Religion is an umbrella term for the belief system that provides a framework for living a good life. A religion can be a personal choice or a social institution.
Behavioral scientists have learned that people who are religious tend to be better at trusting other people, avoiding stealing and breaking the law, and holding strong beliefs about fair market outcomes 2. They also have less anxiety about dying, have more self-control and feel healthier.
A major part of the benefits of being religious is that it gives people a sense that they matter. This helps them feel that their lives are important and meaningful, and it can lead to close social relationships with others.
The concept of religion was not originally a social genus or cultural type, but rather a word that reflected the Latin phrase nobis religio, meaning “our way of worship.” This term may have originated in the belief that there are gods that are separate from each other, though it could also be a metaphor for rivalry.
Today, religion is a social taxon that names an array of practices and rituals that people have adopted in response to an imagined reality. It is one of the most studied subjects in the humanities and social sciences.
The concept of religion is controversial, and it has been the subject of criticism by philosophers and historians. Among them are those who argue that it is an invented category and that its modern semantic expansion has gone hand in hand with European colonialism.