Usually defined as a social-cultural system, religion involves a set of beliefs, practices, and organizations. These structures are often based on the lives of historical figures and are passed down orally and through written scriptures. These texts are interpreted to provide members with moral authority and guidelines for living. There are also specific codes and rituals.

Traditional religion is still an essential part of many African societies. Before colonization, it was the strongest element of society and gave people a sense of meaning. It also provided a basis for action and gave people certainty in uncertain times. It was a way of unifying people who shared similar beliefs.

Typically, religion is the belief system of a group of people united by a common faith. The religion usually contains an undercurrent of fear. It also encourages adherence to rules, which can help to build character. It can also offer a sense of community and a supportive social network. It can also be an expression of a higher power and can bring about positive publicity.

Religiously unaffiliated Europeans tend to have negative views of religion. While they agree that there are no spiritual forces in the universe, they also tend to think that religion does more harm than good. They also disagree with statements such as “religion leads to abuse and extremism” and that “science has proven religion wrong.” In the U.S., adults under 35 are more likely to have positive views of religion than college graduates. This is compared to Scandinavia, where public opinion is more negative toward religion. However, in Ireland and Portugal, most adults have positive views of religion.

The survey included 1281 web-based surveys and interviews with U.S. adults aged 18 and over. The survey was conducted April and November 2016. The sampling error was approximately three percentage points. The sample was calibrated to represent known population percentages. In Ireland, the percentage of adults who agree with negative statements about religion was a bit less than one-third. In Italy, the percentage of adults who agreed with negative statements about religion was slightly more than half. In Portugal, the percentage of adults who agreed with negative comments about religion was 17 percent. In Sweden, the percentage of adults who agree with negative comments about religion was a little over a third.

Some of the groups of people with negative attitudes towards religion include the religiously unaffiliated, functional outsiders, and evangelicals. The majority of functional outsiders believe that all religions teach the same thing. These people also have higher convictions about the teachings than religious believers. Practicing Christians have a much lower conviction about the teachings of their religion.

In Europe, the group of people who consider themselves neither religious nor spiritual have a median of 53% agreement with the statement that there are no spiritual forces in the universe. They are also less likely to say that they have a soul. They also disagree with statements that religion helps them make the right choices and that religion does more harm than good.