Every year on the third Sunday of January, at the initiative of the UN, the world celebrates World Religion Day. This holiday dates back to 1950, when the national governing body of the Bahá'í Faith in the United States established it with the aim of proclaiming the single essence of all world religions and demonstrating that religion – is, first of all, a force for uniting peace, not discord.
After all, in many ways the history of human culture and civilization – is the history of religions. And a sense of common faith, as history shows, is one of the leading factors uniting people. Therefore, the main idea underlying today's holiday, which is currently widespread in the world, – « Religion should serve as a reason for unity». Which gives a good reason to once again draw attention to the role of religion in the modern world.
Many different religious traditions and beliefs are known in human history. Among them, the three most common religions – Christianity, Islam, Judaism stand out, having numerous followers in different regions of the world. Another fairly large part of the population professes Buddhism, Hinduism and Zoroastrianism. Although almost all religions have a centuries-old history, there are also a number of not fully studied religious movements –, for example, small tribes and peoples living far from civilizations, as well as a number of modern neoplasms.
The future of humanity largely depends on the values and structure of society, which are not least influenced by religious traditions, which not only speak of a certain set of ethical standards, but also firmly enter the daily life of peoples, influencing both the behavior of people and on the development of the entire community.
It is worth noting that different countries have different relations between religion – state. For example, in Europe the most secular nature of public life dominates; in Russia, religious denominations are regulated by the principle of separation of state and church. Russia, according to the constitution, is a secular state that is separated from religion, and no religion can be established as state or compulsory. All faiths are equal before the law, and religion is a personal matter for everyone. This situation in modern Russia ensures freedom of religion.
Of course, religions differ from each other in many ways, but at the same time they are very close in their views on the main universal values.
But we must not forget that there are also prohibited religious organizations and associations whose activities are terrorist and extremist in nature. It is alarming that for some people any religion becomes the main enemy with which they must fight hard.
Therefore, today, on World Religion Day, various events – concerts, round tables, seminars, exhibitions, etc. are held in different countries, dedicated to the problems of establishing peace and developing tolerance throughout the world, strengthening mutual understanding between followers of all religions. They are held, as a rule, with the participation of representatives of religious communities of all faiths.
The world of religions is rightfully considered the property of humanity and deserves the closest attention, study and protection. Tolerance in the spiritual sphere is a good basis for preserving civil peace in the present and future. Therefore, the main task today is – to resist various abuses of religion, especially its involvement in extremist movements, but at the same time to create all the conditions for the manifestation of its creative potential in all spheres of human life. This is the future.