There are many religions around the world. Not only that, there are many religious organizations, secrets and alternative learning programs. Today’s society gives the public the choice to associate themselves with the religion that best suits their spirit and the option on what he or she believes the most. However, the essence is that religions are not so different from each other. Every religion has fundamental questions about the creation of the world, the man, the immortality and the meaning.
Religion is a major piece of societal function in the modern era. Lots of societal factors can be determined by one’s religion. So, it makes sense that religion and religious institutions are a continual hot topic for sociologists, and that there is an undying debate as to the meaning and purpose of religion, mainly due in part to the three conflicting views of sociology: functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism. Functionalism, according to Understanding Social Problems, 5th Edition, Functionalism states that “society is a system of interconnected parts that work together in harmony to maintain a state of balance and social equilibrium for the whole”. In other words, it is a sociological viewpoint that suggests that society functions in a cooperative manner meant to build and uphold itself, the key focus being how society attempts to preserve itself and evolve: group survival.
The human mind’s ability and innate desire to justify and explain the world and its phenomena has led to some of the most significant and world-altering discoveries and inventions, illustrated throughout the renaissance, enlightenment, scientific revolution, and industrial revolution. Logical pursuits comprise a significant capstone of human nature and progress. However, according to Rudolf Otto in The Idea of the Holy, these tendencies have created different dimensions of religion; the rational and non-rational, with the latter often times overlooked. The most significant difference between the rational and non-rational aspects of religion deal with their respective emphasis on reason and feeling. Rudolph Otto prioritizes the non-rational as offering a truer understanding of religion because he claims the core of all religious life revolves around experiences and feeling, not simply rational thought.
Jurak Una PS190 Argumentative analysis essay In the past few years, there has been much discussion on whether religious teaching should be part of the public school curriculum. Religion is a constant element shaping our political, economic and social lives. It pinpoints the set of beliefs, dogmas and practices defining the relation between human beings and the so called “divinity”. The notion of religion has always been a very important element of the world’s history. It began as an element forming the ancient societies, it was indistinguishable from what is known as 'mythology ' in the present day and consisted of regular rituals based on a belief in higher supernatural entities who created and continued to maintain the world and surrounding cosmos.
This quote highlights the interdependence of politics and religion, as power is divided between “political credentials” which are qualifications that the king has and “ritual commission” which are qualifications marabouts have, in order to for a village to function both have to work together, therefore stressing on the fact that any important decisions or political decision the king has to make, has to be approved by the marabout. The reign of Mandinka kings have always been tied to religion, because rituals and other practices help in the assumption of power. In Mandinka cosmology, power is perceived not as a process, but as an entity to be stockpiled until enough is gained to enable the processor to exercise social and political control over others. The stockpiling process is accomplished religiously, among other ways, through occult practices, such as conjuring and the preparation and wearing of amulets and talismans. (“Mandinka”) This selection depicts power as objects that are gained and amassed in order to attain a certain power level that allows to rule over people, but the process of “stockpiling” can only happen through religious practices such as “conjuring”.
In a similar fashion, what is emphasized here as Greene’s existential bias, may be regarded by some as religious bias. Religion is not simply a detached observation of rituals for its own sake. Rather it is a way of life. It always stands in need of existential verification in the lived life of man. On the other hand, through the dual need of handing it down, religion produces schools of thoughts and bodies of beliefs which lead in different directions from man’s concrete existence.
Religion plays a vital role in imparting meaning and explanation on the existence and purpose of mankind. It has been an elemental aspect of many societies across different time periods. Religious beliefs and practices affect everything from an individual level such as personal ethics, to a larger scale such as national and international politics. However, what exactly does religion provide? What needs does it serve?
Religion as communication Abstract: Religion grows out of one’s personal need. Faith is communicated through various media. Religious communication is born out of communication events such as religious gatherings, individual rituals, and prayers. Religious communication has three important components such as information, transmittal of this information, and understanding this transmittal. Canonical texts, Song, Music, Dance, Drama, Architecture, Plastic Arts, Pictures, Odour, Signs, Symbols, Gesture, and Rituals are important media for communicating religious information.
I would start from the origin of the religion providing details about its rituals and ideals. The next part focuses how religion constructs the identity over time, and the threats perceived by the followers. My main focus is the huge correlation between the protection of religious values and identity and how the followers of one religion overlap the two. It becomes difficult to know whether they are protecting their religion or the identity which is constructed due to religious values. A large number of social scientists have provided various theories in relation identity and its formation.
The nexus between religion and conflict is not limited to the impact of religion on violent conflict, but also refers to religion as a cause for structural violence through discrimination and exclusions. A “propositional” understanding of religion emphasizes that each religion claims absolute truth. Anthropologists examine how within and across societies, religion is used to create differences among people. Political scientists argue that religion, through its inherent distinction between an in-group and an out-group, can lead to structural violence within societies and on the international scene. According to Galtung, “cultural violence”, often based on religion and ideology, is a form of violence that is used to legitimize other forms of