求一篇关于信仰的英文演讲稿 大概3分钟左右的
grateful heart
How long has it been since you had the feeling of being moved ? Do you feel grateful when you taste the delicious food your mother prepares for you ? On Teacher’s Day, do you say “Thank you teachers” from the bottom of your heart, or just do it as others do ?
In the West, there is Thanksgiving Day. People invented this festival to be grateful for what they gained, because no one could be happy or successful without the help from others. Though our country don’t have Thanksgiving Day, we should be grateful hourly.
If the grateful full of your heart ,you will be happy everyday. Life’s happiness is to be convinced we are loved. A telephone from parents, a criticism from teacher, a exhortation from friend, a competition from opponent and so on. All this are the foundation of mature for us.
We must learn to be grateful, otherwise , we will be apathetic, can’t notice the love from others. Only have the heart of be grateful, we can understand how to love others and how to repay our society.关于地震的英语演讲稿：地震·爱·感恩如嫌多，可以自己摘取其中部分，后面是中英文对照 Earthquake love Thanksgiving Human love, love compatriots, and in a race against time. We believe that life can not be separated by mountains and rivers of love, can not be buried ruins of the love of life, heavy rain pouring on the life of the immortal love, dark clouds overhead can not be the love of life. When disaster comes, we can not avoid, we can do only with strong and smiles to the world that we are strong, no difficulty can make us lose the hope of Health. Selfless love They are just ordinary world of one, however, in the face of tremendous blow, they have chosen a strong and smile to the face of this world is full of love. Earthquake days does not collapse, the disaster is love. Xiangji in the work of the teacher-Tan ages in life the last minute, he decided to open arms, Huzhu his four students, left to their own death. Pengzhou policewomen Jiang Min, in the disaster lost their mother grandmother and 2-year-old daughter, Jiang Min Beitongyujue, however, serious damage, police extreme tension, to remain in her post three days and three nights until the collapsed…… Thanksgiving heart They also only a small angel, the wing has not fullness. When Mieding disaster fell, the land covered by grief, they used a strong and smiling, shook us. In more than 10 hours after the quake, one of the North-Manlianshixue boy was rescued from the rubble. In his armed police officers and soldiers prepared to move to safe areas, he can move difficult to hold the right hand, weakness and a standard King team at the Young Pioneers. Stretcher on the little boy he did not forget to rescue the officers and men of his uncle's move Thanksgiving salute to the countless people deeply touched…… The power of love Love is the parents is the world's largest love, is in their minds share of family support them, let them come in the heart of the disaster sons and daughters. Kitagawa, May 14, 2008, the parents who struggle with death more than 40 hours after the three-year-old girl Song Xin Yi finally rescued, rescue workers to feed her milk. Her parents live in the time, desperate to protect the fragile body of her, until both passing away, also maintained that posture. Parents touched by the love of God, let the children saved, small Xinyi Zaitianzhiling parents can comfort! The brilliant teachers Teachers are the most brilliant career and also the most extraordinary career. Tanghong this year over 20 years old, is a beautiful young dance teacher. The earthquake, she is welcome to the students rehearsing "June 1" Children's Day of the dance. Found dangerous situation, she pushed the students a corner, they hold in their arms, fell to the collapse of the buildings on her…… her body was found, she Fushen趴the wall in the corner. Her arms, three girls survived. The ruins, her broken body into Liangjie, facial Xueroumohu. Her hands still firmly Yongzhe two students! Bai how people can not Baikai her hands tightly Louzhu students! When the earthquake happened, she was evacuated students leave the classroom. Shouzuwucuo see there are two students, she ran the last step, a first-hand Louzhu, outside-in. Teaching building suddenly collapsed, she and several students buried in the rubble. The teacher called to Qian, graduated from university last year, to Shifang-Habitat When English teachers in primary schools. Qian to the father of allegiance to the sea is Shifang Nanquan, deputy principals in primary schools, he Beitongyujue: "I can understand that, as teachers, should be so! Should do!" Transfer love The rescue team found her, she was dead, is down by the landslide crushed the house through a pile of rubble that the gap can see the death of her position, Shuangxiguizhe, the entire upper body forward Pu Fuzhao , Pulled out his hands to support the body, like some ancient line Guibai ceremony, but the body was deformed by the pressure, some look诡异. Rescue personnel from reaching into the ruins of the gap confirmed she had died, and in calling directed at the ruins of the Jisheng, with Qiaogun Qiaoliaojixia in the bricks on the inside without any response. When people come under a building when the rescue team leader suddenly ran back, while running variable crying "over fast." He also came to her body, demanding the woman's body handle Shenjin under explored, he touched the few loudly shouted "Some people, children, is still alive." After some efforts, people carefully to clean up the ruins of Dangzhao she opened in her body lying below her child, wrapped in red with a yellow flower was a small yard, about three or four months because the mother body The asylum, he Haofa not injured, hold out, he also quiet sleep, he slept in the face of all the people at the scene was very warm. Accompanied by doctors from untied quilts ready to do inspections, found a cell phone Cypriots in the yard, the doctor saw the unconscious under the screen, found on the screen is an already-written message "Dear Baby, if you can live, We must remember that I love you "to see the doctor Shenglisibie used to have shed tears at this moment, a cell phone transmission, each message to see the tears of the people. This pain of lost loved ones, who can bear to, but we need to face: a sad and subdued both eyes, one out of both hands…… not to forget yesterday's shadow, the dark yesterday, yesterday Panic, to forget yesterday's Beiqi yesterday, the pain and mental trauma, the Federation of the shadow of the sun lit up, dawn darkness engulfed the Association, the Federation of peace reunion forget the horror of the Federation of Beiqi eliminated, the Federation of Health to disperse the pain Many of the Federation of love you heal the wounds of the soul. Baiyun Duo Duo, Duo Duo disappeared Jiao-yan of flowers, memorial sound, the sound lost loved ones and laughing, crying again, to disperse the spring breeze of the past again, tears Yingying, a haggard Shared love Yingying. The deceased have been passing away, the Health and continue to protest, this was the world, we take too hastily, in the name of life, calls for life to the oneworld affectionate, cherishing life… 地震·爱·感恩 人性之爱，同胞之爱，在和时间赛跑。我们相信，山川阻隔不了对生命的爱，废墟掩埋不了对生命的爱，暴雨浇不灭对生命的爱，乌云遮蔽不了对生命的爱。 当灾难来临时，我们不能逃避，我们能做的只有用坚强和微笑去向世人证明，我们是坚强的，任何困难都不能使我们失去生的希望。 大爱无私 他们只是世界中普普通通的一员，然而，在巨大的打击面前，他们却选择了以坚强和微笑去面对这个充满爱心的世界。 地震天不塌，大灾有大爱。在川工作的湘籍老师谭千秋在生命最后一刻，他毅然地张开双臂，护住自己的四个学生，把死亡留给了自己。彭州女警察蒋敏，在灾难中失去了母亲姥姥和2岁的女儿，蒋敏悲痛欲绝，然而，灾情严重，警力极端紧张，她留在岗位上三天三夜直至晕倒…… 感恩的心 他们还只是一群弱小的天使，羽翼还没有丰满。当灭顶灾难降临，大地被悲伤覆盖，他们却用坚强和微笑，震撼我们。 在地震发生十余小时后，一位满脸是血的北川男孩从废墟中被救出。就在武警官兵准备把他转移到安全地带时，他艰难地举起还能动弹的右手，虚弱而又标准地敬了一个少先队队礼。担架上的小男孩不忘向援救他的官兵叔叔敬礼感恩的举动，让无数的人深受感动…… 爱的力量 父母之爱莫过于是世界上最大的爱，是他们心中的那份亲情支撑着他们，让他们在灾难来临时心系儿女。 北川，2008年5月14日，在父母身下与死神抗争四十多小时后，三岁的小女孩宋欣宜终于获救，救援人员喂她喝牛奶。她的父母在活着的时候，以脆弱的身躯拼死保护着她，直到双双逝去，还保持着那种姿势。父母的爱感动了上天，让孩子得救了，小欣宜父母的在天之灵可以安慰了！ 师爱的光辉 教师是最光辉的职业，也是最平凡的职业。 汤鸿今年20多岁，是名年轻漂亮的舞蹈老师。地震发生时，她正在为学生排练迎“六一”儿童节的舞蹈节目。发现险情后，她把学生推向墙角，把她们抱在自己怀中，垮塌的楼房倒在她的身上……她的尸体被找到时，她俯身趴在那面墙的角落里。她的怀里，3个女孩活了下来。 废墟中，她的身体断成两截，脸部血肉模糊。她的双手仍紧紧拥着两个学生！人们怎么掰，也无法掰开她紧紧搂住学生的双手！地震发生时，她正在疏散学生离开教室。看到有两个学生手足无措，她大步跑过去，一手搂住一个，朝门外冲。教学楼突然垮塌，她和几名学生被埋在废墟中。这位老师叫向倩，去年大学毕业，到什邡龙居小学当英语老师。向倩的父亲向忠海是什邡南泉小学副校长，他悲痛欲绝：“我可以理解，作为教师，应该这样！应该这样！” 爱的传递 抢救人员发现她的时候，她已经死了，是被垮塌下来的房子压死的，透过那一堆废墟的的间隙可以看到她死亡的姿势，双膝跪着，整个上身向前匍匐着，双手扶着地支撑着身体，有些象古人行跪拜礼，只是身体被压的变形了，看上去有些诡异。救援人员从废墟的空隙伸手进去确认了她已经死亡，又在冲着废墟喊了几声，用撬棍在在砖头上敲了几下，里面没有任何回应。当人群走到下一个建筑物的时候，救援队长忽然往回跑，边跑变喊“快过来”。他又来到她的尸体前，费力的把手伸进女人的身子底下摸索，他摸了几下高声的喊“有人，有个孩子，还活着”。经过一番努力，人们小心的把挡着她的废墟清理开，在她的身体下面躺着她的孩子，包在一个红色带黄花的小被子里，大概有3、4个月大，因为母亲身体庇护着，他毫发未伤，抱出来的时候，他还安静的睡着，他熟睡的脸让所有在场的人感到很温暖。随行的医生过来解开被子准备做些检查，发现有一部手机塞在被子里，医生下意识的看了下手机屏幕，发现屏幕上是一条已经写好的短信“亲爱的宝贝，如果你能活着，一定要记住我爱你”，看惯了生离死别的医生却在这一刻落泪了，手机传递着，每个看到短信的人都落泪了。 失去亲人的这种痛，谁能去承受，但我们必须去面对：一双双悲伤而呆滞的目光，一双双伸出的无助的双手……去忘掉昨天的阴影，昨天的黑暗，昨天的惊恐，去忘掉昨天的悲泣，昨天的痛苦和心灵的创伤，阳光总会把阴影照亮，黎明总会把黑暗吞没，平安总会把惊恐忘记团聚总会把悲泣消除，健康总会把痛苦驱散，无数的爱心总会把你心灵的创伤抚平。 白云朵朵，不见了娇艳的鲜花朵朵，追思声声，不见了亲人的笑语声声，哭喊阵阵，消散了往日的春风阵阵，泪水盈盈，憔悴了人间的真爱盈盈。 逝者已经逝去，生者继续抗争，世间这一遭，我们走得太匆匆，以生命的名义，呼唤生命，以寰宇的深情，珍爱生命…
the impact of Beijing Olympic Games
“同一个世界、同一个梦想”集中体现了2008年北京举办奥林匹克精神的实质和普遍价值观——团结、友谊、进步、和谐、参与和梦想，表达了全世界在奥林匹克精神的感召下，追求人类美好未来的共同愿望。
这个主题口号深刻反映了北京奥运会的核心理念，体现了作为“绿色奥运、科技奥运、人文奥运”三大理念的核心和灵魂的人文奥运所蕴含的和谐的价值观。建设和谐社会、实现和谐发展是我们的梦想和追求。“天人合一”、“和为贵”是中国人民自古以来对人与自然，人与人和谐关系的理想与追求。和平进步、和谐发展、和睦相处、合作共赢、和美生活是全世界的共同理想。
这个主题口号文简意深，既是中国的，也是世界的。主题口号表达了北京人民和中国人民与世界各国人民共有美好家园，同享文明成果，携手共创未来的崇高理想；表达了一个拥有五千年文明，正在大步走向现代化的伟大民族致力于和平发展、社会和谐、人民幸福的坚定信念；表达了13亿中国人民为建立一个和平而更美好的世界做出贡献的心声。
Concentrated body in" Oneworld、One dream" now Peking hold the substance and widespread values of the Olympic spirit in 2008- solidify, comity, progress, harmonize, participate and dream of, express the whole world under the inspiration of the Olympic spirit, pursue the mankind's fine and future common wishes.
This topic slogan was deep to reflect the core principle of the Olympic game of Peking, body now harmonious value that the core of the conduct and actions" green Olympics, science and technology Olympics, the humanities Olympics" three greatest principles and the humanities Olympics of the souls contain.Construction harmonious society, realization harmonious the development is our dream and pursue." The nature and man unite as one"," and is expensive" is Chinese people from time immemorial to person and nature, friendly relation ideal of person and persons with pursue.Peaceful progress, harmonious development, gets along with, cooperation win totally, and beautiful the life is common ideal of the whole world.
This topic slogan text JIAN3 YI4 is deep, since is Chinese, is also a world of.The topic slogan expressed the people of Peking and Chinese people and international community the people have the fine home totally, enjoying the civilization result together, holding hands to create future lofty ideal together;Express an owns 5,000 years, civilization, just the great race modernize in an alignment concentrate on peaceful development, society harmonious, firm conviction of happy people;Expressed 1,300,000,000 Chinese people for build up a peaceful but more fine world to do a true feelings of contribution.
Every time the weekend comes, I told myself:"To get up as early as possible." But every time,I can not get up until 12 o’clock. Each time,I would find an excuse for the reason why I get up late, for example: I want get up early,but yesterday,I got to bed late because I watched a film.
This just an example,what I want to say is: haw many times we are going to do a good thing,and we say to ourself:’but’,so we give up.many times,the excuse we find is not smart,but we still give up because of laze or other reasons.It is this nasty little word that allows us to lie to ourselves and to severly limit ourselves without even knowing it. Such acts hinder the progress of our own opportunities, hinder the opportunity to help others, hinder the opportunities we learn from each other,and sometimes is also hinder the development of our company.for example: It is time to get off duty when a customer visits, We are concerned that we may not keep up with the end of the shuttle , so we say: I would like to help you, but the computer system does not work, you can come back tomorrow, ok? We always thought such a thing is the small things, but it has hindered our progress.
So ,what we should do? We have to overcome our lazy or concerns, when we encounter things, do not look for an excuse. We should be put our hearts in our work, then there will be pay off. As long as we persevere, that we will achieve an unexpected harvest.
三选一哦
☆╭┐┌╮☆°．·
╭┘└┘└╮∴°☆°
└┐．．┌┘ ———╮∴°
╭┴——┤HAPPY ├╮
│o o│牛YEAR │●°
╰┬——╯ │ ∴°
Why Go to College? (student live in U.S.)
With all of the talk that a student must hear about getting ready for college, some students may raise the pertinent question, 'Why go to college in the first place?' It is a very important question that has different answers for different people. The three main reasons for attending college are increased pay, higher education, and the college experience. Some students will go to college for one, two, or all of these reasons. It really depends on the individual.
First is higher pay. Studies have shown that a person with a college degree will make about 80 percent more than a person with just a high school degree. That is almost twice as much. For example, the average high school graduate without any college education makes around $37,000. The average college graduate makes around $66,000. Of course, this is just the average. Some graduates will make less, and others will make much more. There is no guarantee that a college graduate will obtain a high-paying job. On the other hand, nothing says that a person with only a high school degree cannot make a very good living and be satisfied with his or her career. Odds are, however, if you want to make more money at your future job, going to college is the practical choice.
The next reason is the reason that most students will go to college. This reason is to attend a place of higher learning. For students wanting to further their education, college is the next logical step. Many students will have a certain career in mind, and they need to go to school to get the education they need for that career. Other students do not know what they want to do with their life, but they are pretty sure they will find the answer in college. Taking a variety of classes at the college level can help a person decide on an avenue that they want to pursue.
Finally, there is the college experience. The college experience is a unique one that allows the individual to grow as a person. You are placed into a world that is much bigger than one you have previously experienced. You meet new people from various backgrounds and learn more about yourself as well. College is a place that you can redefine yourself. You have a chance to pursue your own interests and learn about the interests of others.
These are just a few of the reasons that students choose to go to college. There are many others. The point is that attending college will open many doors for you. It is up to you to decide if the process is worth the effort. In most cases, it will be.
为什么要上大学？ (美国生活的学子)
随着会谈的所有学生必须获得上大学听到的准备，有些学生可能提出的有关问题：'为什么要摆在首位上大学吗？'这是一个非常重要的问题，为不同的人有不同的答案。上大学的三个主要原因是增加工资，高等教育和大学的经验。有些学生上大学一，二，或所有这些原因。这真的取决于个人。
首先是较高的工资。研究表明，具有大学学位的人将只有高中程度超过百分之八十左右的人更多。这几乎是两倍。举例来说，一般没有任何学院教育的高中毕业生，使约37,000元。使大学毕业生的平均约66,000元。当然，这只是平均水平。有些毕业生会少，和其他人将作更多的工作。没有保证大学毕业生将获得高薪的工作。另一方面，没有什么说，一个只有高中学位无法做出很好的生活和与他或她的职业生涯感到满意的人。赔率不过，如果你想在你未来的工作更多的钱，上大学是现实的选择。
下一个原因是因为大多数学生上大学。这个理由是参加高等教育学习的地方。对于希望继续进修的学生，大学是下一个合乎逻辑的步骤。许多学生心目中有一定的事业，他们需要去学校接受教育，他们对这个职业的需要。其他的学生不知道他们想与他们的生活，但他们很清楚，他们会发现在大学的答案。以在大学一级的各种类可以帮助一个人决定了一个渠道，他们要追求的目标。
最后，还有一个学院的经验。该学院是一个很特别的经验，允许个人成长为一个人。你是放入的世界远远大于一个你以前的经验。你遇到新的人来自不同背景和学习更多关于你自己的好。大学是一个地方，你可以重新定义自己。你有机会去追求自己的利益和了解他人的利益。
这些只是其中的原因，学生选择去上大学，等等。还有许多其他问题。问题是，上大学会为你打开许多大门。它是由你来决定，如果过程是值得的。在大多数情况下，它会是怎样。
The term "religion" refers to both the personal practices related to communal faith and to group rituals and communication stemming from shared conviction. "Religion" is sometimes used interchangeably with "faith" or "belief system,"[2] but it is more socially defined than personal convictions, and it entails specific behaviors, respectively.
In the frame of western religious thought,[3] religions present a common quality, the "hallmark of patriarchal religious thought": the division of the world in two comprehensive domains, one sacred, the other profane.[4] According to the futurist Raymond Kurzweil, "The primary role of traditional religion is deathist rationalization—that is, rationalizing the tragedy of death as a good thing."[5] Religion is often described as a communal system for the coherence of belief focusing on a system of thought, unseen being, person, or object, that is considered to be supernatural, sacred, divine, or of the highest truth. Moral codes, practices, values, institutions, tradition, rituals, and scriptures are often traditionally associated with the core belief, and these may have some overlap with concepts in secular philosophy. Religion is also often described as a "way of life" or a life stance
Religion and the body politic
A good understanding of the meaning of Christianity before the word "religion" came into common usage can be found in St. Augustine's writing. For Augustine, Christianity was a disciplina, a "rule" just like that of the Roman Empire. Christianity was therefore a power structure opposing and superseding human institutions, a literal Kingdom of Heaven. Rather than calling one to self-discipline through symbols, it was itself the discipline taught by one's family, school, church, and city authorities.[11] However at this point the root of the English word "religion", the Latin religio, was in use only to mean "reverence for God or the gods, careful pondering of divine things, piety" (which Cicero further derived to mean "diligence"[12]); in other words, there was no sense of a "system" nor even of the Christian power structure but only of spirituality.[13] Max Müller characterized many other cultures around the world, including Egypt, Persia, and India, as having a similar power structure at this point in history. What we would call religion today, they would only call "law".[14]
As Christianity became commonplace, the charismatic authority identified by Augustine, a quality we might today call "religiousness", had a commanding influence at the local level. This system persisted in the Byzantine Empire following the East-West Schism, while Western Europe regulated unpredictable expressions of charisma through the Roman Catholic Church. However, as the Church lost its dominance during the Protestant Reformation and Christianity became closely tied to political structures, religion was recast as the basis of national sovereignty, and religious identity gradually became a less universal sense of spirituality and more divisive, locally defined, and tied to nationality.[15] It was at this point that "religion" was dissociated with universal beliefs and moved closer to dogma in both meaning and practice. However there was not yet the idea of dogma as personal choice, only of established churches.
Religious freedom
In the Age of Enlightenment, the idea of Christianity as the purest expression of spirituality was supplanted by the concept of "religion" as a worldwide practice.[16] This caused such ideas as religious freedom, a reexamination of classical philosophy as an alternative to Christian thought, and more radically Deism among intellectuals such as Voltaire. Much like Christianity, the idea of "religious freedom" was exported around the world as a civilizing technique, even to regions like India that had never treated spirituality as a matter of political identity.[17] In Japan, where Buddhism was still seen as a philosophy of natural law,[18] the concept of "religion" and "religious freedom" as separate from other power structures was unnecessary until Christian missionaries demanded free access to conversion, and when Japanese Christians refused to engage in patriotic events.[19]
With the Enlightenment religion lost its attachment to nationality, but rather than being a universal social attitude, it was now a personal feeling, or emotion.[20] Friedrich Schleiermacher in the late 18th century defined religion as das schlechthinnige Abhängigkeitsgefühl, commonly translated as "a feeling of absolute dependence".[21] His contemporary Hegel disagreed thoroughly, defining religion as "the Divine Spirit becoming conscious of Himself through the finite spirit."[22] William James is an especially notable 19th century subscriber to the theory of religion as feeling.
Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism are one, a painting in the litang style portraying three men laughing by a river stream, 12th century, Song DynastyModern currents in religion
Religious studies
With the recognition of religion as a category separate from culture and society came the rise of religious studies. Clifford Geertz's definition of religion as a "cultural system" was dominant for most of the 20th century and continues to be widely accepted today.
Sociologists and anthropologists tend to see religion as an abstract set of ideas, values, or experiences developed as part of a cultural matrix. For example, in Lindbeck's Nature of Doctrine, religion does not refer to belief in "God" or a transcendent Absolute. Instead, Lindbeck defines religion as, "a kind of cultural and/or linguistic framework or medium that shapes the entirety of life and thought… it is similar to an idiom that makes possible the description of realities, the formulation of beliefs, and the experiencing of inner attitudes, feelings, and sentiments.”[23] According to this definition, religion refers to one's primary worldview and how this dictates one's thoughts and actions. Thus religion is considered by some sources to extend to causes, principles, or activities believed in with zeal or conscientious devotion concerning points or matters of ethics or conscience, and not necessarily including belief in the supernatural.[24]
Although evolutionists had previously sought to understand and explain religion in terms of a cultural attribute which might conceivably confer biological advantages to its adherents, Richard Dawkins called for a re-analysis of religion in terms of the evolution of self-replicating ideas apart from any resulting biological advantages they might bestow. He argued that the role of key replicator in cultural evolution belongs not to genes, but to memes replicating thought from person to person by means of imitation. These replicators respond to selective pressures that may or may not affect biological reproduction or survival.[25] Susan Blackmore regards religions as particularly tenacious memes.[26] Chris Hedges, however, regards meme theory as a misleading imposition of genetics onto psychology.
Interfaith cooperation
Because religion continues to be recognized in Western thought as a universal impulse, many religious practitioners have aimed to band together in interfaith dialogue and cooperation. The first major dialogue was the Parliament of the World's Religions at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, which remains notable even today both in affirming "universal values" and recognition of the diversity of practices among different cultures. The 20th century has been especially fruitful in use of interfaith dialogue as a means of solving ethnic, political, or even religious conflict, with Christian-Jewish reconciliation representing a complete reverse in the attitudes of many Christian communities towards Jews.
Secularism and criticism of religion
Main articles: Criticism of religion, Antireligion, Secularism, Agnosticism, and Atheism
As religion became a more personal matter, discussions of society found a new focus on political and scientific meaning, and religious attitudes were increasingly seen as irrelevant for the needs of the European world. On the political side, Ludwig Feuerbach recast Christian beliefs in light of humanism, paving the way for Karl Marx's famous characterization of religion as "the opiate of the masses". Meanwhile, in the scientific community, T.H. Huxley in 1869 coined the term "agnostic," a term subsequently adopted by such figures as Robert Ingersoll. Later, Bertrand Russell told the world Why I Am Not a Christian.
Atheists have developed a critique of religious systems as well as personal faith. Modern-day critics focus on religion's lack of utility in human society, faulting religion as being irrational.[27] Some assert that dogmatic religions are in effect morally deficient, elevating to moral status ancient, arbitrary, and ill-informed rules—taboos on eating pork, for example, as well as dress codes and sexual practices[28]—possibly designed for reasons of hygiene or even mere politics in a bygone era.
In North America and Western Europe the social fallout of the 9/11 attacks contributed in part to the appearance of numerous pro-secularist books, such as The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, The End of Faith by Sam Harris, and God is not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything by Christopher Hitchens. This criticism is largely, but not entirely, focused on the monotheistic Abrahamic traditions.
Religious belief
Central Asian (Tocharian) and East-Asian Buddhist monks, Bezeklik, Eastern Tarim Basin, 9th-10th centuryMain article: Religious belief
Religious belief usually relates to the existence, nature and worship of a deity or deities and divine involvement in the universe and human life. Alternately, it may also relate to values and practices transmitted by a spiritual leader. Unlike other belief systems, which may be passed on orally, religious belief tends to be codified in literate societies (religion in non-literate societies is still largely passed on orally[29]). In some religions, like the Abrahamic religions, it is held that most of the core beliefs have been divinely revealed.
Religious belief can also involve causes, principles or activities believed in with zeal or conscientious devotion concerning points or matters of ethics or conscience, not necessarily limited to organized religions
