Chain of Definitions
A. Religion: "The belief in and worship of a god or gods, or any such system of belief and worship"/ Faith: "A particular religion, or belief in God": Cambridge Dictionaries Online
B. Religion: Edward Burnett Tylor defined religion as "the belief in spiritual beings"/ Faith: "It is belief that is not based on proof. It can also be defined as confidence or trust in a person, thing, deity, view, or in the doctrines or teachings of a religion, as well as confidence based on some degree of warrant": Wikipedia
C. Religion: "The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods"/ Faith: "Strong belief in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual conviction rather than proof": Oxford University
D. Religion: "Human beings’ relation to that which they regard as holy, sacred, absolute, spiritual, divine, or worthy of especial reverence. It is also commonly regarded as consisting of the way people deal with ultimate concerns about their lives and their fate after death" / Faith: "Inner attitude, conviction, or trust relating human beings to a supreme God or ultimate salvation": Encyclopædia Britannica
2. Chain of Quotes
A. "Religion is excellent stuff for keeping common people quiet": Napoleon Bonaparte
B. "This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness": Dalai Lama
C. "Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe": Voltaire
D. "Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies": Mother Teresa
E. "Man is a Religious Animal. Man is the only Religious Animal. He is the only animal that has the True Religion, several of them. He is the only animal that loves his neighbor as himself and cuts his throat if his theology isn't straight": Mark Twain
F. "When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That's my religion": Abraham Lincoln
G. "Religion: It's given people hope in a world torn apart by religion": Jon Stewart
Various Sources
3. Chain of Books
A. Fifty Years in Science and Religion: Ian G. Barbour and His Legacy, Edited by Robert John Russell
http://www.ctns.org/fysr.html
B. Religion and Faith Books from the Folio Society
http://www.foliosociety.com/category/9227/religion-and-faith-books
C.Religion and Faith: A Selection of Reviews from Guinness’ Books
http://www.osguinness.com/a-selection-of-reviews-from-guinness-books-on-religion-and-faith/
D. Noss, John B.; Man's Religions, 6th ed.; (1980)
http://www.amazon.com/Mans-Religions-John-B-Noss/dp/0023884304
E. Sam Harris, The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason, (2004)
http://books.google.ca/books/about/The_End_of_Faith.html?id=Lr8ytqlY9NgC
4. Chain of Songs
A. Love is my religion: Performed by Ziggy Marley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-eXYJnV3V4
B. My Religion: Performed by Krystal Harris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5lV4eZ1IWI
C. My Faith has found A Resting Place sung by Mark Miller
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAVPXScshwQ
D. About My Religion & My World: Performed by Delkash, in Persian
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKvsmDf1vg4
E. About My Religion & My World: Performed by Shakila, in Persian
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IFeDK6SZiQ
F. About Infedility and Faith: Performed by Zelands
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8EuvR8rWUc
5. Chain of Speeches
A. Religion is Bullshit: A Speech by George Carlin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r-e2NDSTuE
B. Christian Bullshit Nailed by Bill Maher
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjxOVOLKkdQ
6. Chain of Articles
A. Religion and Secularism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion#Secularism_and_irreligion
B. Some Observations on Secularism
http://iranian.com/posts/view/post/13846
C. Indo Iranian Religion
http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/indo-iranian-religion
D. Stephen Colbert on Religion and Faith
http://catholiccolbert.wordpress.com/
E. Faith and Altruism
http://iranian.com/main/blog/m-saadat-noury/some-observations-altruism.html
7. Chain of Journals
A. The Journal of Religion
http://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/journals/journal/jr.html
B. The Journal of the American Academy of Religion
http://jaar.oxfordjournals.org/
C. The Journal of Religion & Society
http://moses.creighton.edu/jrs/
D. Faith and Philosophy Journal
http://www.faithandphilosophy.com/
8. Chain of Iranian Religions
A. Religion in Iran
https://strausscenter.org/hormuz/religion-in-iran.html
B. Iranian Religions
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_religions
C. Ancient Iranian Religion
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/293595/ancient-Iranian-religion
9. Chain of Poems
A. Religion is the act of attempting to map out a path to achieving consistent spiritual goals. Unfortunately, religion has sometimes fall into the hands of some wacky people.
If someone comes to you and professes to be able to solve your problems by some religious or spiritual path, beware!
Life will always be difficult.
There is no one that can wrap you in cocoon of religion and save you from all negativity.
Religion has been used for good and evil throughout history.
Make sure you're on the right side: Anonymous Poet
http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poems/spiritual/religious
B. Some always seek the rational mind
Some will appeal to faith that’s blind
If you turn within, you’ll surely find
Both paths will lead further behind: Omar Khayyam
http://www.okonlife.com/poems/page3.htm
C. My Friend: Politics and religion, are two topics that cause division,
The two can create in our life, many arguments and much strife.
Dear friend everybody is political, affected by the governing will,
And friend religion plays a part, in each and every human heart.
The two create much consternation, in the peoples of the nation,
With fear of what life could be, affecting the lives of you and me.
They polarize the heart of men, in ways we cannot comprehend,
Creating many political forces, some of which, religion endorses...: Bob Gotti
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/politics-and-religion
D. I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith...: Elizabeth Barrett Browning
http://www.poetrysoup.com/famous/poems/best/faith
E. Why do I sit here and question why they can't be one in the same?
Why should there be one answer to life, this most difficult game?
We roll the dice and flip our coins, trying to make meaning of this board.
But what I wonder most is where my eternal soul will be stored.
Will I cease to exist? Will I float through space? Will I see a pearly gate?
Is there one path? Can destiny be escaped? I question this idea called fate.
The argument of religion vs. science is what we see vs. what we believe,
Of that I ask, is there a truth that I, a mere mortal, can conceive?
Why am I asking these things and believing you are here,
Whilst there are neither signs for mine eye nor mine ear?
Of these questions, I shall ponder for the rest of my days,
And pray each night that I die worthy of your heavenly gaze: Maik Shin
http://forums.saiyanisland.com/showthread.php?t=60150
F. From whose house this joyous light brightens my heart?
Whose lover has sent my soul this cupid's burning dart?
This state wrecks my house and my faith
Whose bosom enfolds her & whose fingers her hair part?... : Hafez
Translated by Shahriar Shahriari
http://www.hafizonlove.com/divan/02/067.htm
10. Chain of Persian Poems on Religion and Faith
http://saadatnoury.blogspot.ca/2014/09/blog-post_26.html
Collected and Prepared by
Manouchehr Saadat Noury, PhD
http://msnselectedarticles.blogspot.ca/2014/09/religion-faith-10-top-chains.html
