Sixth Grade
Worksheets
What Is Religion?
People love to wonder. Can you remember how many questions you asked your parents when you were small? We wonder about the dark crevasses in the ocean floor, the nature of black holes, and what happens to us when we die. The seven billion people of Earth lead very different lives, but they are united in their ability to wonder. One thing many people have wondered about is the meaning of life.
People of all faiths believe that their religion ties them to a higher power. Some feel that religion ties them to a sense of community through shared values. Religion has also tied art, culture, and societies together for thousands of years. Magnificent buildings, beautiful works of art, and stirring books have been inspired by religious faith.
Religion helps people figure out the meaning of life and the mystery of death. Some faiths believe we only live once, while others, like Hinduism and Buddhism, believe that we reincarnate many times to fulfill our purpose. Long before any scribes scribbled on papyrus, religion has been important to men, whether they called it "religion" or not.
Many include Hinduism on the list of oldest religions, some calling it the oldest; however, it is very difficult to pinpoint an origin. Two of the oldest world religions are Zoroastrianism and Judaism, which began between three and four thousand years ago. Christianity grew out of Judaism, and Islam grew out of both Judaism and Christianity. Jewish teachings were being written down by scholars in the Middle East around the same time as priests in India were writing down the basic ideas of Hinduism. Buddhism and Taoism developed in China about 2,500 years ago. Within these major religions, there are smaller divisions. For example, within Christianity, there are tens of thousands of different denominations! There are also other religions that have fewer followers, such as Sikhism, Shintoism, and Jainism.
