Religions Life of Planet Earth - Essay Example

For instance, if an individual considers himself of the Jewish faith, then that individual must abstain from pork, perform ablution before prayer, and strive to follow the religion as much as possible. One can argue that having the basic creed that God exists can be the basic starting point. Thus, a person can be considered if they believe in a supreme being, worship supreme being, and trying to make others also believe in that supreme being. In today’s era, it is clear that atheism dominates because of the lack of miracles that occur.

For instance, during the Abrahamic era, many prophets were notorious for conducting miracles. Jesus had an amazing ability to heal people. Moses was known to split the river with his staff and lead his people to promise land (“The Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants”). However, these miracles do not occur because faith itself has been relinquished from the heart of a true believer. Religion has become a sacred myth in which practice and implementation are almost invisible. Even though the channel for gaining religious knowledge is abundant, it does not interest.

The younger generation especially acknowledges sin but is not afraid of any type of punishment from a higher being. Needless to say, most people are not afraid of the wrath of a superior being. The three examples of behaviors or beliefs that must meet the criteria can consist of three crucial factors. For example, if a Muslim boy has the fundamental belief that “God is one, and Muhammad is the prophet,” then he is only considered a Muslim (Armstrong7). However, if that same body prays 5 times a day, abstains from lust, does not drink alcohol, gives charity, performs hajj, reads the Quran; then clearly he is considered a pious Muslim being.

There is a huge difference between a believer and being a good believer. Another example is perfectly depicted through this scenario. If a priest, who is extremely pious as he never misses a service can be deemed as a religious person. However, if that same priest is engaged in lust and adultery, then he is clearly not religious. Although he might be perfect in every aspect of his piety, if he lacks a certain piece or is indulging in a sin that is considered to be heinous, then clearly he lacks piety (Eliade 15).

The third example of piety can be illustrated perfectly through the story of Joseph. However, here his exceptional faith is a final testament towards his piety. Joseph was not only abandoned by his brothers, but he was also tried in court for committing adultery. Scholars say that Joseph as a pious human being never did that as his charm and masculinity was super appealing to the King’s wife, who tried to seduce him. At the end, Joseph’s patience was the hallmark of his prophecy. The moral is the fact that piety is within an individual granted he or she is steadfast and passes through all trials and tribulations (Farid 32).

The function of religion is to guide humanity from ignorance towards truth and give them a better understanding of what life is. Religion is supposed to give individuals hope that there is more to life than just existence. It