Religion answers the need in man for a mysterious, supernatural Being (or beings) who controls and directs the forces of nature and thus the lives and destinies of men. The implication is that without this belief, one is completely at the mercy of chance and fortune. This sense of need is deeply felt and it engenders hope.
The need for a religious basis is often articulated as the desire to feel God’s love and to be able to live in his service, as the feeling of being overwhelmed by his great power and wisdom and thus the emotion of awe that leads to fear and sorrow and the wish for reconciliation. The feeling of having offended and estranged God, and consequently a desire to make amends are also feelings evoked by religion.
Besides serving social needs, such as unity and stability, religion can be a source of psychological and physical well-being. Various studies show that regular religious practice improves health and academic achievement, fosters self-control and self-esteem, and encourages empathy and compassion. A growing body of research also indicates that religion is a significant protective factor against many problems that affect society, such as out-of-wedlock births, divorce, drug and alcohol addiction, crime, and depression.
A large number of religions exist in the world. They have different beliefs and rituals but most share certain features, such as a divine being or divinities, sacred books, rites and ceremonies, a clergy or priesthood, places and symbols that are considered holy, a moral code, and a sense of community. Those who study religion take different approaches to the definition of the term. Most definitions are “substantive,” determining membership in the category in terms of the presence of a belief in a distinctive kind of reality. Others, such as Emile Durkheim’s, are functional and define it in terms of a social function of creating solidarity among people; and still others, such as Paul Tillich’s, consider it a matter of values that organize one’s priorities.