What is the meaning of religion?

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Well, the title is somewhat self-explanatory. And I may conflate meaning, purpose, and other terms like that together in this kind of discussion.

But anyway, just give what you think. More explanations are, of course, more better.

I will pick some of the options on the meaning of religion, and I believe selecting those options can be valid somehow for both perspectives of religion, wether they are seem as providing the truth or not.

Different things to different people, and depending on what religion you're talking about. So "religion is not a unified phenomena blah blah blah."

Before civilization, religion was an attempt to explain the unknown, a comfort against one's own mortality, and sometimes absolvent of responsibility because "it is all in god's hands".

After civilization, religion was means of controlling the populace, a comfort against one's own mortality, and sometimes absolvent of responsibility because "it is all in god's hands".

Meaning is one of those vague terms that leads to interminable and useless arguments. Perhaps the question should be: What function does religion perform. That should reveal more concrete answers and fits easily the list of options.

Control of the people. Centralization of power.

/no matter what denomination, presidents always bow to popes.

Hey, I actually voted with the (to date) majority on this one! "Not a unified phenominon."

Faith is one thing; religion another. Religion is more like a faith family, or cultural tradition, and, thus, the purpose varies just as social beliefs and governments do.

Religion and spirituality, as subject matter, deal with conjecture about the absolute. One might think the ostensible purpose/meaning of religion were to humble humanity in recognition of 'something' more powerful than humans, 'something' in control of the universe. So the encouragement of humility could be one meaning of religion/spirituality.

Certain religions are better than others in promoting a greater degree of compassion, and a lesser degree of selfishness. One might say the purpose of Buddhism, for example, is to encourage compassion.

The meaning of some religions seems to be encouragement of faith, and what faith is exactly, I do not know. Faith is apparently a source of great strength to the believer. So the meaning of religion may also be to give strength through faith.

Also, religion can be a tool of social control, or perpetuation of the status quo. It can be used to dumb down the population and discourage scientific inquiry, as well as independent investigation into spiritual matters.

Religion is obviously a great comfort to many believers. So comforting the masses is also a purpose of religion.

The encouragement of humility, compassion, faith/strength, status quo, and comfort are perhaps some of the more obvious purposes of religion. But of all these, I think the encouragement and development of compassion is the most significant meaning of religion/spirituality.

The meaning of religion is to massively brainwash and delude people into war and conflict just to piss unbelievers off.

sarcasm/:

Religion is a not totally rational way of dealing with the imponderables of life and the inevitability of our death. We are among the few mammals who know at an early age that we are doomed and we have to deal with that unpleasantness somehow. Religion is one way. Philosophy another. The Stoics managed to deal with life and death without resorting to a religion.

ruveyn

From 'Some Answered Questions' by Abdul Baha ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%60Abdu%27l-Bah%C3%A1 )

When we consider existence, we see that the mineral, vegetable, animal and human worlds are all in need of an educator.
If the earth is not cultivated, it becomes a jungle where useless weeds grow; but if a cultivator comes and tills the ground, it produces crops which nourish living creatures. It is evident, therefore, that the soil needs the cultivation of the farmer. Consider the trees: if they remain without a cultivator, they will be fruitless, and without fruit they are useless; but if they receive the care of a gardener, these same barren trees become fruitful, and through cultivation, fertilization and engrafting the trees which had bitter fruits yield sweet fruits. These are rational proofs; in this age the peoples of the world need the arguments of reason.
The same is true with respect to animals: notice that when the animal is trained it becomes domestic, and also that man, if he is left without education, becomes bestial, and, moreover, if left under the rule of nature, becomes lower than an animal, whereas if he is educated he becomes an angel. For the greater number of animals do not devour their own kind, but men, in the Sudan, in the central regions of Africa, kill and eat each other.
Now reflect that it is education that brings the East and the West under the authority of man; it is education that produces wonderful industries; it is education that spreads great sciences and arts; it is education that makes manifest new discoveries and institutions. If there were no educator, there would be no such things as comforts, civilization or humanity. If a man be left alone in a wilderness where he sees none of his own kind, he will undoubtedly become a mere brute; it is then clear that an educator is needed.
But education is of three kinds: material, human and spiritual. Material education is concerned with the progress and development of the body, through gaining its sustenance, its material comfort and ease. This education is common to animals and man.
Human education signifies civilization and progress—that is to say, government, administration, charitable works, trades, arts and handicrafts, sciences, great inventions and discoveries and elaborate institutions, which are the activities essential to man as distinguished from the animal.
Divine education is that of the Kingdom of God: it consists in acquiring divine perfections, and this is true education; for in this state man becomes the focus of divine blessings, the manifestation of the words, “Let Us make man in Our image, and after Our likeness.” This is the goal of the world of humanity.
Now we need an educator who will be at the same time a material, human and spiritual educator, and whose authority will be effective in all conditions. So if anyone should say, “I possess perfect comprehension and intelligence, and I have no need of such an educator,” he would be denying that which is clear and evident, as though a child should say, “I have no need of education; I will act according to my reason and intelligence, and so I shall attain the perfections of existence”; or as though the blind should say, “I am in no need of sight, because many other blind people exist without difficulty.”
Then it is plain and evident that man needs an educator, and this educator must be unquestionably and indubitably perfect in all respects and distinguished above all men. Otherwise, if he should be like the rest of humanity, he could not be their educator, more particularly because he must be at the same time their material and human as well as their spiritual educator—that is to say, he must teach men to organize and carry out physical matters, and to form a social order in order to establish cooperation and mutual aid in living so that material affairs may be organized and regulated for any circumstances that may occur. In the same way he must establish human education—that is to say, he must educate intelligence and thought in such a way that they may attain complete development, so that knowledge and science may increase, and the reality of things, the mysteries of beings and the properties of existence may be discovered; that, day by day, instructions, inventions and institutions may be improved; and from things perceptible to the senses conclusions as to intellectual things may be deduced.
He must also impart spiritual education, so that intelligence and comprehension may penetrate the metaphysical world, and may receive benefit from the sanctifying breeze of the Holy Spirit, and may enter into relationship with the Supreme Concourse. He must so educate the human reality that it may become the center of the divine appearance, to such a degree that the attributes and the names of God shall be resplendent in the mirror of the reality of man, and the holy verse “We will make man in Our image and likeness” shall be realized.
It is clear that human power is not able to fill such a great office, and that reason alone could not undertake the responsibility of so great a mission. How can one solitary person without help and without support lay the foundations of such a noble construction? He must depend on the help of the spiritual and divine power to be able to undertake this mission. One Holy Soul gives life to the world of humanity, changes the aspect of the terrestrial globe, causes intelligence to progress, vivifies souls, lays the basis of a new life, establishes new foundations, organizes the world, brings nations and religions under the shadow of one standard, delivers man from the world of imperfections and vices, and inspires him with the desire and need of natural and acquired perfections. Certainly nothing short of a divine power could accomplish so great a work. We ought to consider this with justice, for this is the office of justice.
A Cause which all the governments and peoples of the world, with all their powers and armies, cannot promulgate and spread, one Holy Soul can promote without help or support! Can this be done by human power? No, in the name of God! For example, Christ, alone and solitary, upraised the standard of peace and righteousness, a work which all the victorious governments with all their hosts are unable to accomplish. Consider what was the fate of so many and diverse empires and peoples: the Roman Empire, France, Germany, Russia, England, etc.; all were gathered together under the same tent—that is to say, the appearance of Christ brought about a union among these diverse nations, some of whom, under the influence of Christianity, became so united that they sacrificed their lives and property for one another. After the time of Constantine, who was the protagonist of Christianity, divisions broke out among them. The point is this, that Christ united these nations but after a while governments became the cause of discord. What I mean is that Christ sustained a Cause that all the kings of the earth could not establish! He united the various religions and modified ancient customs. Consider what great differences existed between Romans, Greeks, Syrians, Egyptians, Phoenicians, Israelites and other peoples of Europe. Christ removed these differences and became the cause of love between these communities. Although after some time governments destroyed this union, the work of Christ was accomplished.
Therefore, the Universal Educator must be at the same time a physical, human and spiritual educator; and He must possess a supernatural power, so that He may hold the position of a divine teacher. If He does not show forth such a holy power, He will not be able to educate, for if He be imperfect, how can He give a perfect education? If He be ignorant, how can He make others wise? If He be unjust, how can He make others just? If He be earthly, how can He make others heavenly?
Now we must consider justly: did these Divine Manifestations Who have appeared possess all these qualifications or not? If They had not these qualifications and these perfections, They were not real Educators.
Therefore, it must be our task to prove to the thoughtful by reasonable arguments the prophethood of Moses, of Christ and of the other Divine Manifestations. And the proofs and evidences which we give are not based on traditional but on rational arguments.
It has now been proved by rational arguments that the world of existence is in the utmost need of an educator, and that its education must be achieved by divine power. There is no doubt that this holy power is revelation, and that the world must be educated through this power which is above human power.