Introduction
This paper is a summary of the findings and discoveries about Planet Earth. It is more focused on the religiosity of the planet. So basically, the main question that will be addressed by this paper would be whether Earth is a religious planet or not. Almost all alien beings who would visit the planet will surely be able to recognize that this planet is a planet full of people who came from different religious groups; each having their own set of cultures and beliefs.
Yoga, meditation, being a member of a regularly scheduled prayer circle, regularly attending worship services, signing for a choir; all of these are examples of the most commonly observed religious practices on earth (Berkman & Syme, 1979). Of course, there are older cultures and traditions that are also related to religiousness. The ones that were recently described are the religious practices of today’s generation of humans.
Religious Criteria
It is crucial for someone who is tasked to investigate the religiosity of Planet earth to have a basis that he can use for his judging. In this case, certain criteria were employed to ensure fairness and accuracy in judging.
Firstly, the religiosity of the planet was judged by the way how the people behave and comply with the demands of their religion. It is actually given that there are a lot of religious sectors in the whole planet. However, that does not change the fact that each religious group demand certain requirements from their members and it is really up to the members whether they will comply to those requirements wholeheartedly or not. For a religion to prosper and to influence more people in the long run, its members has to set a good example to others, especially to those who are not yet a member of that religion. In this criterion, the people’s compliance, regardless of the religious sector they belong to is what’s used as a basis.
Another criterion used was the effectiveness of each religion in transforming an individual’s life. According to Idler (2008), practicing or being a member of a religious group or sector should have psychological, physical and spiritual benefits. The objective of using this criterion as a basis is to determine whether religions on Earth meet one of its goals—to transform lives.
Examples
Sunday Masses are perhaps the most observable example of a religious practice that could be categorized under criteria number one. Roman Catholics see to it that they listen to the words of God and attend worship services whenever the priest obliges them to. This practice is actually more than a hundred years old. This has been observed as early as the early Middle Ages where people became more inclined with religion and faith in God. Of course, religion has also been a significant factor for people’s lives earlier than that. It’s just that religion became more emphasized during the Middle Ages.
It is quite obvious how Roman Catholics take attending Sunday masses seriously. Every Sunday, chapels and parishes are filled with people who hunger for the word of God. This proves how compliant they are to the requirements that are set by the religious group leaders and it is indeed a good sign. According to Stanford (2011), the Catholic Church is the oldest and most influential institution in the western world and it has been established some 2000 years ago. As of now, there are over a billion people who are members of this Religious Institution.
Practicing the principles and lessons from the bible in real life is one of the best religious examples that could fall under criteria 2. Protestants and Buddhists are two religious groups that believe how important practicing one’s religion rather than proclaiming it is. Members of these two religious groups take the act of protecting their faith and setting themselves as good examples to other people seriously. In most cases, Protestants and Buddhists try to incorporate the teachings from their individual religions into their everyday lives.
Functions of Religion on Earth
Based on observations it could be concluded that there is more than one purpose of religion on earth. Religion on earth serves as a life transformer for many. It could also be stated that another purpose of religion has something to do with salvation. Most people on earth believe that being a believer of God under a certain religion could save him from being sent to hell—a religious concept on earth. These two functions are the most prominent ones on earth.
Understanding Religions
Overall, it is better to analyze and understand a religion through simple but long term observation. This way, observers will be able to understand a religion more because they will be able to have a stronger basis for judging. Observers of a certain religion will be able to realize that religion is not just a belief in a deity but a set of principles and concepts that could be better utilized through practice and application. Ultimately, observation could present more reliable and accurate results compared with analyzing a religion by the way how it functions in the society.
References
Idler, E. (2008). The Psychological and Physical benefits of Spiritual and Religious Practices. Spirituality in Higher Education.
Berkman, L., & Syme, S. (1979). Are religous people nice people? Evidence from the National Survey of Black Americans. Social Forces.
Stanford, P. (2011). The Roman Catholic Church. BBC Religions.
