Introduction: Religion

Hello! I’m Meg Szydlik. I’m a student and this blog is for my sociology class. My topic is Religion. I’ve decided to explore all the different religions in the world, the serious ones and the more fun ones. The most important thing to understand about religion (I think) is the difference between a legitimate religion and a cult, which can be determined using the 7 Dimensions of Religion (Shout out to DLong!). I won’t get too in depth, but all religions that I will put on this blog will have these seven parts. Number one is doctrine, which is the set of documents and beliefs that the religion is based on, like the Bible. Number two is a community that is founded on the doctrine, like a church. Number three is ritual, such as a baptism. Number four is myths, like the creation story or the legends of some saints (like Saint George). Number five is the materials that have meaning for the community, such as the crucifix or rosary. Number six is the ethical dimension and how being in the religion changes the individual for the better and allows them to grow and become an individual. And the seventh and final dimension is the experiential (not experimental, experiential) which allows for change because it opens the religion up to outside influences to be challenged. Overall, I will be focusing on real religions that are out there and have all seven dimensions. This does not mean my posts will be serious! I will be looking at a different religion every week and believe me there are some pretty crazy ones out there. In fact, my first article is going to be exploring a religion based on a movie set in a galaxy far, far away…