3. "[Religion is] a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say, things set apart and forbidden--beliefs and practices which unite into one single moral community."

8. The Need for Religions Religion or a spiritual tradition is:
• a way of explaining the mysteries of life
o how the world was created
o why it was created
o why there is life and death
o what happens when people die
o why there is suffering •
a way of describing a dimension beyond the physical world -- the spiritual world
a way of explaining how to lead a good life on Earth and in an afterlife

9. KINDS OF RELIGION 1. Christianity: 2.5 billion 2. Islam: 1.8 billion
3. Hinduism: 900 million
4. Chinese traditional religion (includes Taoism): 394 million
5. Buddhism: 400 million
6. Sikhism: 28 million
7. Judaism: 15 million
8. Baha'i: 8 million
Shintoism: 4 million
There are said to be over 4,000 classifications of Religions in the world

17. NEGATIVE EFFECTS of RELIGION
Cause of discrimination , Cause of conflicts & wars , Tool for exploiting the masses