World Religion Day: Celebrating Unity in Faith

Hello, global citizens! Religion is arguably the most powerful social construct in human history - more influential than politics, money, and nationality. 🌏 World Religion Day is celebrated 3rd Sunday of every January – no surprise really, since Christians make up 31% of world population.

Origin. Once upon a time, our ancestors evolved the ability to imagine and think abstractly. And voila, spirits were everywhere! As societies grew larger and more complex, animism developed into organized religion - with rituals, gods, temples, and priests. Religion provided a shared set of stories, values, and myths – allowing large numbers of people to work together and build complex social networks. Religion was also used to justify the rule of kings, becoming a support system for another social construct - politics.

Fun Facts:

·       You can be very religious without a God or deity – just ask the 535 million Buddhists

·       Humans have worshipped more than 1,000 gods – more options than my ice-cream parlor

·       There are Theists (God Squad), Atheists (Nope Squad), and Apatheists (Shrug Squad) - those who do not care whether deities exist or not. Which team are you on?

Importance. Throughout history, more people have been killed in the name of religion than by natural disasters – 50 to 100 million deaths. With 85% of people practicing religion, tread faithfully in your neighborhood. Most of your neighbors believe your type of faith, or lack of it, can be used to significantly impact your social dynamics!

That is why World Religion Day is so important. It’s a time to emphasize tolerance, peace, and unity. This day highlights how spirituality should be used to connect humanity for good - as a source of strength and inspiration.

Source: Pew Research on Religion & Public Life

Submitted by: George Chege

Date: December 9th, 2024