What is Religion that Makes us Humans

Humans have changed and evolved significantly over time as we can see through history. However, a very interesting question arise when discussing the human race. One of the most fundamental question regarding humanity is what it means to be human, this question can be answered through many viewpoints. There are several specific qualities that makes us humans such as physiological features; brain, mouth, eyes, etc but with that being said we also have the ability to acquire culture. Humans are social development, customs, practices, and beliefs of human beings. Thus, the development of religious worldview defines what it means to be human. Religion is what makes us stand out as humans, religion can be a central part of one’s identity (Holocaust and Human Behavior). Each religion gives its individuals instruction on how human beings should be toward one another.

What is religion that makes us humans? Religion are thoughts, actions, and feeling based on belief in the existence of spirit beings and supranormal or superhuman forces. Not only that but religion also teaches a worldview, based on sets of shared assumptions about how the world works (Religion, Powerpoint). Human beings have a characteristic spiritual and religious nature, the vast majority in the world practice some kind of religion ranging from worldview church or local events. Each individuals has a belief; the way how the universe was created, spirit world, or meanings for people’s lives. Every religion tells us about the universe we live in; peace and love, thus, no religion is higher than one. Many individuals practice different religions which entitle us to be humans. Not all religion believe in God, an example would be Buddhism. Even having different religion or practicing something different, it still brings us together which makes us humans. Religion is important in one’s life because it shows what kind of human being we are.

The idea of sacredness is literally human life is sacred, generally used to describe something worthy of spiritual respect or devotion. For example, homosapien did not have the necessities for weapons, however, they made art. They painted different things to show their identity, religion, and others. This show their unique and dynamic culture and being able to communicate with it.

Many describe afterlife as the events that occur after physical death and where your spirit goes. Religion plays a tremendous role in what one believes about the past. Almost all beliefs system have different perspective or interpretation of the afterlife. In instant, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism have ideas in what would happen when one is gone and where the spirit will go. Buddhism believes in reincarnation, this is expected to happen to one after physical death. The next life is judged by how one lived their previous life. I believe this strongly defines what it means to be human, because without our belief into something, we are not capable of the ability to be reborn into another human being.

Rituals and ceremonies are practiced to show dedication and faith to a religion that defines what it means to be humans. According to Cultural Anthropology: A Perspective on the Human Condition, a ritual must fit into four categories; repetitive social practice, different from the routines of day to day life, follows some sort of ritual schema, and encoded in myth. Rituals often have roots that ties itself to ancient practices between a divine and humans. In essence, a ritual brings out the sacredness into a human life, as humans become more aware of this, it expands and connects us to living things, which lead us to defines what it means to be humans. Some examples of rituals in the United States are birthday celebration, graduation, and anniversary, following ritual passage is important as it brings us together. In different cultures, there are rite of passage, rituals that marks a person’s transition from one social state to another. So, the following components help in the ritual of passing from one state in life to another.

In summary, the development worldview is the set of beliefs about fundamental aspects of reality that ground and influence our perceiving and doing defines what it means to be human. Being able to believe something or have a religion makes us humans already, although we may all come from different perspectives, having a belief is one common thing we have and that makes us human. We are able to live in peace and love even if different religious enter in the world at different angle. It is our spirit that makes us human, it is our spiritual characteristic that makes us human beings.