Huston Smith Religion Analysis

Religion formed as a result of the need for people to believe in something greater than themselves, a guidebook on how to treat yourself and others, and to instill a sense of community that satisfies a worldly outlook beyond the certitude of life. In Huston Smith’s The World’s Religions, Smith explains that religion is a quest for meaning beyond the self. One that begins with questioning the self and the purpose one has in life.

People need to believe in something greater than themselves, because who they are is constantly changing with time. This attribute deserves implicit attention due to the nature of humans; we come with an expiration date - a definitiveness which is death. Not just death of the physical body, but the emotional being as well. Humans have a proclivity to fear death, it proposes an ending to that which we hold dear: life. Religion acts as a
Religion provides a moral compass to those who are consumed with the uncertainty of the ego. It gives one principles, a way to alter their behaviors so that they find stability in their daily interactions with others. Without morals, people would commit heinous acts in attempts to satisfy the self. Through these values, one is able to find commonality amongst those they come into contact with.
Finding community is one of the great adventures of human life. As it stands, no one is alone in their feelings, problems, or experiences. For many individuals, religion instills within them a sense of belonging, giving them a worldly experience beyond themselves. Smith says that community commands an importance that a single life cannot. Who we are is nothing without the people we care for. People need each other, our survival depends on it. Faith brings humans from all walks of life into a community by putting into perspective those things we have in common, rather than focusing on our