Religion is a cultural system of beliefs, values and practices that provides people with meaning in their lives. Its importance varies somewhat by religious tradition, but most people who participate in religion say it plays an important role in their lives.
The word religion derives from the Latin nobis religio, which means “our way of worship.” Early definitions of the term emphasized what we now call the belief in one or more gods. The idea of religion, however, expanded over time and now encompasses a wide variety of customs.
Regardless of its specifics, most scholars agree that religion is an important part of human life and that the practice of religion brings social benefits. For example, it promotes education, self-control, and economic well being. It also reduces the incidence of certain social pathologies, such as out-of-wedlock births and crime. It is for these reasons that some people are hesitant to give up on their religions.
Some scholars believe that humans developed religions out of curiosity about the big questions and fear of uncontrollable forces. The religions that emerged from these motivations included hope for a happy afterlife, for a caring creator who would watch out for humanity, and for a meaningful life in this world.
These hopes, in turn, gave rise to myths, stories that explain the origin and purpose of a religion. Some of these stories may be factual, while others are purely imaginary. The concept of religion, as a set of beliefs and practices, also became more complicated with the development of archaeology and anthropology, which allowed for the first systematic study of forms of life across cultures.