Religion has been around since the dawn of civilizations, and has influenced almost everything in most of recorded history. In the past it has brought order to a seemingly chaotic world, and given explanations to why things happen the way they do. Many people have religious beliefs, and this gives people a sense of hope and stability. This paper will discuss how I view religion, and relate my beliefs with the concepts presented in class. I will also focus on my perspectives of Islam, and what I learned about this specific religion. 
One of the functions of religion is to explain how the universe came to be. Many religious people reject science because of how it explains the origins of everything. I think that mindset of rigid, and that both stories can co-exist in each other. The bible, for instance, says everything was created in six days by god, but that does not mean six earth days. A day for a god could be a billion earth years for all people know. Why would people need to relate the creation of the universe to earth time, since it is full of many other things? It baffles me that people don’t consider this argument, and that people are so strict with their interpretations of the bible.
I think it is interesting that most people do not believe in magic in the industrial nations. In the past everyone believed in sorcery and witchcraft, in a time where almost nothing was known of science. I feel that with the emergence of science people could explain the world finally, and disprove that magic was real. I think that when people could start to disprove magic, the events or happenings of magic grew less and less.  Now things that “happened” in the past suddenly stopped happening altogether in the last hundred or so years. This is very interesting to me, and I don’t think this sort of thing is a coincidence.
Though I do not follow any organized religion I do believe in animism, or spiritual non-physical beings. I think there is more to people then a physical body, and that people do not ever cease to exist. I hope that mana is also true, and that at least animals have souls too. Whether or not plants, landforms or water bodies have souls does not really interest me very much. The thought that I may see people and animals that were close to me is comforting, and something that gives me hope.
Like everyone I do not know what happens after death, but I am open to think there are many possibilities. I am not limited to thinking the only possibility is heaven and hell, and think reincarnation or a combination of these and other things could also be true. I do not think any ritual or prayer will give me a better future or afterlife though, like many people believe. I think what matters is how good someone tries to be, and this means being honest, helping others, and being open and excepting of people different from one’s self.  I do not believe that a greater being or god talks to some people, and I fully reject the idea of divination. I think no one can guarantee anyone good fortune or a good place in the afterlife, and that it is up to the individual people to guarantee what happens to them.   
