A belief in God or other supernatural powers. Religious people often have rituals and practices that help them express their values, emotions, and beliefs. They may have a special place to worship, sacred texts, and a group of leaders or priests. They also often have codes of behavior, morals, and ethics that they believe should guide them. Many scientists, including psychologists and neuroscientists, think that religion fulfills emotional and psychological needs in humans. For example, people who practice religion often feel calm and secure. They also tend to have more friends and family ties than those who do not. Researchers have found that religion can reduce anxiety, stress and depression, improve learning and health, help people control their behaviors, and help them get along with others.
Some people argue that religion should be defined only as a set of culturally specific beliefs and behaviors and not as a specific phenomenon. This approach, called polythetic, rejects substantive definitions of religion such as those that include belief in disembodied spirits and cosmological orders. It is also opposed to definitions of religion that focus on how it functions or as something inevitable in human culture.
Polytheticists are criticized by those who say that the term “religion” is used to refer to a particular cultural genus, and that it is therefore wrong to apply the word to phenomena such as capitalism or science. However, there is a broad consensus that regular religious practice is beneficial to individuals and society. It contributes to the health and well-being of families, communities, states and nations. It reduces the incidence of social pathologies such as out-of-wedlock births, drug and alcohol abuse, crime and delinquency, and health problems. It also improves morality, self-control, self-esteem, and empathy.