Religion In Our Lives
Religion seems to find its way into almost every aspect of our lives.
In the United States, the political mainstream describes a "separation of church and state," in order to separate this profound force of religion from the public lives of its citizens. Thus, the freedom to worship any religion remains a private and personal issue. However, in this imperfect world, it becomes virtually impossible to achieve this kind of separation. Some subtle examples of this can be seen right here on campus. The intriguing yet simple New England architecture that we see all around us, is the result of the Old World Puritan religion. Also on campus, Rollins Chapel, supposedly a "universal place of worship", is structurally shaped like a cross, the symbol of the crucifixion of
Jesus. Delving deep into these religious symbols, there exists a common thread uniting all religions. The aspect of community becomes the "heart and soul" of almost all religious groups around the world. It is this upon which George
Weckman focuses his article.
The author defines the characteristics of a community in a number of ways. For one, he claims that some sort of initiation or "entrance ritual" needs to occur in order to mark the acceptance of an individual into the community as a whole. In addition to these entrance rituals, the individual will, most likely, participate in other types of rituals throughout his life.
This may include his eventual departure from the community, such as death.
Secondly, the author emphasizes the fact that communities often possess clearly defined ritual activities that are unique to their own particular community. He goes on to say, "Gathering as a group for such rites is perhaps the most persistent aspect of religious community, and is arguably its reason for being."
Thus, the author emphasizes the manner in which ritual activity and communal "togetherness" form the basis of community. I'd like to agree with
Weckman's view, but I feel that it can go beyond its present position. Weckman gives the reader the impression that communities form only as a result of their union through religion. However, it is quite possible that religious communities are the "cause" and not the "eff...
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...." People can be born into a religious community that does not fall into the six specific categories. Does this mean that this person is not associated with a specific community? Not necessarily.
Therefore, I agree with Weckman's belief that a specific community is not always voluntary. In many cases, it is just the opposite.
Community can come to mean a variety of different things to a variety of different people. Despite a few weaknesses, Weckman presents a clear and concise description of the dynamics and functionality of communal structure.
His arguments are vivid and compelling. I believe Weckman encompasses the central idea of the influence of community with great vivacity, "Nevertheless, it is not too much to say that nearly all religious situations do have a communal dimension and that in many the community is the decisive factor."
(Weckman, 566) Without a doubt, it is the community that forms the basis of religious life. When dealing with religious community, one can't help but realize how disparate many of them are. Nevertheless, community will persist as the basis and the foundation of all religious life throughout the world.
As America slowly began molding into the creases of different values and cultures, so did its literature. One trait that had always been securing itself within the lines of these literary texts was the protagonists’ naivety. Theses characters typically established an intention to do good things, but eventually fail due to tumbling upon tempting obstacles and falling into the trance of distractions. An example of this situation occurred long ago during the 16th and 17th century. A cult of English Protestants known as Puritans aimed to “purify” the Church of England by excreting all evidence of its descent in the Roman Catholic Church. The Puritans enforced strict religious practices upon its believers and regarded all pleasure and luxury as wicked or sacrilegious. Although their “holy” cond...
In the provocative article, Were the Puritans Puritanical?, Carl Degler seeks to clarify the many misconceptions surrounding the Puritan lifestyle. He reveals his opinions on this seventeenth century living style, arguing that the Puritans were not dull and ultra-conservative, but rather enjoyed things in moderation. They had pleasures, but not in excess. The Puritans could engage in many pleasurable and leisurely activities so long as they did not lead to sin. According to the article, the Puritans believed that too much of anything is a sin. Degler writes about the misconceptions of Puritan dress, saying that it was the “opposite of severe”, and describing it as rather the English Renaissance style. Not all members of Puritan society
In the 1700’s the Puritans left England for the fear of being persecuted. They moved to America for religious freedom. The Puritans lived from God’s laws. They did not depend as much on material things, and they had a simpler and conservative life. More than a hundred years later, the Puritan’s belief toward their church started to fade away. Some Puritans were not able to recognize their religion any longer, they felt that their congregations had grown too self-satisfied. They left their congregations, and their devotion to God gradually faded away. To rekindle the fervor that the early Puritans had, Jonathan Edwards and other Puritan ministers led a religious revival through New England. Edwards preached intense sermons that awakened his congregation to an awareness of their sins. With Edwards’ sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” he persuades the Puritans to convert back to Puritanism, by utilizing rhetorical strategies such as, imagery, loaded diction, and a threatening and fearful tone.
Dive into the absolutely captivating world of wonders and enchantment. David D. Hall and his book Worlds of Wonder, Days of Judgment pulls the reader into the shoes of a seventeenth-century New England Puritan. The practices of the society and the religious teachings were spread through various paraphernalia and Hall illustrated each and every topic beautifully. In this book, get ready for the immersion into the printed text, wonder-filled, and the ritualistic world of the Puritans in the seventeenth century. Along with these topics, a short explanation the Puritan religion and hard-hitting critics are is to follow.
The culture of New England was one unique to New England. The northern colonies of New England were dominated by the Puritans, and settled primarily for religious reasons. The environment of New England consisted of rocky soil, dense forests, and large numbers of fish (Sarcelle, 1965). The culture that developed in New England was appropriate to such conditions.
The church and Christian beliefs had a very large impact on the Puritan religion and lifestyle. According to discovery education, “Church was the cornerstone of the mainly Puritan society of the 17th century.”( Douglas 4). Puritan laws were intensively rigid and people in society were expected to follow a moral strict code. And because of Puritans and their strict moral codes, any act that was considered to go against this code was considered a sin and deserved to be punished. In Puritan theology, God h...
In 1534, King Henry VIII formally instigated the English Reformation. He therefore passed the Act of Supremacy, which outlawed the Catholic Church and made him “the only supreme head on earth of the Church of England” (Roark, 68). Puritans were looking for a more Protestant church and received what they wanted. Along with it, came the King’s total control over the Church. This is what the Puritans didn’t want. Puritans believed that ordinary Christians, not a church hierarchy, should control religious life. They wanted a distinct line between government and the Church of England. Puritans also wanted to eliminate the customs of Catholic worship and instead focus on an individual’s relationship with God developed through Bible study, prayer, and introspection (Roark, 68).
Puritanism as a religion declined, both by diluting its core beliefs and by losing its members. This phenomenon was at work even in colonial days, at the religion’s height, because it contained destructive characteristics. It devolved into something barely recognizable in the course of a few generations. We can observe that the decline of Puritanism occurred because it bore within itself the seeds of its own destruction.
The Society Religion as a Social Glue The view in the title is a functionalist’s view. Durkheim claims that religion is to do with the sacred and certain things, people and places are perceived to be sacred for example Jesus Christ, totem and the Tajmahal. He claims that what people perceive to be sacred are actually symbols of a collective consciousness. By worshipping these sacred things etc. they are actually reinforcing the beliefs, values, norms and tradition which make social life possible.
disagreement. With everyone trying to promote themselves in the eyes of God, or achieve eternal salvation spirituality is no longer about humanity’s deliverance. The individual believes that as long as he serves the word of God he is justified in benefiting himself. Humans have, in a way, made religion into a competition, and with competition comes conflict.
The world of Puritan New England, like the world of today, was filled with many evil influences. Many people were able to withstand temptation, but some fell victim to the dark side. Such offences against God, in thought, word, deed, desire or neglect, are what we define as sin (Gerber 14).
Religion is a very difficult topic to approach. To discuss religion, is to walk through a mine field. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and beliefs. In contemporary America, it is popular now turn from established religions or to have no religion at all. It is not difficult to believe how science and technology played a major role in contemporary religion in America by making our society secular. As our ability to attain knowledge through technology broadens, it allows people to analyze their own religion and interpret it in their own way.
Religion can be defined as a system of beliefs and worships which includes a code of ethics and a philosophy of life. Well over 90% of the world 's population adheres to some form of religion. The problem is that there are so many different religions. What is the right religion? What is true religion? The two most common ingredients in religions are rules and rituals. Some religions are essentially nothing more than a list of rules, dos and don 'ts, which a person must observe in order to be considered a faithful adherent of that religion, and thereby, right with the God of that religion. Two examples of rules-based religions are Islam and Judaism. Islam has its five pillars that must be observed.
Religion is the biggest killer of all time, with many countries being destroyed. The reason is simple. A religion that allows its faithful to "stray...
“Religion is a ritualized system of beliefs and practices related to things defined as sacred by an organized community of believers.” (Basirico et.al. 379). Religion is an important element in the society because it influences the way individuals act and think. It has shaped the relationship and bonding among families as well as influenced the decision made in economics and politics. Religion in general has contributed to shape a society and a government structure which will influence the way the individuals under certain governmental structure behave. Sociologists are interested in religion mainly because religious belief is heavily rooted in individuals’ lives and it helps sociologists to interpret human’s actions, expression, and experiences. Due to its significance in society, sociologists try to study religion in depth to explain and understanding religions beyond science. Supernatural belief, which is the core of religion, cannot be explained using science which relies only on facts and data. According to Emile Durkheim, religion consists of three elements, a system of beliefs and practices, a community or church, and sacred things which are common throughout all religions. Although a lot of people may have thought that sociological studies in religion will undermine one’s faith towards their beliefs, in my opinion, sociological perspective in religion will have no effect on one’s faith toward their beliefs.