Webster’s definition:
a personal awareness or
conviction of the existence of a
supreme being or of supernatural powers
or influences controlling one's
own, humanity's, or all nature's destiny
What happens
when we die?
Why do we have religion?Religion answers the big questions…
Where did we come
from?
Why are we here?
What does It all mean?
Deal in some way with people’s relationship to the unseen world of the supernatural, spirits, gods, and/or demons
Developed a system of myths and rituals about the unseen world
Organized rituals, places of worship, teachers, and texts
Some explanation about life after death- heaven/hell, reincarnation
Attracted a large following
All the world’s religions have several common
elements:
• 1. Define what it means to search for a spiritual path.
• 2. Describe how someone may find religious faith.
• 3. Explain the purpose of prayer and meditation.
• 4. Provide examples of how spiritual life may play a part in daily life
• 5. Explain how different traditions view the concept of life after death.
• 6. Explain how different traditions view the idea of one God.
• 7. Describe how the concepts of original sin and good vs. evil are viewed by different religious traditions.