Religion states what to believe in, where to worship, how to worship, and why to believe. However, religion is not only a belief system, it is much more encompassing than that. Religion could be more thought of as a lifestyle. Religion generally shapes and details every aspect of a person's life, from how to treat people, to how to dress, and even to what one should drink and eat. We are thought to revolve our world around our religion. However, most religions have benefits for their actions and laws. In Hinduism, diet is very regulated. There are several things Hindu followers can and cannot eat, and even allotted times where they are allowed to eat.
In Hinduism, a well-balanced diet is essential for having a strong faith and spiritual development. When a person's body is properly nourished the body is healthier thus a person is mentally more focused and stable. In fact, there is such a strong emphasis in Hinduism on proper food consumption that there is a diet code. Sattva, Tamas, and Rajas are the three food groups/diets of the diet code. Each of these food groups/diets are thought to produce certain emotions. Sattvic is the best of foods. Foods such as greens, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, honey, plant oil extract etc. In general, very natural whole foods are thought to create a feeling of relaxation and nobility. These Sattvic foods are thought to nourish the body well, create focus, and maximize energy. This focus and energy, in turn, could help a person seek wisdom and increase in spirituality. The next food group is the tamasic foods. This type of food is thought to create lethargy and overall negative emotions. Tasamic foods are typically left over foods. If Sattvic foods are leftover or not fresh they are th...
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...enrichment of the mind and is essential to increase spirituality. Even though Hinduism has specific dietary measurements, there are still similarities in other religions such as, in Islam there is the prohibition of the consumption of pork and wine. Also in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam there is fasting and fasting is observed for much of the same reasons in all of the mentioned religions and that is to strengthen faith. With all the dietary guidelines and rituals in Hinduism comes the wisdom that these practices will better help to focus the mind which is essential for improving one's faith. This structured diet of the hindus is only one example of how religion impacts and guides all aspects of a believer's life not only their worship. This is due to the fact that in religion their is a belief that everything you do, say, eat affect your level of spirituality.
Throughout time, food has always played a large role in every day life. One aspect of life that food really plays a large role in is religious life. It is important to recognize that the first commandment that God gave to us was a restriction on eating. Many religions have dietary laws or restrictions that explain to the people of their religion what they can and cannot eat. The first commandments that God gave to us were related to eating. In the Bible, we see the Mosaic dietary laws. These laws were set and regulated by Moses, as explained by God’s law. The Old Testament is full of restrictions regarding food consumption and what types of foods should not be consumed. I will be further examining the Mosaic dietary laws and the role they continue to play in the modern-day and in many people lives.
Religion is a set of faiths or beliefs that is based around one or more central powers. Religion can take what is good and turn it to evil, especially in the case of the Taliban and crusades. Religion can be used for good as well, in the case of several modern day religions.
The Western Diet mainly consists of fried foods, refined grains, sugar, high carbohydrate and fats, and meats (3). It has been hypothesized that having a Western Diet increases one’s chances for developing depression. There has been a great deal of research into why the western diet increase’s one chance of having depression. A common sense reason maybe that the Western Diet consisted of large amounts carbohydrates, fats and sugars which promotes obesity and then causes depression (1). More scientific evidence suggest that having a improper diet like the Western Diet negatively affects peripheral and central dopamine, which are neurotransmitters (chemical which transmit signals across the synapse from the nerve cell to the target cell) directly linked to the mental health of the brain and are negatively affected by high fat diets (4). Research has also suggested that having a poor nutrition status such as lacking folate (a natural water form of vitamin bg which is crucial for many of the bodies processes) and key vitamins like vitamin b12 significantly increases the risk of depression in elderly people (5). Research into the topic of dietary habits and mental health is very crucial with the growing rates of obesity and depression in the United States compared to the rest of the world. Thus, does having poor dietary habits increase the likelihood of having depression? The likelihood of developing depression has been linked to the type of diet one consumes such as the Western Diet, Diets Low in Fat and Carbohydrates and weight control diets like binge eating.
Though Hinduism is labeled as a religion, it’s actually much more than that. It’s a culture, a lifestyle, and a society that has influenced it’s people for more than four thousand years. The Indian culture is made up of several languages and dialects causing much racial diversity amongst the civilization. Although modern Hinduism often conflicts with that of the earlier forms of this religion, it’s most basic foundation is practically the same. Even though it’s teachings are not commonly agreed upon.
In the history of humanity, humans have consumed plenty of things, from plants to human flesh. It is all about survival. However as societies became more complex and states began to form, several changes in the diet were created, mostly by religious principles. However there are underlying causes for these dietary restrictions besides the religious aspect. Both Marvin Harris and Mary Douglas propose some of the underlying causes for the dietary restrictions in the old texts. Harris proposes several reasons for the dietary restrictions in the Leviticus, including moral, ethical and functional, while Douglas presents the cost benefit and a historical reasons for dietary restrictions in several religious text.
Religion has existed since the dawn of civilization and over time has evolved into the religions we have today. Today the most prominent religions are monotheistic, having one omnipotent god, and despite having many differences they share basic tenets of respect and kindness. Religions, such as Judaism, give explanations for the unknown, provide hope, and bring about a sense of community.
Religion is the basic belief in a set of rules on how to live, generally accompanied by a belief and worship of a superhuman being with supernatural powers. There are many religions that have been picked up throughout the world. Most of these religions rise from some basic religions that have relationships with the belief. Some of the most known religions are Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism among many others. Hinduism is a polytheistic religion and is India's main religion. Unlike many religions Confucianism does not have a higher power they worship, instead, it is an ethical system of philosophical teachings founded by Confucius, a Chinese philosopher and then developed by Mencius (Doniger, 2009).
"religion (ri lij'en), n. 1. A set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usu. involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code for conduct of human affairs. 2. A specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion. 3. The body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices: a world council of religions. 4. The life or state of a monk, nun, etc: to enter a religion. 5. The practice of religious beliefs: ritual observance of faith. 6. Something a person believes in and follows devotedly. 7. Archaic. Strict faithfulness: devotion."
Religion is a universal among human groups. In general, religion is defined as a symbolic system dealing with the relationship of human beings to the supernatural, to divine or spirit beings, or to matters that transcend mundane reality. (Womack)
Religion again has many definitions. Experts hint around that it's a topic that is complex, and that any definition would leave out parts that make religion what it is. Connelly states "Religion originates in an attempt to represent and order beliefs, feelings, imaginings and actions that arise in response to direct experience of the sacred and the spiritual" (Connelly, 1986). Webster's Dictionary defines religion as a system of attitudes, beliefs, and practices related to the supernatural. (Webster, 2001). Wikipedia suggests religion "as system of social coherence commonly understood as a group of beliefs or attitudes concerning an object, person, unseen or imaginary being, or system of thought considered to be supernatural, sacred, divine or highest truth, and the moral codes, practices, values, institutions, and rituals associated with such belief or system of thought. (Wikipedia, 2006).Each definition although different contains key words ...
I believe it’s critical to maintain good health. I believe we are to keep the temple of the Holy Spirit (our bodies) pure not only from what people would consider worldly temptations but also we need to keep our temples pure by the foods we eat. We are called to eat fruits and vegetables,
Would one dare to go a day without food? Food in the twenty first century can be used as medicine, energy and center piece for social gatherings. However in many religions people take time to separate themselves from such consumption in an activity called fasting. The practice of fasting is incorporated in several denominations of Christianity, the Muslim faith, and Hinduism. Fasting can be personal and completed any time of year or seen specific times of year in forms of a holiday. In particular some denominations of Christianity people celebrate Lent whereas Muslims commemorate receiving the Quran by celebrating Ramadan. Although Muslims have a historically made Ramadan fasting significantly more important to their religion than Christians do Lent, secularization and globalization overtime have brought the two faiths perception of fasting to an almost equal weight.
Religion, as defined by Webster’s Dictionary is a belief in and reverence for a supernatural power accepted as the creator and governor of the universe (Houghton Mifflin, 2001). With that said, there is no commonly accepted definition of religion. Different people and different experts have different views of religion. Many people associate the religion with belief in some entity generally described as God. But then different religions and even people within a formally defined religion may hold different views about the nature of God. The only commonality between all religions is that they are all directed at guiding the individual behavior in directions that are expected to lead to their personal good as well as that of the society in general. Unlike other social institutions though, history has proven religion can rally people on a global level (Powell, 2009). Whether your experience is limited to the diversity within the United States of America or firsthand observations abroad, religion, or opinion of some form, religion is instilled and deeply rooted into all people.
Proper nutrition is one of the most essential elements to being healthy and living a long life. People deal with food every day, and food has been a part of life since the beginning of civilization. What we eat becomes our diet, and our diet plays a major role in deciding how healthy we are and how well our body functions. Without proper diet, our body cannot carry out the functions it needs to perform. Most people have some common knowledge on what is good and what is bad for the human body to consume. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains are some common items people think of when they think of healthy foods. However, it is not enough just to know what foods are good for your body, it is also important to understand why certain foods are good for you and what they do to help the body function.
According to Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, religion means the belief in the presence of a God or Gods, and the activities that are connected with the worship of them. The word religion comes from the Latin word religionem, which means devotion to the Gods and respect for what is holy. Religion, or at least religious assumption, is something that is fundamentally common for all humans. Questions about the meaning of life, how to live it in the best way, what happens after death, and whether there is anyone or anything watching there have wondered people in all parts of the world throughout the history. Even if the origin of religion is uncertain, it is considered by some anthropologists that religion began as a renewal movement. In the past, when the people's imaginations were trying to find more comprehensive answers to their problems, they were affected by the ideas of prophets, which provided them with answers rather than their everyday beliefs. Most of the religions have the religious people who practice them, holy or sacred places where people worship, and rules with some similarities, as well as many differences. According to global 2012 reports, 59% of the people are religious, some of whom practice several religions at the same time, no matter the religious principals they follow allow for syncretism or not. Religion is a system of belief which formulates people's point of view, limits their actions, and to which people stay devoted all their lives.