What is Religion?

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Metaphysics and philosophy have been motivated by religious devotion. Search

for truth and what we can know and how we ought to behave. For many people
religion defines lives and their religious views define reality. Importance of
religion demands special attention. The emotional involvement in religion.

Religion and philosophy are intimately linked. “A person who believes in a single,
independent being, GOD, who is the creator of the universe, is a theist, a believer.

JOHN WISDOM: Gods

2 people (Justin and Selena) who go to this abandoned garden and find plants and
the weeds growing there and are all surprise. (Both see the weeds all grown in the
garden)
One comes up with this theory that there must a gardener coming and doing
something and the plants.
Enquiry: no neighbor saw anyone working there. Justin says “He must have
worked while the others slept”
Selena: nope, someone must’ve heard them then. Also, anyone who cared
wouldn’t let the weeds grow.
Justin: look how perfectly arranged it all is. For a purpose and beauty. Someone
comes here, invisible to mortal eyes. More carefully we look, the more we shall
find the confirmation of this.
They then examine the garden carefully and sometimes would find things
suggesting that a malicious person has been at work.
In addition, they also study about what happens to the garden if left unattended.
And then finally….
Justin: I still believe a gardener comes.
Selena: I don’t
Though they didn’t agree at all, this didn’t change what they saw in the garden.
And their results about how fast an unattended garden falls apart were in total
agreement. The gardener hypothesis is only experimental. Neither expects
anything of it which the other does not expect.
One just calls the thing a gardener and has this feeling towards it while the other
calls it by another name.
No longer appropriate to ask which is right or reasonable.

MY POV:
So basically, the gardener story is all just a metaphorical example. In this the 2
people are like 2 different religions. In each religion, there are these certain
beliefs which they think are true just like how the 2-people had their opinions
about the mysterious growth of plants even after being unattended. They agree
upon the being of the garden (for example like how the universe exists and the
things within). However, for some may believe that so and so god has created and
while the other might thing some other god is responsible. (different beliefs in
religion).
In other words, the theist believe in a creator. But there might be difference of
opinion as to who this Creator is but, it doesn’t matter, according to John, as long
as they believe.
 For wisdom, religious belief is different from scientific quest.
ALBERT EINSTEIN: On the design of the universe
Churches have always fought science and persecuted its devotees. Cosmic
religious feeling is the strongest and noblest motive for scientific research.
NO IDEA WHAT THE CRAZY DUDE IS TRYING TO SAY.!!!
KEIJI NISHITANI: What is religion?
What is religion? What is the purpose of religion for us? Why do we need it?
These questions have a problem.
The person who poses these questions, religion does not seem to be something
he needs.
1. The fact that he asked this question shows that religion has not yet become
a become a necessity for him.
2. Nature of religion to be a necessary for just such a person. “wherever such
questioning individuals are found, there is a need for religion”
3. Religion has to do with life itself
4. Relation with religion is contradictory :those for whom religion is not a
necessity are for, that reason, the very ones for whom religion is a
necessity.
5. Religion is an indispensable necessity for those very people who fail to see
the need for it.
6. Religion not considered from the point of view of its utility, any more than
life should.
7. Religion must for human life
8. Cannot understand what religion is from the out side
9. Cant understand religion apart from the religious quest
10.Wha purpose do I exist
11.When we have become a question to ourselves, the religious quest
awakens within us