Abstract:
Results from a qualitative inquiry investigating the role of religion in the lives of families are provided. Focus groups and individual interviews were comprised of 30 individuals that included both male and female students aged 15-17. This review aims to show how religion affects a family and demonstrate the positive influence that it can have on a family.
Introduction:
The role of religion in the lives of families is very significant. Religion often plays a great role in the start of a new family. Often if a couple is a strong believer in their religion of choice they would not think of marring someone of a different religious background. Religion in the life of the family is an important area of study due to the role it plays
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Throughout my research I found that religion offers support systems where these feelings of support often lead to feelings of social support within a family and allow for a stronger bond between the family, making the connection between parents and children stronger, more trustworthy and generally more established. Along with the emotional connection religion provides in order to strengthen bonds within a family it also provides families with enjoyable activities, such as attending worships (church or mosque), and the celebration of religious rituals and traditions like Christmas for example help strengthen the bonds of a family. Surveys and private interviews showed that those who had some sort of religious affiliation within their family were better connected with their family. When asked if religion has brought you closer to your family respondents who had some sort of religious view all answered yes. So of the 30 people surveyed 83% of them would confirm that religion has in fact brought them closer to their family and has helped provide the family with a special connection. Happy people tend to be productive and law-abiding and also tend to learn well, therefore creating a positive influence on society. An analysis of the research displays that Religion significantly affects the level …show more content…
When a couple or family face the kind of betrayals that threaten to tear the family apart it is often there religious belief system that helps resolve or deescalate the problem at hand. I asked 6 people who identified themselves as religious people whom share there religious following with there parents and 4 people who identified themselves as none religious. I asked everyone what type of relationship there parents have with each other and of the 6 who identified as religious 84% of them said there parents are happily married and only 16% said that they were divorced. Yet the 4 who identified as non religious 50% of them said that there parents were divorced and the other half said that they’re parents are still together yet they argue with each other very often. . At these benchmark family moments, beliefs surrounding forgiveness serve a vital function. Practices of forgiving, repenting, and reconciling prevent couples and families from immediate collapse, and use subtle and not so subtle pressure for family reconsolidation. (Meredith, W. 1990). Religious beliefs help couples and families to define the problems they face as “solvable,” their unmanageable family member as “redeemable,” and allows for their relationships to be seen as “restorable.” While resentment, grudge holding, and hatred do exist even in the most committed families, teachings on forgiveness or repentance press
The essay "Forgiveness," written by June Callwood, explores the concept of forgiving and how it influences people's lives for the better. Her work describes many components of forgiveness, such as how difficult it can be to come to terms with, why it is such a crucial part of humanity, and how it affects all people. Her essay aims to prove that forgiveness is the key to living peacefully and explains specific examples of people who have encountered extremely difficult situations in their lives- all of whom found it within themselves to forgive. To clearly portray this message in her writing, Callwood uses several strategies. She includes fear inducing statistics, makes many references to famous events and leaders, and uses a serious convincing tone, all of which are very effective.
On the contrary to orthodox consensus, Kennedy sees the doctrine of forgiveness as one silencing factor that caused further emotional trauma on abused children (131-4). However, I think the Christian concept of forgiving is indeed a double-edged sword rather than a paradox in child abuse issue. In other words, it could either offer spiritual support or it could worsen the victim’s e...
As William James rightly contends, just because an experience, custom, ritual or trait falls into the category of “Religion or Mysticism” is no reason to discount its validity or worth in the formation of a hypothesis or theory. Additional research is required into other aspects of self-differentiation such as fusion and cut-off as it relates to both religion and religious leadership as absent of any available modern studies, this would help broaden our understanding and application of present family
It is amazing to know how much studies has been done and the good outcome of the practice on forgiveness intervention with the hope focused couple approach for 20 years (Ripley & Worthington, 2014). The FREE model is based on the forgiveness – based intervention that has been beneficial for many years to help the couple rekindle their love and forgive each other. It can be used with adults, parents, couples and adolescents.
Religion is an institution that can provide stability for societies through various religious concepts, and is substantial for the support of social cohesion and order. Many functionalist theories of religion, for example, claim that religion functions in such a way as to integrate societies (McCauley, 1984). There are many types of religion that people practice world-wide such as Christianity, Catholi...
Kelley’s (1998) analysis of forgiveness explains that there are three ways that individuals forgive: directly, indirectly, and conditionally. Direct forgiveness, i.e. “I forgive you,” is most often employed within a direct discussion about the transgression at hand. Indirect forgiveness occurs when the forgiver acts in such a way that implies forgiveness without explicitly sta...
Parenting methods have been affected by numerous factors over the years. Parenting is something that is obviously successful or in the worst case, has failed miserably! We found that the parents' religious affiliation affects the way they raise their children. "The particular theologies theory posits that different religious affiliations put varying efforts into emphasizing family-formation strategies" (Pearce 2002: 325). Religious affiliations, inspired parents to be fervent on implanting strong morals, maintaining close relational ties within their family, and encourage positive community involvement with their particular religious affiliation.
When compared to each-other, each of the religion’s approach to justice and forgiveness is remarkably similar. Although the customs and standards may vary widely, and in fact vary even within different sects of each religion, justice and forgiveness operate on largely the same principle: man’s nature is to act against God’s justice, but man is capable of repairing his relationship with God through the process of forgiveness.
Burgess, Olivia. "Forgiveness Is a Choice: A Step-by-Step Process for Resolving Anger and Restoring Hope, And: Total Forgiveness, And: Radical Forgiveness." Project MUSE. Johns Hopkins UP, 2010. Web. 19 Apr. 2014. .
As more Americans enter the cultural melting pot and cross ethnic and social barriers, the rate of interfaith marriages has increased, not because persons are less committed to their faith traditions, but because there is a new reality in which old barriers are breaking down. In the western hemisphere the issue of interfaith marriage is widely debated among all religious traditions. Many conservative denominations believe that, "A believer marrying or intending to marry an unbeliever is clearly going against the expressed commandment of God" (J.J. Lim) . Other religious denominations view intermarriages as, "The unity within diversity that adds a richness and beauty to marriage and to life" (Rev. Tom Chulak) . Regardless of one's religious denomination, a person's religion comprises the framework of meaning and the source of his or her values. When two people marry they bring with them their strengths and weaknesses, hopes and fears, and their religious dimension that plays a significant role in their relationship, decisions and responses to each other. For this reason, many issues and challenges arise within interfaith marriages that require accommodations by each person including how the couple will deal with their religious difference, what religion they will teach to their children, and how their respective religious communities will respond to interfaith marriages. No two couples manage the adjustments that need to be made within an interfaith marriage in the same way. This is because there is no standard or typical Christian, Hindu, Buddhist or Muslim. Their knowledge, commitment, practice and attachment to the respective religious traditions, and their knowledge of, attitude and affinity toward the religious tradition of their spouses are so different that no two couples have the same experience.
“Crevecoeur explained the tragedy it would be for two individuals with different religions to start a family and created generations upon generations of confusion”. Each family in early America marrying based on common religious beliefs, and teachings their children in the way of their beliefs, would create a stable home for children to grow in. In today’s Christian church this is a value we hold true to well. Setting genuine religious values and morals are very important in today’s world. Whether you choose to practice that religion or not, the core values that are indebted in you from your childhood follow you into adulthood. Having pure religious principles promotes a balanced and well-functioning home. “Thus religious indifference is imperceptibly disseminated from one end of the continent to the other; which is at present one of the strongest characteristics of the Americans”. With core religious values or even a lack thereof, families will be able to create a solid foundation of morals and values to be built
We see it effects us in our communities as well: when warring gangs call for a cease-fire after years of senseless killings; when a spouse accepts into his or her home, a marriage partner who has repented from unfaithfulness; when a former addict becomes sober, makes amends, and is fully restored to family and community. Each time we witness an act of forgiveness, we marvel at its power to heal, to break a seemingly unending cycle of pain. Forgiveness is something virtually all Americans aspire to. Following September 11, 2001, Palestinian and Israeli officials issued orders to pull back from aggression and violence. The world is witnessing astonishing acts of forgiveness and of seeking forgiveness. Forgiveness is the key that can unshackle us from a past that will not rest in the grave of things over and done with. As long as our minds are captive to the memory of having been wrong, then we are not free to wish for reconciliation with the one who wronged us.
Moeller, Philip. “Religion Makes People Happier--But Why?” Chicago Tribune. N.p., 13 Apr. 2012. Web. 15 June 2015.
Love conquers everything. Or at least, that’s what Romeo and Juliet thought. But marriage and love can be complicated, and some argue that marrying someone who shares your religious beliefs can make things much easier. Is having the same religious and spiritual beliefs part of criteria many people use when seeking a marriage partner? It is strongly felt that the person they are going to marry should have the same traditions and customs, and intensity of belief as they themselves do. For them, it is an imperative part of marriage. A correlation exists between religious shared beliefs in marriage and marital satisfaction, although the nature of the relationship is not certain. History says that religion starts wars. If that is true, what will it do to a dual-religion marriage? This paper will discuss people’s views on why it is actually a major criterion to have a partner that has the same religious beliefs.
Marty, Martin E. "The ethos of Christian forgiveness." Dimensions of forgiveness: Psychological research and theological perspectives (2008): 9-28.