Religion: What is it?

While discussing about the existence of God (Is there a God?), I briefly discussed what set humans apart from animals. Saint Thomas Aquinas, as part of his fourth proof 'gradation', used human being's ability to reason to place them on a higher level than animals. Rationality provides us with the tools to think logically and choose intellectually. This unique ability of humans to reason also make it not only amazing but also strange that majority of the human beings believe in the supernatural. Even with all the logical thinking and free will available to our disposal, we choose to believe that there is something or someone else out there that is invisible to us, but somehow plays a vital role in our very existence. 

Yes we are rational beings, but we also have this urge in us as if we are being pulled toward an unseen force. So we construct these buildings and call it church, mosque, synagogue, or temple; we pray standing, sitting, and kneeling; and we draft moral codes in an attempt to live according to wishes of this supernatural being. Humans are religious in hopes of satisfying the inner urge to seek out a higher Power. Down through the human history, one thing that hasn't changed much is our religious instinct.


Some would argue that religious instinct is nothing more than a phycological left-over from our primitive stages of development. A caveman, looked out of his cave and saw starry sky suddenly turning dark with clouds followed with lightning illuminated the sky along with loud thunder, suddenly made the reasoning that there are things out there beyond his comprehension. Without having the means to reach a logical conclusion for this phenomena, those primitive humans resort to reason the unexplainable as an act of a higher power - higher because this power is beyond his understanding. Since it was perceived as a higher power, they also felt the need to acknowledge it and respect it. Thus the argument against human's religious instinct - it is not built-in, not natural, that it is just a coping mechanism to come into terms with the unknowns. 

The argument against natural religious instinct falls apart in a technologically advanced society. According to the argument against natural religious instinct, as we become more and more scientifically sophisticated and learn to control our own environment, our need for religion should diminish. That theory doesn't hold true in this modern era because the opposite is happening - more and more regimes and governments are protested against and thrown over for lack of freedom, including religious freedom. Human beings regardless of being rich or poor yearn for something more than their physical needs, and they believe religion is their answer to satisfy that yearning. 

So what is religion? Religion is a union of human beings held together by a common belief or faith with the aspirations of reaching out to a supreme supernatural power by following certain rules and regulations. Though sounds great, even this definition doesn't fully incorporate all the mainstream religions into it, Buddhism for example. Defining religion is not easy and it falls in line with St. Augustine's quote about time: "If you do not ask me what time is, I know. If you ask me, then I do not know". For our purpose here, religion is humanity trying to get in touch with the Supreme Being or God; also seeking God, thus religion, is a natural instinct for humans. Then the next logical question is why there are so many religions out there? With so much violence and unrest going on in the name of religion, one might even suspect if there is such a thing called good religion, let alone a better religion. That's next.