Entry Fifteen

Religious belief is a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny. Such a state may relate to the existence, characteristics and worship of a deity or deities, divine intervention in the universe and human life, or values and practices centered on the teachings of a spiritual leader. In contrast to other belief systems, religious beliefs are usually codified. While the term religious belief is often considered to have the same meaning as religion, the latter term usually deals with both ideas and religious behavior. Religious belief can be seen as a focus exclusively on ideas. Adherents of particular religions deal with the differing doctrines and practices espoused by other religions in a variety ways. All strains of thought appear in different segments of all major world religions. People with exclusivist beliefs typically explain other religions as either in error, or as corruptions or counterfeits of the true faith. People with inclusivist beliefs recognize some truth in all faith systems, highlighting agreements and minimizing differences, but see their own faith as in some way ultimate.