Does Religion Have To Be Accompanied By A God Or Higher-Being?

Does a Religion Have to be Accompanied by a God or Higher-being? Religion is a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects.(“Religion”. Dictionary.com. Web 16 Dec. 2016). The majority of the population on earth usually assimilates the definition of the word religion to endowing ourself to a god or higher-being. When in reality, not all religions consist of a higher-being proving that definition is false to a sect of people. Religion is simply a set of practices or beliefs generally agreed upon by a number of people. Nowhere in that definition does it state that a god, deity, or higher-being is required to be classified as a religion. In my definition of religion, a religion does not require a God or higher-being. A religion is simply a doctrine that a group of people agree upon and practice. An example of a religion without a godly figure would be Jainism. Jainism is a religion is not based upon belief in a higher being. They believe that to achieve enlightenment, one must live a life of self denial, living by 5 vows or rules

Although this is a thought or belief that is agreed upon by a group of people and does not involve a god, it is still not a religion. You can have atheistic religions such as religions we have discussed in this essay and some sects of buddhism, but that does not necessarily make atheism a religion. A way to discribe it is like “ If atheism is a religion, then bald is a haircolor, or if atheism is a religion then health is a disease.”. Basically what is is saying is that atheism is the lack of belief in gods, now there are religions that are classified under this. This is more of an idea. Yes it agreed upon by a large group of people and has aspects of a religion, it is not because it is a classification in a sense.("What Is Atheism." Https://atheists.org/activism/resources/what-is-atheism. Web. 16 Dec.