IMPORTANCE AND MISUSE OF RELIGION TODAY
(a) HOW IMPORTANT IS RELIGION IN SOCIETY?
INTRODUCTION
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to explain the origin of life or the universe. They tend to derive morality, ethics, religious laws or a preferred lifestyle from their ideas about the cosmos and human nature.
Religion is important in society because of various reasons as here below presented;
Firstly it is because religion gives society/people order in life. Religion helps people to find a way of life that they think should live by. Just imagine this world without religion it would be just a mess all people would think it is right to steal, kill, rape and commit all sorts of crimes.
But because most religions do not believe in committing crimes in society, people fear the sequences for every crime they commit as the Bible/Quran teach.
Without religion society would be running crazy but who says it is already not, hey may be we are not doing are job as religious people cause our world is just messed up Anonymous
Secondly religion simply gives us the Law of Life as most of the time in many societies of various countries the governments make laws for citizens to abide. But religion has already got its Laws ready and set right from creation.
Also religion in society becomes a necessity for people as it represents a moral compass for those who have none and also holds back a basic need for development of a more democratic society.
In reality, religion is inherent within many aspects of society, and religious beliefs inevitably affect areas such as politics, economics, and cultural values. This relationship between religion and society can be seen in Islamic religion and Muslim social culture, Christianity and economics, and Buddhism and politics. In each of these religions we can find insight for understanding the society in which it exists, as well as in the comparison of these religions and their relationships with society. There are no known societies that do not have some form of religion, although religious beliefs and practices vary from culture to culture. This therefore makes religion an important factor in society.
Religious movements have played an important role in the development of religion in general and have influenced other aspects of social life.
Further more most studies have shown that religious involvement and spirituality are associated with better health outcomes, including greater longevity, coping skills, and health-related quality of life even during terminal illness and less anxiety, depression, and suicide. This shows further importance of religion in society today.
Similarly religion is important in society in that at times of great sadness in our lives, we turn to religion to help ease the pain of the loss of a loved one, or some other crisis. A funeral service helps us to bid farewell to the deceased and to get some perspective on and add meaning to his or her life and our own. No matter whether religion is important at other times in our lives, there will almost certainly be a time when it is a cause for joy or a help in soothing mental pain.
Religion is important in society in that it defines character. There is no doubt about it as religion makes us better people. When we follow the teachings of the Lord and listen to what the Bible tells us to do, we become more selfless, kind and more generous. We learn how to distinguish right from wrong and do the right thing all the time.
Additionally religion is important in society because it boosts self control. People face enormous pressure in their lives as they struggle to deal with their changing lives, raging hormones and the need to fit in society. This sometimes drives them to experiment with alcohol, sex and other illicit activities. When they are basically religious by nature, they are able to find the strength to avoid such activities, no matter how much they are pressured to do so. They learn to trust in God and to avoid all that is immoral and illegal for example born again (balokole) are believed to be less sinners that non-born-agains.
Religion is essential in society because it reduces stress among the people. People who have faith in their religion and their God are able to seek support and solace in the Church and so are able to deal with their stress in healthy ways. They do not go looking for witch doctors because they know they can turn to religion for an outlet hence saving them from being exploited by the wrong people in society.
Another importance of religion in society is that religion enhances self-importance in that religion expands one's self to infinite proportions. Man unites himself with the infinite and feels enabled. Society also gains from the self-flattery provided by religious belief. Religion assures a greater reward in the afterlife to worldly failures than to successful life. Such kind of assurance encourages members to continue to play their part in society.
Religion is the ultimate source of social cohesion. The primary requirement of society is the possession of social values by which individuals control the action of self and others and through which society is perpetuated. Science and technology cannot create this value. Religion is the foundation upon which these values rest. Children should obey their parents, should not tell lie, women should be faithful to men, people should be honest and Virtuous, are some of the social values which maintain social cohesion.
Religion has also performed some other services to humanity like the provision of work, the priesthood often dedicated to art and culture. The priesthood lays the foundation of medicine. It also fulfils the functions of scholars and scientists. Religion has served humanity through spreading of education and also creating the habit of charity among the people who open many charitable institutions like hospitals, rest houses, temples and to help the poor.
Finally religion controls economic life as expressed by Max Weber. He was of the view that religion also controls the economic life of nations and people. To Weber, capitalism grew in the Protestant nations like England, U.S.A. It did not grow in Italy and Spain where the people are Catholics. The Hindus lay great stress on spiritual progress than on material progress. Hence, materialism could not grow in India.
4b) How is religion abused today?
There are several ways how religion is abused in society today as here below highlighted;
Firstly fanaticism in Religion has ruined the very sense of the term. It is not how we hold on to the religious belief that really matters, but what role it plays in reforming the person within you. The competition between which religion has the best to say or offer does not determine the quality of the religion, but the transformation it produces in a human being, to behave like human being to each other, to understand the aches and pain , love and joy, is the actual concept of religion.
These days the amount of faith a person has, in his own religion, has led to inhuman behavior, to help hypocrites utilize it to make money. Difference of opinion in religious matters has caused riots and confused people a lot, enabling violence all over the place.
Secondly religion has been abused in that these days some new religious movements are subsets of what we describe as cults. This has been a contentious issue with both sides sometimes using epithets such as "hate group" to describe the other side. Disaffected former members, stating that they are seeking redress for perceived wrongs or looking to expose perceived wrongdoings, have, in turn, had their motives called into question. They have themselves come under attack for allegedly using methods that have been characterized as polemic, hostile, and verbally or emotionally abusive. Critics, both those who are ex-members and who are not, have had their character and credibility impeached.
Thirdly as religion became a more personal matter in western culture, discussions of society found a new focus on political and scientific meaning, and religious attitudes dominantly Christian were increasingly seen as irrelevant for the needs of the European world. On the political side, Ludwig Feuerbach recast Christian beliefs in light of humanism, paving the way for Karl Marx's famous characterization of religion as "the opium of the people". Meanwhile, in the scientific community, T.H. Huxley in 1869 coined the term "agnostic," a term—subsequently adopted by such figures as Robert Ingersoll—that, while directly conflicting with and novel to Christian tradition, is accepted and even embraced in some other religions.
Also Superstition has been described as "the incorrect establishment of cause and effect" or a false conception of causation. Religion is more complex and includes social institutions and morality. But religions may include superstitions or make use of magical thinking. Members of one religion often think other religions as superstition|superstitious. Some atheists, agnostics, deists, and skeptics regard religious belief as superstition. Religious practices are likely to be labeled "superstitious" when they include belief in miracles or extraordinary events, supernatural
Additionally religions sometimes use war, violence, and terrorism to promote their religious goals. In this way religion has been abused by many self seeking people. Regina Schwartz argues that all monotheistic religions are inherently violent because of an exclusivism that inevitably fosters violence against those that are considered outsiders.
Byron Bland asserts that one of the most prominent reasons for the "rise of the secular in Western thought" was the reaction against the religious violence of the 16th and 17th centuries. He asserts that secularism is a way of living with the religious differences that have produced so much horror. Under secularity, political entities have a warrant to make decisions independent from the need to enforce particular versions of religious orthodoxy.
CONCLUSION
Keeping in mind the importance of religion and the truth of religion are two completely different things, with either one being able to be true without the other, religion is important because it provides us with rules for living on which we advance our society. It is possible for non-religious people to act by religious morals, but in general they do not, and the ones that do are usually trying to prove that they do not need religion, rather than striving to make the world better. Religion is the hope which motivates the human race to advance itself beyond it is current limitations.
REFERENCES
David B., George T. Kurian, and Todd M. Johnson, (2001): World Christian Encyclopedia: A Comparative Survey of Churches and Religions in the Modern World, 2 vols. 2nd edition, Oxford & New York: Oxford University Press.
Hexham, Irving and Karla Poewe, (1997): New Religions as Global Cultures, Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press.
Jenkins, Philip, Mystics and Messiahs (2000): Cults and New Religions in American History, New York: Oxford University Press.
Needleman, Jacob and George Baker (eds) (1981): Understanding the New Religions, New York: Seabury Press, 1981.
Weber, Max (2002): The Protestant Ethic and "The Spirit of Capitalism" (1905). Translated by Stephen Kalberg (2002), Roxbury Publishing Company, pp. 19, 35
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Weber (22/07/2011)
INTRODUCTION
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to explain the origin of life or the universe. They tend to derive morality, ethics, religious laws or a preferred lifestyle from their ideas about the cosmos and human nature.
Religion is important in society because of various reasons as here below presented;
Firstly it is because religion gives society/people order in life. Religion helps people to find a way of life that they think should live by. Just imagine this world without religion it would be just a mess all people would think it is right to steal, kill, rape and commit all sorts of crimes.
But because most religions do not believe in committing crimes in society, people fear the sequences for every crime they commit as the Bible/Quran teach.
Without religion society would be running crazy but who says it is already not, hey may be we are not doing are job as religious people cause our world is just messed up Anonymous
Secondly religion simply gives us the Law of Life as most of the time in many societies of various countries the governments make laws for citizens to abide. But religion has already got its Laws ready and set right from creation.
Also religion in society becomes a necessity for people as it represents a moral compass for those who have none and also holds back a basic need for development of a more democratic society.
In reality, religion is inherent within many aspects of society, and religious beliefs inevitably affect areas such as politics, economics, and cultural values. This relationship between religion and society can be seen in Islamic religion and Muslim social culture, Christianity and economics, and Buddhism and politics. In each of these religions we can find insight for understanding the society in which it exists, as well as in the comparison of these religions and their relationships with society. There are no known societies that do not have some form of religion, although religious beliefs and practices vary from culture to culture. This therefore makes religion an important factor in society.
Religious movements have played an important role in the development of religion in general and have influenced other aspects of social life.
Further more most studies have shown that religious involvement and spirituality are associated with better health outcomes, including greater longevity, coping skills, and health-related quality of life even during terminal illness and less anxiety, depression, and suicide. This shows further importance of religion in society today.
Similarly religion is important in society in that at times of great sadness in our lives, we turn to religion to help ease the pain of the loss of a loved one, or some other crisis. A funeral service helps us to bid farewell to the deceased and to get some perspective on and add meaning to his or her life and our own. No matter whether religion is important at other times in our lives, there will almost certainly be a time when it is a cause for joy or a help in soothing mental pain.
Religion is important in society in that it defines character. There is no doubt about it as religion makes us better people. When we follow the teachings of the Lord and listen to what the Bible tells us to do, we become more selfless, kind and more generous. We learn how to distinguish right from wrong and do the right thing all the time.
Additionally religion is important in society because it boosts self control. People face enormous pressure in their lives as they struggle to deal with their changing lives, raging hormones and the need to fit in society. This sometimes drives them to experiment with alcohol, sex and other illicit activities. When they are basically religious by nature, they are able to find the strength to avoid such activities, no matter how much they are pressured to do so. They learn to trust in God and to avoid all that is immoral and illegal for example born again (balokole) are believed to be less sinners that non-born-agains.
Religion is essential in society because it reduces stress among the people. People who have faith in their religion and their God are able to seek support and solace in the Church and so are able to deal with their stress in healthy ways. They do not go looking for witch doctors because they know they can turn to religion for an outlet hence saving them from being exploited by the wrong people in society.
Another importance of religion in society is that religion enhances self-importance in that religion expands one's self to infinite proportions. Man unites himself with the infinite and feels enabled. Society also gains from the self-flattery provided by religious belief. Religion assures a greater reward in the afterlife to worldly failures than to successful life. Such kind of assurance encourages members to continue to play their part in society.
Religion is the ultimate source of social cohesion. The primary requirement of society is the possession of social values by which individuals control the action of self and others and through which society is perpetuated. Science and technology cannot create this value. Religion is the foundation upon which these values rest. Children should obey their parents, should not tell lie, women should be faithful to men, people should be honest and Virtuous, are some of the social values which maintain social cohesion.
Religion has also performed some other services to humanity like the provision of work, the priesthood often dedicated to art and culture. The priesthood lays the foundation of medicine. It also fulfils the functions of scholars and scientists. Religion has served humanity through spreading of education and also creating the habit of charity among the people who open many charitable institutions like hospitals, rest houses, temples and to help the poor.
Finally religion controls economic life as expressed by Max Weber. He was of the view that religion also controls the economic life of nations and people. To Weber, capitalism grew in the Protestant nations like England, U.S.A. It did not grow in Italy and Spain where the people are Catholics. The Hindus lay great stress on spiritual progress than on material progress. Hence, materialism could not grow in India.
4b) How is religion abused today?
There are several ways how religion is abused in society today as here below highlighted;
Firstly fanaticism in Religion has ruined the very sense of the term. It is not how we hold on to the religious belief that really matters, but what role it plays in reforming the person within you. The competition between which religion has the best to say or offer does not determine the quality of the religion, but the transformation it produces in a human being, to behave like human being to each other, to understand the aches and pain , love and joy, is the actual concept of religion.
These days the amount of faith a person has, in his own religion, has led to inhuman behavior, to help hypocrites utilize it to make money. Difference of opinion in religious matters has caused riots and confused people a lot, enabling violence all over the place.
Secondly religion has been abused in that these days some new religious movements are subsets of what we describe as cults. This has been a contentious issue with both sides sometimes using epithets such as "hate group" to describe the other side. Disaffected former members, stating that they are seeking redress for perceived wrongs or looking to expose perceived wrongdoings, have, in turn, had their motives called into question. They have themselves come under attack for allegedly using methods that have been characterized as polemic, hostile, and verbally or emotionally abusive. Critics, both those who are ex-members and who are not, have had their character and credibility impeached.
Thirdly as religion became a more personal matter in western culture, discussions of society found a new focus on political and scientific meaning, and religious attitudes dominantly Christian were increasingly seen as irrelevant for the needs of the European world. On the political side, Ludwig Feuerbach recast Christian beliefs in light of humanism, paving the way for Karl Marx's famous characterization of religion as "the opium of the people". Meanwhile, in the scientific community, T.H. Huxley in 1869 coined the term "agnostic," a term—subsequently adopted by such figures as Robert Ingersoll—that, while directly conflicting with and novel to Christian tradition, is accepted and even embraced in some other religions.
Also Superstition has been described as "the incorrect establishment of cause and effect" or a false conception of causation. Religion is more complex and includes social institutions and morality. But religions may include superstitions or make use of magical thinking. Members of one religion often think other religions as superstition|superstitious. Some atheists, agnostics, deists, and skeptics regard religious belief as superstition. Religious practices are likely to be labeled "superstitious" when they include belief in miracles or extraordinary events, supernatural
Additionally religions sometimes use war, violence, and terrorism to promote their religious goals. In this way religion has been abused by many self seeking people. Regina Schwartz argues that all monotheistic religions are inherently violent because of an exclusivism that inevitably fosters violence against those that are considered outsiders.
Byron Bland asserts that one of the most prominent reasons for the "rise of the secular in Western thought" was the reaction against the religious violence of the 16th and 17th centuries. He asserts that secularism is a way of living with the religious differences that have produced so much horror. Under secularity, political entities have a warrant to make decisions independent from the need to enforce particular versions of religious orthodoxy.
CONCLUSION
Keeping in mind the importance of religion and the truth of religion are two completely different things, with either one being able to be true without the other, religion is important because it provides us with rules for living on which we advance our society. It is possible for non-religious people to act by religious morals, but in general they do not, and the ones that do are usually trying to prove that they do not need religion, rather than striving to make the world better. Religion is the hope which motivates the human race to advance itself beyond it is current limitations.
REFERENCES
David B., George T. Kurian, and Todd M. Johnson, (2001): World Christian Encyclopedia: A Comparative Survey of Churches and Religions in the Modern World, 2 vols. 2nd edition, Oxford & New York: Oxford University Press.
Hexham, Irving and Karla Poewe, (1997): New Religions as Global Cultures, Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press.
Jenkins, Philip, Mystics and Messiahs (2000): Cults and New Religions in American History, New York: Oxford University Press.
Needleman, Jacob and George Baker (eds) (1981): Understanding the New Religions, New York: Seabury Press, 1981.
Weber, Max (2002): The Protestant Ethic and "The Spirit of Capitalism" (1905). Translated by Stephen Kalberg (2002), Roxbury Publishing Company, pp. 19, 35
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Weber (22/07/2011)
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