Essay Example - Comparison of the Ideas of Religion

Religion has vast representations among various individuals. When comparing people from different areas, their view of religion has both similarities and differences. Ideas of religion depend on the ancient aspect of how the world came into existence by individuals from different places. The Greeks believe in the presence of gods sculptured to represent the human form whose king was Zeus, son of Cronus, and the leader of the Olympian gods. Other gods among the Greeks include Dionysus, Apollo, Titans, Odyssey, and the Cyclops. The Indians believe in the presence of many gods as scripted in the 'Upanishads,' including Vishnu, Agni, Indra, Savitri, Vayu, Rudra, and Brahma. The Buddhists believe that religion is somewhat similar to the Hindu concept. Among the Buddhists and Hindu religion involves incarnation, whereby the Universe is the primary entity. Nothing is fixed in the beliefs of these two about faith, heaven and hell are more than one, and the laws of Dharma, Karma, and Moksha need following to live a happy life. The existence of philosophers, including Socrates, Plato, and Democritus, provided a different view on religion. According to Democritus, people originated from Atoms, which helped structure the Universe in the beginning. Socrates viewed that the gods of Homer, the Greeks, were no gods but just created to create chaos, Socrates and Plato both believed in the existence of God with a purpose, all-knowing, and who was the source of people's consciousness. In this reflection, there are views on the difference in people's understanding of religion, the similarities, things that would cause people to change their opinions, and a comparison between the ideas in the 21st century to those in Unit Two.

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The differences in people's understanding and thoughts on religion vary. The Greeks believe that religion encompasses believing and worshipping Zeus, the greatest god, a king of the gods. Due to the stories passed through generations, the Greeks have set to trust in the laws present supporting what each god wants. As such, the thoughts of most people from Greece revolve around only worshipping the gods who existed from ancient times. The Indians have a similar belief and have sculptures of their gods who look identical to people. Currently, Indians still worship their gods in the temple by bowing down before the statues, which are given names to represent all the gods. In contrast, the Buddhists and Hindus believe in the existence of a higher power and view meditation as the path to observing the laws of Karma, Dharma, and Moksha. The understanding of religion among the Hindus and Buddhists identifies that nothing is permanent, while the Greeks believe that things are permanent except death. Socrates's and Plato's view on religion revolves around the existence of God who created the Universe and allows things to exist with a particular purpose. In contrast, Democritus does not believe in the presence of any religion since people originated from atoms that came to the Universe from other worlds.

Nevertheless, there are many similarities in the view of religion among the Greeks, Indians, Philosophers, Buddhists, and Hindus. According to the Buddhists, Greeks, Hindus, Indians, Socrates, and Plato, there is heaven and hell, plus there is a being higher than a person who provides for people's needs. Besides, the Greeks, Indians, Philosophers, Buddhists, and the Hindus view religion as a unit of bringing people together, and all the laws are passed from one generation to the next. There is a creator as identified by the Indians, Buddhists, Greeks, Hindus, Socrates, and Plato, who requires people to promote peace and love. However, the changes in the world let to the onset of people changing their views on religion. The division led to little to no people believing in sculptured idols as gods. The expansion of knowledge by man is the reason for people shifting their beliefs. Some cultures are still sticking to the traditional teachings received about religion. Technology is another aspect that supported the shifting of opinions on religion. As a result, due to the changes over the years, people gained the freedom to choose a religion representing their beliefs. The ideas in the 21st century, when compared with the ideas presented in Unit Two, have similarities and differences. At large, most Indian cultures still believe and worship their gods using ordained sculptures in their temples. Changes in the 21st century involve various issues, including freedom of choosing a particular religion despite being a Hindu, an Indian, Philosopher, or from Greece. The ideas in Unit two identify the constriction of individuals to follow the spirituality present in their area of origin. Neglect to obey the teaching of one's religion is punishable by the laws of the gods. In some cases, such as the Buddhists and the Hindus, changes in faith are not tremendous.

In summary, the understanding and thoughts about religion vary among the Greeks, Indians, Philosophers, Buddhists, and the Hindus. Also, scripts with writings about the laws of each religion for the people to quickly review and follow are present. The Greeks and Indians believe in the presence of gods, while Buddhists and Hindus believe in the existence of a great being who created the Universe. Socrates and Plato believe in the presence of God, who created the Universe with a particular purpose. Democritus, on the other hand, believes that people and the Universe originated from other worlds through atoms, and religion does not exist. However, the Greeks, Indians, Philosophers, Buddhists, and Hindus believe in the importance of promoting peace and unity in the community.