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Relationship between religion and politics
Conclusion of influence of religion on culture
The Reformation impacts
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Religion is a part of society that is so closely bound to the rest of one’s life it becomes hard to distinguish what part of religion is actually being portrayed through themselves, or what is being portrayed through their culture and the rest of their society. In Holy Terrors, Bruce Lincoln states that religion is used as a justifiable mean of supporting violence and war throughout time (Lincoln 2). This becomes truly visible in times such as the practice of Jihad, the Reformation, and 9/11. The purpose of this essay is to show that as long as religion is bound to a political and cultural aspect of a community, religious war and destruction will always occur throughout the world. A historical methodology will be deployed in order to gain …show more content…
Culture is made up of three main components: ethics, aesthetics, and religion (Lincoln 52). The lines of culture become skewed as it often blends in with political and religious views. In Western Europe during the time of the Reformation, the Church was the central ruler of the society. This meant that religion was not only a cultural view, but also a political one. As time moved on, the Church became less important, but today’s standards still connect religion to culture. This becomes an issue as individuals who are noticeably outside the culture in forms or religion are often judged and looked down upon (Lincoln 56). Due to this outcast it can cause anger to certain religions and culture which can often lead to these acts of violence. With the hate between cultures, religion becomes the justifiable mean on which violence can occur. Many individuals can state that God wants them to make their own religion superior, and one way they can draw attention to their religion is terrorism and other forms of violence. Due to this connection to culture, religion can not be separated into it’s own personal category, as it is forever affected by the changes and culture of the community (Lincoln 57). As time and culture progress, the religion of the community will either change with it, or fight the changes which will often cause conflict. This can be seen in the results of the practice of Jihad, the Reformation and
There is evidence in both Lord of the Flies and A Separate Peace that display the savagery of man. In Lord of the Flies there is savagery found when the choir boys and most of the bigguns separate from Ralph’s authority and form their own tribe. In A Separate Peace, savagery is found in unnamed characters during Leper’s war experience - he feels such a need to escape from evil and savagery in the war that he takes the risk and actually does. In both of these novels, the archetype and motif of savagery is present in young boys, ultimately resulting in the downfall and degenerating of man.
There is absolutely no human group which does no react to the changes, disturbing events and crises which the dynamics of history introduce into the physical or cultural context to which the group belongs. Any quick change, an internal or external conflict whatever, produces a crisis. To each crisis, society responds by slowly developing new forms and new means to bring about balance within the limits of the particular cultural group. Sometimes the crises and wounds are so serious that they threaten the vey existence of the group. Their whole existence seems to be on the line. In such a case, the most secret and active forces in their whole culture are mobilized so as to develop adequate means for their liberation. These means are the forces of religious life.
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, three of the world’s great religions, have their roots as well their “holiest places” in the Middle East. All three religions revere Abraham as a common ancestor. Yet all three have had bloody interchanges throughout history. How and why did Abraham’s children become such a dysfunctional family? Where is God in this “family feud?” Finding answers to these theological questions that could help provide a peaceful future are important for all. Conflicts surrounding this “family of God” involve more people and places than were involved even 50 years ago. For example, currently there are more Muslims living in the United States than Methodists (Geisler and Saleeb, 2001).1
As a result of our global society being manipulated by ancient doctrines Sam Harris argues in The End of Faith: Religion, Terror and the Future of Reason the ultimate thesis: religion is the basis for all of human conflict. Because faith bypasses all evidence, Harris feels “we are building a civilization of ignorance” and another direction should be taken lest we desire to meet our doom. It is incredible the amount of detail Harris delves into. Each reference to religion, he notes their various foibles and incorporates well-reasoned arguments, including others, that support his view. Though there are flaws, The End of Faith is a worthy read that explores the idiosyncrasies of all facets of religion.
"Center Update: Case Studies on Religion and Conflict." The Berkley Center. Georgetown University, n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2012.
Most religions specify that violence is not allowed and yet extremists will cause major destruction in the name of their God. However, some people are too quick to blame religion on terrorism (Winchester, 2). In actuality, it is the nature of human beings to prove that their way is right, there way of doing that is using fear and destruction (Winchester, 3). It is not religion that causes the terr...
Every state, culture, and society in the world has some form of religion. The most popular religions in the world today are Christianity, Buddhism, and the Muslim religions. Members of every religion follow some form of philosophy or ideology that shape their thinking and behaviors. One common thing about the existing religions is the presence of a supreme being. People misinterpret existing religious ideologies serving their personal interests that at times turn out to cause war. Religious ideologies brainwash populations who end up acting violently in different deviant forms (Richardson, 518). Religions use specific ideologies to make people living in a society violent to peaceful members who may fight back in self-defense.
The ongoing war in the Middle East has created much controversy in the eyes of western civilization. Like the youth movement of the 1960s, war tends to create tension between tradition and newly adapted lifestyles. Plus, for every war in history, there have always been problems for the citizens of either side. Therefore, war exhibits fundamentalism at it’s best, easily allowing different religions to protest the “apparent” atrocities of customary civilization. In turn, some of these protests ended up taking a more extremist route when dealing with such radical issues. As Karen Armstrong puts it, “Perhaps the most important factor to understand about this widespread religious militancy is its rootedness in a deep fear of annihilation. Every fundamentalist movement I have studied in Judaism, Christianity and Islam is convinced that modern secular society wants to wipe out religion-even in America. Fundamentalists, therefore, believe they are fighting for survival, and when people feel that their backs are to the wall, some can strike out violently.” (Karen Armstrong)
There is no doubt that life in the Middle East is a far cry from life as we know it in the Unites States. Having freedom of religious expression is a luxury many are not afforded in these areas; however, it is a freedom we often times do not give a second thought. Religion plays a significant role in all societies and all aspects of present-day life. Furthermore, religion gives many a reason to live, and a better understanding of the unknown. On the other hand religion has long been a controversial issue causing widespread global unrest. The ideology of religion is to promote peace, happiness, and unity; however, more times than not, it produces hatred and anomie. Sociologist Emile Durkheim introduced this concept to explain social instability resulting from the erosion of standards and values, as well as, alienation and purposelessness experienced by a person or group. (Schaefer, 2013) The differences between the eastern and western ideologies continue to be a talking point in our current events; however, to comprehend the lifestyle and culture in the Middle East remains a mystery to many not living in that region; by applying the sociological perspectives to religion sociologists are able to better grasp the complex issues that surround it. “In some instances religious loyalties become dysfunctional; that is they contribute to tension and even conflict between groups and nations” (Schaefer, 2013). Orhan Pamuk, a Turkish novelist, brings major issues many are dealing with in areas of Turkey and Europe to the forefront in his novel Snow, especially those at the intersection of religious expression and needs for secular authority in the modern world.
Throughout history, religion has been used as an excuse for violence and transgression against other people. Such as in medieval times, Christians led crusades and ransacked cities while in modern times, Al Qaeda, an Islamic extremist group was responsible for the Twin Tower attacks. Just as a knife can be used to help and harm someone, religion can be used to create a positive society or to manipulate people into doing horrible things. Rulers and people of good and bad have kept this paradigm going for centuries.
Yet this discussion should not end by recalling the broad, if only tacit, role of religion in bringing about violence, but should recall the role of religious faith in promoting love between diverse peoples. Fundamental to the Church’s centuries-old teachings is the importance of humanity’s dignity a sons and daughters of the Creator. Violence, if even in part motivated by religion, contradicts what St. John taught us about God – “God is love” – a divine love that humanity is called to mirror and extend.
The book “The Sacred and the Profane: The Nature of Religion”, written by Mircea Eliade, investigates four aspects of the sacred universe: space, time, nature, and self. Eliade splits each aspect into two forms of perception, the sacred and profane. Religious men, specifically the ancient, traditional men, view the universe as sacred. In other words, they acknowledge a distinct qualitative difference between a sacred and profane (non-sacred) universe; whereas, nonreligious, specifically modern men, are unable to understand such differences in the world. This claim rests on the on the concept of heirophanies or manifestations of the sacred. A hierophany is the religious man’s source of absolute reality and it illuminates the glory and power of God. This manifestation of divine glory charges a site with special significance, thereby losing a sense of homogeneity throughout the universe. Eliade’s underlying thesis is that due to the human experience of both the sacred and profane in day to day life, the transitional zones between the two are exceptionally illuminated and charged with the divine glory of the sacred.
In both given articles, “The Roots of Muslim Rage” by Bernard Lewis, and “The Roots of Muslim Rage Revisited” by Nicolaas J.E. van der Zee, argue about the enhancement of the Muslim fundamentalism with different perspectives; however, I believe that Lewis’ view may be quiet misleading to the actual perception. Lewis indicates that Muslim fundamentalism is conceived through the Muslim community’s oppression and dissatisfaction with the West’s political involvement, as well as “Islam is a source of aggression” . In defiance of Lewis’ opinion, the word ‘Islam’ comes from the word peace as well as the will of submission to God. The notion of aggression and violence that Lewis conceptualizes to be the headline of Islam does not have any supporting
[online] Available at: http://www.studymode.com/essays/Does-Religion-Cause-War-1133786.html [Accessed: 25 Mar 2014]. Wikipedia. The World of the. 2012. The.
Religion has existed ever since the dawn of time. Most ancient civilizations believed in one or greater beings that watched over and controlled all of their lives. Even today, religion plays a significant role in a majority of people’s lives. They go to the local church, mosque, synagogue, or another place of worship and bow their heads in admiration to the higher power. But how has religion affected society? Has it brought world peace and ended all wars? Or has it, in fact, brought hate and evil warfare? The Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, and the Thirty Years War are all examples of religion’s negative effect on society throughout history. More contemporary examples such as the Lebanese Civil War and attacks by Muslim extremists show that