Conflict In Opposing Views On The Role Of Religion

During early human history humans treated the forces of nature as supernatural and as determining their existence. With the emergence of societies based on class divisions, social forces were supernaturalized in this same way.

When applied to religion, conflict analysis concludes that religion is a source of conflict that divides or stratifies society. Marx argued that religion is a tool which helps maintain the 'status' in society by making the lower classes content with promises of great rewards in the life after death.

Economic forces are the principal factors in shaping human behavior. Ideas, values, and beliefs – including religion – are shaped by economic forces.

Religion is often found to be a liberating force within society; promoting

Part of the reason for this conflict is ethnocentrism, or the belief that one's own group is superior to other groups. Even religions that teach tolerance and share many of the same moral and ethical principles such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, can be in conflict with one another despite their commonalities. Since most religions have historically been patriarchal in nature, this us-them mentality also extends to stratification of genders, with males often being allowed positions of power and authority while women are assigned to subservient roles. This approach can also be used to explain the conflict over gay rights and ordination of gays and lesbians within many churches today.

Religion as a source of social conflict is an idea or thought that arises from various conflicts, pejudices, inequality, and disparities within and around religion.

These give rise to conflicts between religious (or non religious)groups, between religious groups and the society or even conflicts withing religious traditions.

Few of the many causes that supplement these conflicts include:

Religion is seen as a source of internal cohesion but not external

Movies that have initiated controversies is a long list that include movies such as The Da Vinci Code, The Exorsist, Ghandi, Keerthi Chakra, and many more.

These movies are recognised for the content displayed as well as the positive and negative effects and feed backs that it recieves from its viewers.

Most movies of these sort highlight the calmness and serenity of a dominant religion while portraying another in a more cruel, unsympathetic or loose manner. It is only a-given that such movies are welcome to a list containing films that have caused conspiracies, conflicts and uneasiness.

For example, a very hotly debated topic is the manner in which Muslims are portrayed in certain movies (especially those of the west). Movies that show events of terrorism or war, usually display Muslims are cruel to the core, with no sympathy or feelings of humanity. Those who watch these movies without any first hand knowledge about Muslims gain the little information that they recieve from these movies. Thus they become the base upon which people judge others based on their religion. This has become a large issue as a mass of people genuinely belive that the 'character' of Muslim that is portrayed is basically how every one of them is outside the movie sceen