Martin Bretzin #15

What is religion? In 2006, I had no idea how to define this topic. Originally, when I thought of religious studies, my mind immediately jumped to Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Buddhism. I thought religion was a term used to describe mass consensus of beliefs held by individuals of a particular organization. Today, I still don't think I understand what religion is. I've completed 4 religious studies courses at CNU, two of which were introductory to the field in general. As a result of completing these course, my understanding of religion is a centered around the idea that it is some sort of a series of personal beliefs an individual develops regarding his or her environment, social standing, interpersonal values, intrapersonal values, potential spiritual understandings/values and the interactions that occur between and within each. This is a bit of a long-winded definition and I'm still not sure it's accurate. If I remember correctly, I was taught that religion is simply a "binding." I'm unsure as to whether is is in reference to the individual and his or her thoughts and perceptions, or if it can be relevant to my own personal definition. Overall, I see little importance in properly defining religion as a construct. But, the fact that I still don't feel confident in defining it disturbs me.