[TheAngryClam]

it's from religare, but not about being joined to God. Religio, religionis means "a duty" or "an obligation" - in the context of the Roman religion this describes, it's something like "Go make sacrifice X on the third day before the Kalends of March" or "Don't eat that. Ever."

[The Grammarian]

Actually, according to many theologians, no one is certain what the origins of it are. It's surmised that it comes from either religare or relegare, the one dealing with bonds/obligations and the other relationships.

Some suppose the term Religion to be derived from religando (Lactantius), others from relegendo (Cicero). According to the former derivation, religion signified the obligation rightly to worship God, or, that which imposes upon man obligations and duties. According to the latter etymology, religion is diligent attention to those things which pertain to the worship of God. (The Doctrinal Theology of the Evangelical Lutheran Church by Heinrich Schmid, D.D.)

[Darnright]

>it's from religare, but not about being joined to God. Religio, religionis means "a duty" or "an obligation" - in the context of the Roman religion this describes, it's something like "Go make sacrifice X on the third day before the Kalends of March" or "Don't eat that. Ever."<

Good explanation. I can be religious about watching football, or about mowing my lawn, etc.

I prefer to use the term, "devout" instead of "religious", to refer to one who has deep faith in Christ.