stairway to heaven

Religion can be defined as a belief and faith in a higher, supernatural controlling force over our own mortal humanness. It is a communal practice of faith and worship that brings people together under the same notion of God(s). I think that people practice religious rituals because it reflects a sort of reassurance in people and provides morals for followers to abide by. Christians believe that Jesus has the power to forgive their sins and grant entrance into the kingdom of heaven if they ask for forgiveness. Christians use prayer as a means of requesting guidance and assistance in life as well as praying for forgiveness of their sins. By ritually praying, Christians consistently remind themselves that there is a higher power that will ultimately be responsible for their fate. Religion also establishes a set of morals that must be followed in order for there to be "good" in the world. Christians that ritually refer to the Bible and the Ten Commandments have an understanding of the morals of Christianity and believe that following those commandments will save them a place in heaven. This is another example of reassurance in religious rituals. The concept of heaven is very important to many religious people regardless of their religious faith. In high school, I was in an ethics class with a friend who's father had recently passed away. She commented that she had not considered herself a person of faith or religion until her trauma. She turned to Christianity because she felt it was necessary in order to cope with her loss. She felt that it offered her a sense of hope and reassurance that her father was resting peacefully and that one day they would be reunited again. It is not unusual for people to turn to religious rituals after a traumatic experience because it removes feelings of doubt and hopelessness and provides a feeling of optimism. Religious rituals are practiced in every day life because it produces reassurance and hopefulness in people.