Religion plays an important part in everything that goes on in the world. From before 300 B.C. to 2019, religion is at the base of it all. This then poses the question: “What is Religion?”. There is no one definition of religion; it is too big a concept to truly put into words. Everyone you ask will have a different explanation. Depending on how the person was brought up, what their education is, where they are from, and often what their parents have instilled in them will contribute to how they answer that question.

Personally, I don’t even have one solid answer to that question. Every religion is different and to try to fit them all under one simple sentence would be impossible and even offensive. If I were to try to answer it, I would say, “Religion is the belief in something – whether it be God, gods, nature, or yourself – that causes you to have a greater purpose in life.” My religion involves a lot more than that, though. It involves fellowship and worship. It is a comforting way to explain the unexplainable. It helps me to keep going when everything seems to be falling apart because I know that this life, and these struggles, are not the end. To me religion is having a relationship with Jesus and living by the words of The Bible – although that’s not always easy and I am far from perfect. But that is okay, because religion is also forgiveness for your mistakes and a chance to be and do better. To be honest, my definition of religion has changed over the years. Although the basic idea is the same, the way I might explain it alters depending on what I am personally going through. The more I study my religion, and the deeper my understanding becomes, it seems as though I either revise my definition, or I am more secure in my definition.

To be able to have an informed conversation, you must have at least some knowledge on the situation. This is very important in regards to religion. Religion is at the base of everything that happens in the world. You cannot truly understand art or even politics without having a slight understanding of religion, because religion has played a very influential role in the history of the world. When it comes to politics, many governments, including Middle Eastern and the United States’, are fundamentally based off of religion. Art constantly references religion and during the Middle Ages, most art was strictly religious. Therefore, to have a deep understanding of art, it is beneficial to learn about religion too. Religion not only had influence on the past, but also on the present.

The biggest problems in the world today regarding religion are uninformed and inconsiderate biases. Misunderstanding religion is at the core of most arguments that revolve around religion because people are simply uneducated. This greatly impacts the Middle East and has a domino effect on the United States. If people were to become informed, there would be a lot less problems because peace comes through understanding and accepting. Within the United States, many political issues attack or stem off of religion. For example, arguments for birth control, and human rights, all have something to do with religion. Our first amendment rights have to do with freedom of religion. Saying that religion is dying out or that it doesn’t impact us today is an ignorant way of thinking. Religion is all around us and impacts our day-to-day lives.

Religion is something that cannot be simplified into a single definition. And it is too important and intricate to understand without studying it. Every person will define religion differently. Some will see it as hope, while others will see it as an outdated practice that isn’t relevant today. Others will see it as something that is used for capital gain. Regardless of what your personal opinion is though, it is important to have an overall understanding to be sure that you are able to have educated and respectful conversations.