Differences between Belief and Ritual are as follows:
(1) Belief:
A belief refers to a state or habit of mind, wherein one places trust or confidence in some person or thing. A belief can be defined as a notion or idea which has the same value as statement of knowledge or truth.
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Thus, Religious beliefs refer to a Religious tenet or body of tenets held by a group. Most Religious tenets generally are concerned with the worship of God or the supernatural.
According to Tylor, Religion is the belief in supernatural brings (Animism), such as Ghosts, spirits, and Gods. According to Marett (1909) Religion is the belief in supernatural power (Animatism), such as mana. Our statement that a particular belief is a supernatural concept implies that it belongs to a region which is beyond that of the natural senses.
(2) Beliefs and Rituals:
Beliefs and Rituals are interrelated. Normally every Ritual is based, directly or otherwise, on a series of beliefs. A Ritual without a belief set is in fact not possible because beliefs set the stage for a Ritual to develop or even to emerge.
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Ritual is a symbolic series of repeated actions and sacred words. We have to refer to the beliefs to interpret it in a right way.
A belief is a part of system of knowledge or a system of understanding reality shared by members of a group. A Religious belief provides an explanation for happening which are otherwise hard to explain.
(3) Belief and Ritual: Distinction:
In Religion a distinction is made between belief and Ritual. A belief is a mode of forming ideas while Ritual is mode of action Ritual, may be defined as a repeated act or a set of acts, usually ceremonial in nature, by means of which a community makes external its faith. Ritual is a kind of patterned activity that is oriented towards the control of human affairs.
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Religious beliefs are made overt in Rituals. An example of Ritual is the funeral Ritual. A Ritual provides an occasion for group assembly and reaffirms social value. Wallace (1966) holds that the primary component of Religion is the use of Ritual to mobilize supernatural power.