"You can't believe in God until you believe in yourself." - Swami Vivekananda "I would rather live my life as if there were a God and die to find out that there is none, than to live as if there were none and die to find out that it exists." - Albert Camus In this essay I will explore religious experience in general and some of its variations across the world. Emphasis will be placed on types of religious beliefs and religious leaders, particularly in small-scale societies. An exploration of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, or any other major religion is beyond the scope of this essay. The approach adopted is that of cultural relativity: religious practices or beliefs are not evaluated in terms of "correctness" or "sophistication", but rather in terms of their function within the societies which possess them. is a belief system usually involving the worship of supernatural forces or beings. Religious beliefs give shape and meaning to our perception of the universe. In other words, they provide a sense of order in what might otherwise be considered a chaotic existence. Religions also help us understand and make sense of inexplicable events, such as the death of a loved one in an earthquake or any other unpredictable force of nature. For most religious people, their beliefs about the supernatural are at the very core of their worldview. Religious Rituals Performing rituals is an integral part of all religions. Rituals are stylized and usually repetitive acts that take place at a specific time and place. They almost always involve the use of symbolic objects, words, and actions. For example, going to church on Sunday is a common religious ritual for Christians around middle of paper......what is good and bad behavior. If individuals do the right things in life, they can earn the approval of the gods. If they do the wrong things, they risk suffering supernatural retaliation. For example, Islam's most sacred text, the Quran, not only provides detailed lists of specific types of crimes and appropriate earthly punishments, but it also describes how to accomplish mundane tasks such as eating types specific foods. The sacred texts of religions generally set precedents for appropriate behavior in common situations. The Judeo-Christian biblical stories of Adam and Eve, Cain and Able, Noah, Job, Moses, Solomon, and even Jesus provide examples of how virtuous people should live their lives. It doesn't matter whether the sacred stories or myths of a religion actually happened in every detail: they always illustrate correct thinking and behavior..