In Sociology, when we study religion we primarily examine religion as an institution in society, albeit an important and interactive institution. In our society, whether we define ourselves as a religious adherent or not (adherent is the sociological term for belonging to), because religion is such a powerful institution, it affects all of us. If we look globally, the strength of religious identity shapes much of the conflict that happens in the world. And while this may seem ironic, disagreement over religious belief has been at the center of conflict for centuries.

Now to your assignment. First, let me stress that there is no expectation that anyone be or not be an adherent of any tradition.

In your content folder for this week are a number of articles that describe religious traditions and research on religious observance.  For this discussion forum, read (as well as your related text) at least 2 articles and discuss what you learned from those articles.

In your discussion, be certain to include the following (labeled 1, 2, and 3):

1)  Did the articles dispel any myths you might have had about religious traditions or secular humanism?

2)  Were you able to find commonalities among the groups described in the articles?

3)  And since this chapter also discusses families, how did your family shape your experiences and decisions related to religious group adherence or not?