Taking Care of Religious Business

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When mentioning religion and business at the same time, it is highly anticipated that someone will become offended. What exactly rubs people the wrong way when the thought of mixing religion with business is brought up? Is it that fact that they have different beliefs or none at all? Or is it out of fear of what might become of the business world if religion is highly accepted? I believe that the tension that is created from mixing business and religion is simply confusion, intimidation, and fear. To begin it is necessary to clarify the actual meaning of religion and Britannica (2005) defines it as: ‘Human beings’ relation to that which they regard as holy, sacred, spiritual, or divine. Worship is probably the most basic element of religion, but moral conduct, right belief, and participation in religious institutions are generally also constituent elements of the religious life as practiced by believers and worshipers and as commanded by religious sages and scriptures’ (Britannica 2005). Many believe that religion has no connection with the business world or that it should not be intertwined, when in fact it plays a very large role especially through the commonalities of moral conduct. In the business world there are three main sectors that are affected by religion in various but similar ways. Religion affects the international trade between different countries and the US. The way business ethics is determined, molded, taught, and followed through are all influenced by religion as well. It also plays a role in how businesses are run and with how the business’s rules/laws are created. All three of these sectors of business are very important in making sure things are run smoothly and effectively in society, in the busine...

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...s, 66, 53-70.

Helble, Matthias. "Is God Good for Trade?." Kyklos 60.3 (2007): 385-413. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 10 May 2011.

Lewer, Joshua J., and Hendrik Van den Berg. "Estimating the Institutional and Network Effects of Religious Cultures on International Trade." Kyklos 60.2 (2007): 255-277. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 13 May 2011.

Thomas, D. C. (2002). Essentials of international management: A cross-cultural perspective. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Wilson, Rodney (1997). Economics, Ethics and Religion: Jewish, Christian and Muslim Economic Thought. Durham, NC: Macmillan.

YI-HUI, HO. "ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN THE RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND ETHICAL- REASONING ABILITIES OF FUTURE ACCOUNTING PROFESSIONALS." Social Behavior & Personality: An International Journal 37.5 (2009): 673-678. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 16 May 2011

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