What are the BIG questions we ask in life?
What happens after death?
What's right and wrong?
What's my future?
What is a religion?
A religion is a belief or custom practised by a group of people What is Religion
Religion has been defined in many ways:
- belief in, worship of, or obedience to a supernatural power or powers considered to be divine or to have control of human destiny.
Religion often involves:
Belief in something beyond the ordinary
The use of ordinary things to help people see the ultimate concern
A way of helping people through life's obstacles and difficulties
Origins, purpose and significance of things
What happens after death
Expectations for things
Beliefs and practices
Religion is complex but some perspectives are often common to all religious experiences:
Something beyond the ordinary
Supernatural
Natural
Transcendent
Immanent
Something beyond the ordinary
Typically religion speaks of something beyond the ordinary. It connects people to and binds them to this something
This something is complex and difficult to define. Often referred to as God
It is the something that helps people to amp a course through the life and its obstacles.
This something looks beyond limitations of human existence and helps the provider meaning both in the world 'beyond' and the world 'here'. Supernatural
Super means above or beyond so supernatural means above or beyond the supernatural
Supernatural power is above or beyond the power of humans and ordinary human existence
Supernatural power is not explained by natural or scientific laws
Supernatural sometimes involves the miraculous or beyond the ordinary Natural
Natural refers to created or human thoughts or practices
Objects of this world are natural eg. Trees, rocks, rivers, mountains, water, bread and wine
Sometimes natural objects can be helpful to people who come close to God of the divine Transcendent
Pointing towards and beyond the natural or earthly world is called the transcendent dimension
Transcendence enables people to go beyond their own world into the world of god or the gods or into the heavenly or spiritual worlds
God is above and beyond this earthly or natural world.
The religions of Islam, Judaism and Christianity are the three symmetric religions and have a transcendent image of god. Immanent
Immanence suggests that the presence of god or the gods is found within human existence rather than above or beyond it.
God is near (immanence) as well as far (transcendence)
God is in the things and people in the here and now. Transcendence and Immanence
Judaism, Christianity and Islam sometimes emphasise the transcendence of god. God exists beyond the human yet guides humanity from after.
Judaism, Christianity and Islam however deny the immanence of God. God can be near in people, things, sacred texts, actions and rituals.
Hinduism and Buddhism typically characterise.

The History of Religions
The history of religion goes back to the Neanderthals when they practised their spiritual beliefs and customs. Evidence shows this with archaeology sites with skulls and bones suggesting a ritual l area.
The practice of religion and ritual gave meaning to those who performed them. Throughout history studies show humans have always sort for an understanding of meaning beyond reality. Science is just a story
The purpose of science is to prove the hypothesis wrong
We are wired up to compete in life
Society is based on separation when celebrating the individual.
To happiness you must be wealthy and buy a lot of stuff
Even though people are living the dream it doesn’t mean they are happy
Life requires cooperation and democracy
Darwin descent of man mentions love only 5 times
Huxly believed it was more of a strong trends on the weak point of view
People who popularised Darwin used the concept, sympathy is the strongest instinct of nature
Some species have what's called mirrored