Religion is a cultural system of behaviors and practices, ethics, and beliefs that expresses a deep sense of spirituality. Religions include belief in a Supreme Being or beings, and often involve worship, rituals, sacred texts, symbols, holy places, and community. These beliefs and practices are often based on a shared history, narratives, and mythologies, and may attempt to explain the origin of life, the universe, or human nature.
In many societies, religion provides a foundation for family and social structures, morality, and a sense of purpose and meaning. It is often a source of comfort in times of stress, and can unite people in the face of conflict or crisis. However, it also poses significant challenges, including discrimination against those who do not share a particular religious viewpoint, and can lead to division within communities. In addition, some religions encourage violence against individuals who disagree with their beliefs, and are sometimes associated with extremism and terrorism.
Despite the wide variation in religious practices, there are two philosophical issues that are important for understanding religions. The first is the question of whether one can treat religion as a social taxon that has necessary and sufficient properties. The second is the question of how best to evaluate religions as they evolve and change over time.
The most obvious feature of religion is its belief in a Supreme Being or beings. Generally, the belief is that this Being (or beings) is responsible for the world and its processes, and that humans must submit to and obey His/Her/their commandments in order to attain the most important goals imaginable. Some of these are proximate, and have to do with living wisely or generously, or with the achievement of personal perfection through a process of rebirth. Others are ultimate, and have to do with the fate of this or any other individual person, or even of the cosmos itself.
Religions also give maps of the future, so that people can recognize the many limitations that stand across their lives, and decide how to deal with them. They also provide a system of rewards or punishments for behaviour, and the means by which to evaluate this behaviour: is it wise or foolish? Is it charitable or ruthless? This evaluation, and the goals it helps to shape, is a crucial part of what makes religions such powerful agents in human life.