Chapter 14
Religion
By Boundless
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Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that relate humanity to spirituality and to moral values.
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A conventional social scientific view understands religion as a group's collective beliefs and rituals relating to the supernatural.
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Supernaturalism refers to any belief system with supernatural forces, such as magic, and, in general, is prevalent in all societies.
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Animism is the belief that non-human entities are spiritual beings, either intrinsically or because spirits inhabit them.
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Theism refers to any belief system that incorporates a deity.
Emile Durkheim posited the sacred–profane dichotomy as central to all religion, but critics suggest this theory is too eurocentric.
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Karl Marx argues that religion works to calm uncertainty over our role in the universe and in society, and to maintain the status quo.
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Marx viewed religion as a tool of social control used by the bourgeoisie to keep the proletariat content with an unequal status quo.
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Religious symbolism is the use of acts, artwork, and events to create a mythos expressing the teachings of the religion.
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A ritual is a set of actions performed mainly for their symbolic value, that may be prescribed by the traditions of a community.
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Religious belief is a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny.
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A religious experience is usually an uncommon occurrence in which an individual encounters what he or she considers to be the divine.
Cult refers to a religious movement or group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre.
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A sect is a group with distinctive religious, political, or philosophical beliefs.
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The Christian Church is the assembly of followers of Jesus Christ; in Christianity, a church is the building where its members meet.
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Ecclesias are different from churches because they typically must compete with other religious voices in a community.
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A religious denomination is a subgroup within a religion that operates under a common name, tradition, and identity.
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Due to the First Amendment, which grants freedom of religion, there is a diversity of religious beliefs and practices in the U.S.
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Religion in the United States is characterized by both a wide diversity in religious beliefs and practices and by a high adherence level.
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Christianity is the largest religion in the United States, with around 77% of the population identifying itself as Christian.
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Ecumenism mainly refers to initiatives aimed at creating greater Christian unity or cooperation.
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Religion plays a "very important" role in the lives of most Americans; a proportion unique among developed nations.
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Most modern Western societies are recognized as secular because they enjoy near-complete freedom of religion.
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Protestantism is one of the major umbrella religions in the U.S., and is constantly evolving in response to political and social changes.
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Catholicism has a long history in the U.S., with the Catholic Church the single largest religious denomination in the United States.
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Judaism is the religion, philosophy, and way of life of the Jewish people.
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The American Muslim population is a racially diverse group that has been present in the U.S. since before the Civil War.
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There are correlations between the degree of religious belief in society and social factors like mortality rates, wealth and happiness.
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The main religious preferences in the Unites States include (in order): Christianity, unaffiliate, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism.