Religion Binds People To A Greater Power (Essay Sample)

I learned in this course that religion is a system of ideas and behaviors that leads individuals to the spiritual realm. Religion binds people to a greater power, allowing them to have a sense of connecting deeply with God and the universe (Luckmann, p. 167). Religion enables human beings to handle uncontrollable things in their lives and helps them live a purposeful life, offers consolation in times of sadness, and advice on living our lives. Furthermore, each religion has its perspective of what it considers correct.
Christianity is one of the religions I learned about; Christianity has three traditions: Roman Catholic, Orthodox Church, and Protestant Church. Repentance, obedience, and love are the three fundamental precepts of this religion (Luckmann, p. 168). Christians believe that Jesus came to earth to suffer for our sins. Individuals may be cleansed of their sins by participating in baptism; this religion concentrates on the second coming of Christ, resurrection, judgment, and the afterlife. Christianity's core teachings are sin, divine love, and salvation. The ultimate goal is to be united with God.
The second religion I studied is Buddhism; it is believed that this religion has a tough philosophy to explain and that one must experience it for themselves. Siddhartha Gautama founded this religion after seeing four sights: a weak old man, a diseased man, a corpse, and a content traveling ascetic. Buddhism holds that pain is society's primary concern, that desire and greed are the root causes of misery, and that the noble eightfold road is the route to nirvana. In Buddhism, the ultimate truth is dharma, which is reality, with everything in perpetual motion (Luckmann, p. 168). This religion believes that we should live by following the flow. We should follow the noble eightfold road and live according to these ethical values, and the ultimate goal is to be free of samsara, be rid of pain, and reach nirvana. There are three Buddhist branches: Mahayana, which means great vehicle; Vajrayana, which means Diamond Vehicle and Theravada, which means Way of the Elders.
I also learned about the satanic religion. According to their beliefs, the material world of riches, power, and sex was of the greatest importance. Women, according to Satanists, are more immoral and less intelligent than men (Luckmann, p. 168). This helps to explain why women make up the bulk of people murdered in battles against necromancers, sorcerers, and witches. Satanists engage in Satan worship rituals to get the mark of Satan on their bodies, such as a birthmark or wart.
It was fascinating to learn about the role of women among the Gnostics. Gnostics typically depict God as a dyad whose nature encompasses both masculine and feminine parts, and this description is also used to characterize human nature. This shows that religious philosophy and social practice are linked (Luckmann, p. 169). Women were marginalized in gnostic communities like the Valentinians. Some were respected as prophets, while others served as instructors, traveling preachers, healers, priests, and bishops. This generalization, however, is not generally applicable. The Marcionites, the Montanists, and the Carpocratians were three heretical groups that kept a male image of God and allowed women in leadership roles.
Equally, I learned about aspects of ecology as depicted by Indigenous people. They are important ecologists because of their environmental experiences. Because it requires people to shift, such experiences make globalization seem like true colonialism. From a long-term perspective, they see land, for example, as holy because of its ceremonial, cultural, and religio