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Religion in Society
There are many social institutions that have major impacts on society. One of the trickiest social institutions would have to be, religion. Religion seems to have a huge impact on a society even if it’s directly or indirectly. Why is that? Do we need it? Does it let us live a more fulfilled life? What effects does it have on society? Is it necessary for a functioning society? According to Dalton Conley (2013:611) sociology defines religion as being a unified system of beliefs traditions, and practices around sacred things; a set of shared “stories” that guide belief and action. Religion is a way for people to make sense of the world, it keeps society in line with expected behaviors. Without religion people would subside to create their own rules and would deem to follow a path that could harm a society and come to an end. Religion is necessary for a society to function, prosper, and for someone to learn how to be a well moral contributor to society.
A functioning society seeks to work together in harmony to maintain a state of balance and social equilibrium for the whole. There are thousands of different types of religions in the world. So how do they maintain this ability to function and to keep a society functioning. Not all religions are as harmonious. Berger states there is a crisis of credibility a loss of religious legitimacy and plausibility. Pluralism threatens to rip apart a
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unified faith’s sacred canopy, a term Berger used to describe the entire set of religious norms, symbols, and beliefs that convey the feeling that life is worth living, reality is meaningful and ordered, and all is not just random chaos (2013:622). There are even those who do not even believe in a certain transcendent being. Atheist would argue that religion is not necessary for a functioning society. Many Atheist see the church as a contributor to the infinite problems people have to face. But religion can give people a certain purpose, can bring people to work together for the greater good, and to motivate people to function in society. Religion can help the prosperity of a society by bringing them together for a common goal. Christians interact with their religion on a daily basis. They attend services, pray, talk to people who have a similar religion, and participate in their religion. By being a contributor to money collections, singing hymns, and etc. The religion interaction helps a person to believe that the religion can be tangible. The symbolic interaction is a major importance to the expansion of religion. For example, Meredith McGuire focuses on how religion is physically felt in the body (2007). It is through “embodied practices”—touches, postures, gestures, and movement—that religion becomes constituted by some follower as authentic and real, according to McGuire. Even something as simple as breathing can be a religious practice, as in pranayama yoga, where slow and deliberate breaths are part of connecting to spirituality (McGuire, 2007) (2013:628). Without the interaction, religion wouldn’t be a social institution made up of different “stories.” The sociological view of religion, religious practices and rituals are viewed as symbolic activities that help define the identities of individuals and groups. Religious beliefs, therefore, are viewed as being subject to interpretation. Religious experience, as the psychologist William James (1903/ 1982) defined it, involves “feelings, acts, and experiences of individual men in their solitude, so far as they apprehend themselves to stand in relation to whatever they may consider the divine (2013:628).” Different religious views tend to come from social and historical changes. Many religions have different beliefs on morals and the way life should be lived. Religion promotes conflicts and inequality among different religions, it can go as far as not getting married to someone because of a different religion to out casting someone because of different religion views. In 1963, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said in an interview, “We must face the fact that in America, the church is still the most segregated major institution in America. At 11:00 on Sunday morning when we stand and sing and Christ as no east or west, we stand at the most segregated hour in this nation (2013:633).” Conflict is a necessary element to society because it keeps this society from falling apart if one group does not agree. While workplaces and neighborhoods have become more mixed, ongoing research has found that only 10 percent of churches are racially mixed, meaning that no single race makes up more the 80 percent of the congregation (Scheitle & Dougherty, 2010) (2013:634). Variety of religions let people to have different ideas without the extremity of being killed or persecuted because of a different beliefs. Historically, the church has played a more central role in the secular lives of black congregations than in those of white congregations. This resulted from three conditions. First, African Americans share a legacy of racial discrimination, violence, and injustice. Second, no other secular institution has ever organized and helped the black community as much as the church. Third, the black community has substantial social needs that necessitate an effective social helping hand (Dalton, 634). Even though there are many causes of tension among certain religion groups. One of the reasons there are tension between different religions comes with classification of socioeconomics among religion groups. A person’s socioeconomics status is also linked to religion Hindus, Jews, and Buddhists, along with atheists and agnostics, tend to be the most highly educated, while members of evangelical Protestants churches and historically black churches have less education (Pew Forum on Religion ad Public Life, 2008) (2013:636) There is even more tension with Atheism. Atheist do not believe in a god or gods they eliminate the Religion social institution in society. Atheist and Christianity is a major conflict in society that many people encounter first hand. Atheist wish to eliminate god in society. They are a subcultural in society and go against through majority of the views in society. Many atheist don’t see the reason to pursue a religious life when they will never encounter this so call god or even know if it is real. Atheist generally lean to prove things mathematically, scientifically, and/or, visually. Atheist also believe that God is a construct of the mind. ADD MORE INFORMATON (ASA CITATIONS) According to Dalton, religion shapes social institution like government and social movements, so too does it operate a small-scale perceptions and choices in everyday spheres, such as family life, voting choices, lifestyles, and racial attitudes (2013:632). Religion is necessary for a functioning society. Religion is a major effect on why society keeps progressing forward even if not in a positive way. Religion keeps order to people, it gives people a chance to understand the beyond, and something to look forward to after death. Religion has taught many, the fundamentally right morals in life. Like for example, in Catholicism kids are taught at a young age the Ten Commandments (also known as the laws to that should not be broken and if they are then it is considering sinning), like thou shall not kill, thou shall not steal, thou shall honor thy father and mother, and etc. If a kid were to be raised in an environment where religion is not enforced, this kid would grow up with no moral compass. The child would grow up and not know the fundamentals of morals. The kid would not be able to be well functioning citizen. He or she might start off will small immoral acts such as disrespecting authority figures like a mother or father, next the child might steal money, toys, and etc. The small immoral acts could potentially earn this child a criminal record as an adult. Religion does and can potentially prevent this fate to a child who was taught from a young age. To know what is right from wrong. Religion will always play a role in society even if directly or indirectly.
Religions may alter and change but the ultimate reasons will never change the concepts of an almighty person who is above others will exist. Religion throughout history will repeat itself. People seek out religion for guidance. Many will reject and accept different religions. Many will argue that religion is not necessary for functioning and living. As history has shown us that religion is an institution that plays a major role in day-to-day life not matter the controversial
beliefs.
In today’s society, there are roughly around 4,200 religions that exist on this planet. Some define "religion" as a cultural system of behaviors and practices that help people make important decisions in life. Out of the many religions, Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism have many similarities that connect them to one another. Themes of morality, justice, love are found through both the Buddha's teaching and the Hebrew and Christian Bible.
There is no society without religion. James has also states that religion is “personal destiny”, which means that it existence is infinite in human life. Human lifestyle has been influence by the religion, so religion is a principal factor in universe. Religion is based on different believes and practices of humans which is totally understandable, despite of difference in religion people have same shared belief of putting their God above the others and shows the love and affection toward it. God has created this universe, the specious around us is the sign of his existence.
Religion has many effects in any society. It can either destroy it by proving customs wrong or it can guide it like it guides converts to believe in the religion. Religion creates two different societies and while it guides one to become stronger it will destroy another at the same time. Religion guides societies and destroys them.
Religious Repression In what ways do countries differing religions affect our ever changing society? Does our diversity, combined with our lack of resources and overpopulation, ensure constant violence? I believe that the religious persecution of certain nations has been nothing more than denial of a human right. In Brave New World, Huxley predicts an all powerful government: “the world state”.
Religion is a symbolic representation of society. The sociological approach to religious belief looks at how society behaves on a whole, to answer the question, “Why are people religious?” We express our participation in religious events through plays, acts of confession, religious dances, etc. To begin to understand why we have such term, let’s understand the common elements of religion. There are different types in which people believe in or follow and that is: animatism, animism, ancestral spirits, god and goddesses, and minor supernatural beings. Beyond these different elements, such one is to have religious leaders to follow.
Throughout the day’s observation, a plethora of sociological concepts become abundantly apparent. However, for the purpose of this paper, we will only focus on the day’s greatest prevalent concepts. The first concept that strikes as a significant sociological concept is family as it is the opening and closing concept of the day. Next, the concept of gender roles appears as important because of the masculine groups that are so prevalent during observation. Third, the theory of religion grabs its place in prevalence due to its ability to center and focus the entire day. Lastly, the concept of stage theory rears into the spot as a result of interactions in the work center. When reviewing these sociological concepts, it becomes abundantly clear
... latent functions of religion certainly influence me at a macro-sociological level. There are many individuals influenced by their religion, As mentioned before, religion withholds a purpose of inculcating moral values, social norms, and beliefs. Herein, an individual is shaped by a religious belief, and with other members of the same faith they will join and create a subculture. Its great size will have a large impact through their opinion in political, economical, and even environmental standings. This will undoubtedly affect an entire population of a city, town or even a state. That is the power of simply inculcating manifest and latent functions through religion. In addition, not only will they influence me, but I will also have an influence on them. I was born and raised in a religious tradition, and therefore, my perspectives are shaped through its influence.
Parsons claims that religion is our primary source of meaning; it answers the eternal questions and help to understand things like suffering and pain. It also produces, sacralises and legitimises the core values of society e.g. Protestantism in the USA encouraged individualism, democracy and equality of opportunity. Bellah claims that there is a civil religion and gives the example of America and its faith in Americanism, he says that civil religion unites society. However the functionalist view can be criticised: It focuses on the positive aspects of religion and ignores that it is the cause of conflict in much of the world e.g. Northern Ireland and conflict between protestants and Catholics, It does not explain the origins of religion, explaining what functions religion performs does not help us to know where it came from. Durkheim did his studies I small scale non-literate societies, it is difficult to see how religion performs its functions in out large complex religiously plural society.
some, such as Karl max saw that religion is a way strong of a tool that impairs social evaluation. Which resulted in ethnic and religious cleansing and furthermore proved to be the wrong approach to defining the role that religion plays in societies behaviors. I for one, think that religion is an indispensable and integral part of human sociology; furthermore, I believe understanding this relationship would lead to social development.
Throughout the course of history, man has looked to religion for answers. Curiosity as to how we got here and why we are have driven people to seek out answers to these somewhat unanswerable questions. Over the past few thousand years, several varying religions have been established, some more prominent than others. Many of them share a similar story of a divine creator who has always been and will always be. In the case of Christianity, whether true or not, it has proven to be beneficial to society as a whole. The Bible set the standard for the moral compass that humans live their lives by to this day. The key fundamental problem with religion, although not the fault of religion, is that man has often used it as a gateway to power and prominence. In the case of the 18th century Gallican church, the French were abusing their religious powers, thus creating vast inequality throughout France, which eventually led to a rebellion against the church, and the eventual destruction of the church within France.
Scholars have been trying to come up with a well-founded, acceptable and universal definition of religion for years; however, none of these definitions so far are a perfect fit for all religions of the world. There are many things in our life that are well defined and well understood but, unfortunately, religion is not one of them. There is no common ground and understanding of what religion really means. Religion is what we make of it, so no one can truly define religion in a way that is meaningful across all borders as it is outside of the realm of reason and rationale and the definitions we give could be either too exclusive or inclusive.
“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.
Structural Functionalism considers social institutions such as religion as collective means to meet individual and social needs. It sees society as a system of interrelated parts of social institutions and focus on functions of social institutions that leads to society’s prosperity. Functionalist definitions of religion range from seeing religions as legitimizing the social order to providing a basis for understanding and constructing cosmos (Kunin & Miles-Watson, 2006). Specific example of this view would be religion’s influence in creating individual’s morals and norms.
Religion plays a lot of roles in many different cultures. Most things are religion based like in the United States. We are based off Christianity in many different things. In East and Southeast Asia, religion had a big role in shaping the modern history.
Religions have always played a vital role between humans and its society especially in terms of what is good and proper in the society. In modern world, people have become increasingly dissociated from religion and spirituality.