worship follows the
faith of the doer”14.
Without faith in God it is wrong to say that we are religions or members of that particular
religion. In order to have frim faith in God one must surrender him or herself with knowledge
of God that makes one to find the ways to know him in and through. “The way to the knowledge
of God is through self-surrender”15. It is every essential to give ourselves to God, who has
sovereignty on them. By doing it we get the knowledge of him to stay and live with him by the
power of faith. “Unless there is a correspondence between our deepest spirit and the religious
representation, we shall not be impressed by it”16
11
Definition of religion - Etymology of religion, [online].
12
Radhakrishnan, Sarvepalli, Religion and culture, 25.
13
14
Radhakrishnan, Sarvepalli, Religion and society, 124.
15
16
4
Chapter 2
2. 0. Kinds of Religion
Being in the world as a being, we see things in different perspective. There would be different
kids in these perspective of something. There would not be one kind of perspective about
something to elaborate rather kids of expression and views. By knowing or discovering about
something or new thing with different kinds of ways, it would be made known to us with new
ways and new kind of discovery.
To know about something, it is always good to have new kind of way of bring the elaboration
of the subject. By doing it we come to know what the subject really means and gives certain
ideas of it. In similar way it is my way of expression to bring out some kind of information and
ways of expression of religion.
We all know that there are different kinds of religion in the world. Religion is not given to us
at the birth of ours. But it is something faith and belief oriented system that could be possible
to put it into practice at certain age. By being in certain age one could get into the practises of
one religion. Then only it come to know him or her what is religion for him or her and why at
all it is needed. The religions that existing in the world have got something to give to people.
These will guide the people in their own ways. These all teach good things.
It is up to believer or faithful to get them for their lives or to go along with the norms and belief
system of religion. “Religion is not to be confused with outdated dogmas, incredible
superstitions, which are hindrances and barriers, which spoil the simplicity of spirituals life”17.
It is true that it done not damage ourselves rather gives implication to grow with faith. “All
religions require us to look upon life as an opportunity of self-realization- atmanastu
kamaya”18. No religion is greater or higher than the other. Each religion has got its uniqueness.
With these, they give us information about them and guide us how to be there in them. The
religions that I am dealing with do not differ us from them rather give us some ideas to see
them as good things to someone in whom it is formed as faith.
17
18
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2.1. Hinduism as Religion
This religion is an ancient one, which has got a number of gods to worship. “The people on the
Indian side of the Sindhu were called Hindu by the Persian and the later western invaders” 19.
It has spared its vastness in India. It has gone along the influence of Vedic and deepened its
continuity at the bank of the Sindhu. The term “Hindu” has originally a territorial and not a
creedal significance”20. The people of India have worshiped different gods and they were
belonging to different communities. It has been a significant religion in India and created its
culture far and wide.
“The differences among the sects of the Hindus are more or less on the surface, and the Hindus
as such remain a distinct cultural unit, with a common history, a common literature and a
common civilisation”21. The nature of Hindu religion has become the part and parcel of people
and they were attached to it. The Hindu attitude to religion is interesting”22. By this interest all
became in the unity of innumerable diversities of blood, colour, language, dress, manners and
sect. Actually “the main aim of the Hindu faith is to permit image worship as a means to the
development of the religious spirit to the recognition of the supreme who has his temple in all
beings”23.
The people of Hindu religion worship different gods in the Hinduism itself. One of the worships
of the Hinduism is worshiping the ideal. They even worship the nature as god. “In the
Bhagavata the lord is represented as saying: I am present in all beings as their soul, but ignoring
my presence the mortal makes a display of image worship”24. People believe in this very firmly.
And they fallow the norms and rituals of the particular god very strictly. Even in this generation
the people of Hinduism worship cow as a god. Because they firmly believe that it is the progress
of their wealth and part of their family. “Hinduism tries to guide each nature according to its
own lines, so that it might attain its fullest development”25.
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
6
The people of other religion may not know whether the nature goes along with the nature of
Hinduism. But, however, it is seen that nature is being worshiped in different ways by the
people of Hinduism. Many worship tree, fire, sun and so on. We might have seen in Vedas that
even there are gods and goddess, whom people have been worshiping Indra as rain god, Vayu
as wind god, Savitr as the god of sky and Prthvi as the god of earth. Having seen all these, we
come to know that Hinduism has been coming along with the nature. “He that does good is of
God”26. These gods and goddess might have done good things for the people. They were
worshiped. It is not a culture to worship rather than being with the divine spirit of god.
“Hinduism is not based on any racial factor”27. Hinduism is something that gives the spirit of
faith to mould one’s own self. Being moulded one can have the aspiration of growth in religion.
actually “religion is an aspiration to grow into the likeness of the divine”28.
26
27
28
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Primary sources
Radhakrishnan, Sarvepalli. Religion and Culture. Delhi: Hind pocket books,1968.
Radhakrishnan, Sarvepalli. The Hindu view of Life. New York: George Allen and Unwin
LTD, 1962.
Radhakrishnan, Sarvepalli. Religion in a changing World. London: George Allen and Unwin
LTD,1967.
Radhakrishnan, Sarvepalli. Religion and Society. London: George Allen and Unwin LTD,
1947.
Radhakrishnan, Sarvepalli. East and west in Religion. London: George Allen and Unwin LTD,
1958.
Radhakrishnan, Sarvepalli. Eastern Religion and Western Thought. London: Oxford University
Press, 1940.
Secondary sources
Weber, Max. The Religion of India: The sociology of Hinduism and Buddhism. London: Collier
Macmillan Publishers, 1967.
Denison Maurice, Frederick, M. A. Religions of the World. London: Macmillan and co, 1877.
Morgan, Kenneth W. The Religion of the Hindus. New York: The Ronald press company, 1953.
Greeley, Andre M. Religion and Career: A Study of college Graduates. New York: Sheed and
Ward, 1963.
Goode, William, J. Religion among the Primitives. London: The free press of Glencoe Collier-
Macmillan Limited, 1964.
Luckmann, Thomas. The Invisible Religion. London: The free press of Glencoe Collier-
Macmillan Limited, 1970.
8
Taylor, Richard W. Religion and Society. Madras: The Christian literature society,1982.
McGuire, Meredith B. Religion: The social Context. Wadsworth Publishing Company

Belmont, California A Division of Wadsworth, Inc., 1981.

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2018 - 19 - Kalyan – 2nd year - Scientific paper on Religion – December 3

1.0. Concept of Religion

1.1. Origin of the word ‘Religion’

1.2. The definition of Religion

2.1. Hinduism as Religion

McGuire, Meredith B. Religion: The social Context. Wadsworth Publishing Company

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