Human Identity and Religion: How Much are They Really Intertwined?

"In all of these cultural exchanges, the term religion identifies a layer, dimension, strand, or thread that bestows a certain degree of urgency upon questions of human identity." Chidester

Human identity and religion. A topic that can never be exhausted. And a topic that raises so many questions:

1) To what extent does religion influence the development of one's human identity? In simple terms, it can be broken down into three categories: a lot, somewhat, and not at all. Compare those categories to real life and you have: devout religious people, religious people, and atheists. Yet, like the idea of religion itself, it can't be broken down so simply. To different people religion means and encompasses different things. In the same way how religion effects one's life and to what extent changes person by person.

2) How does religion or the lack there of change one's perception of human identity? Another grey point. There are those who constantly look at life and themselves through the filter of a religious belief and background and of course there are those who take no second thought of religion.

3) What urgency? Can one only truly find themself through a perspective influenced by religion? This one I have no answer for. I'm still trying to figure it out myself...