Law – The rules a country demands its citizens follow

Note: The breaking of the law leads to punishment.

To remember the meaning of the term Law, use the following mnemonic:

The lawman (law) brought out his rules instead of his gun.

Law and religion have something in common: they both give indications as to how people are expected to live their lives.

In the western world, laws are in many cases reflections of the religious ideas of sin and punishment.

However, that is not to say that similar laws would not have arisen in the absence of religion – many believe that purely secular (non-religious, yet caring) human society would have come up with similar – perhaps even fairer – ideas.

Laws are intended to restrain people from certain bad courses of action, or to compel them to do things for the common good (such as paying taxes).

Most religions support the observance of laws and, in theory at least, most countries' laws support the rights of people to practise their chosen religion.

However, there have been clear instances of followers of certain religions being treated less favourably by authority in some countries.

Without laws and their proper enforcement, communities and entire countries might descend into anarchy and uncontrollable corruption and wrongdoing.

NOTE: Sometimes crimes are committed in protest against laws that are considered either unfair or for the benefit of a select few in society. Laws might have to be broken to get changes made.