Religion, a word shrouded with mystery, confusion and complexity. For some it is the answer to everything, a path to guidance and hope. For others it is the reason for all evil or just a manmade phenomenon for people who refuse to understand that everything happens for a scientific reason. Whatever the case is, it is a topic that is quite controversial and much debated among scientists, cultural theorist and conspiracy theorists. Religion plays a major role in functioning and forming social and psychological behavior of a society. It is connected more towards the emotional side of a person and everyone has their own perspective about it. Therefore religion has become an important part of human identity. The reason perhaps religion is attacked so much is because of certain religious people who misuse religion and violate the rules and regulations of religion for personnel gains. Some even force religion onto others so that when the other one accepts his or her religion they can be praised in society. Saadat Hasan Manto, Munshi Premchand and Rabindranath Tagore with their short stories give an insight to certain kinds of people and psychological and social impact religion has on the society. In A Man of God, Manto writes about how a person with a religious persona has an authority over the society. The story talks about a Maulvi who visits the house of Chaudhry Maujoo, a recently divorcee. He regrets that he divorced his wife and he instantly feels ashamed of doing that. Looking at the condition of Maujoo the maulvi takes advantage of the situation for personal gains. Manto sets the stage in a village where usually religion is misunderstood and not many people have the proper knowledge of it. Similarly Maujoo is not a religious ma... ... middle of paper ... ...e. “Then I’ll get down immediately, right here. I can’t take a mathor into the car -- haridom I might have understood, but a mathor!” A similar discrimination can be seen in other religions as well. In Pakistani society the biggest discrimination can be seen in the form of the treatment of religious minorities. In some households people tend not to eat food sent from a Christian or a Hindu family and in some extreme cases not even from a Shia family. In conclusion, whether religion does lead to conservatism and violence or people who use religion for personal gains solely depends on how they are taught religion. There are people who are very religious yet they are very modern, such as Sheikh Hamza Yousuf, Dalai Lama or Pope Francis. It all depends on the human psychology and with proper knowledge on the subject, religion can surely exist with science and modernism.
Religion is considered as a pervasive force in this world. It shapes people as to how they behave and interact with almost everything present in the society. Influencing behavior, character formations, ideals, policies, standards are just among the dimensions and societal perspectives affected and impacted by religion. Because of these applications and implications in human lives and existence, religion should be understood deeply, particularly, on how it affects the world. Looking at the American perspective of the term "religion," it could be simply
Religion has many effects in any society. It can either destroy it by proving customs wrong or it can guide it like it guides converts to believe in the religion. Religion creates two different societies and while it guides one to become stronger it will destroy another at the same time. Religion guides societies and destroys them.
Religion is a very sensitive topic to discuss. To discuss religion, is to walk through a minefield. People deserves for their own opinion and beliefs. In contemporary America, it is common now turn from established religions or do not have religion at all. Religion has stricken much debate over its origins. Some finds propose that some sort of religion has been existing since the beginning of mankind. Evidence of sacrificial ceremonies can relate the relationship between man and animal, and between man and his natural environment were described in religious records such as Bible, Koran, and Buddhist Scriptures.
Religion has always played a major role in the development of human society. This is the main reason why it has so often been used for unjust purposes. The concept of war is in complete opposition to what Islam and Christianity teach their followers. Still, by different means, religion was and is often brought into play to cater for the interests of powerful people.
Religion is an organized collection of beliefs and cultural systems that entail the worship of a supernatural and metaphysical being. “Religion just like other belief systems, when held onto so much, can stop one from making significant progress in life”. Together with religion come traditions that provide the people with ways to tackle life’s complexities. A subscription to the school of thought of great scholars
Since the beginning of documented history individuals have held strong to their religious beliefs and the right to practice religion in their own ways. As a result of various religions in society people have been hated and persecuted for their religious choices. Examples of this hatred and persecution are the Nazi concentration camps where thousands of Jews were killed, the Crusades in the middle-ages, and more recently the terrorist attacks of September 11. Some may wonder what relation such catastrophes have to the practice of religious freedoms; the answer can often be found in the influence of the messengers or leaders of certain religious orders. Since many religious followers believe that their religious leaders; such as priests, rabbis, popes, and prophets posses the true power of God, they go to great lengths to follow them.
Granted the people seek religion for means of peace and conflict resolution, it is widely believed that misinterpretation of religion is one of the fundamental reasons for evolution of war all around the world. History proves this by innumerable war and evolution incidents, one of them occurring in what we call now Spain.
Religion has made people blind, dumb and deaf to the reality. They have faith without reasoning which is blind. On the contrary, it has often made people to become bigots and fanatics. Bigotry and fanaticism have led to persecution, inhuman treatment and misery in the past.
So what is religion? Religion is more than an institution of rituals and beliefs, its more than just going to church on Sunday, its more than just praying 5 times day facing mecca. Religion is a powerful tool for governments. Religion creates a sense of unity that unites all peoples with-in that religion, but also can have the opposite effect. It can cause wars between two opposite religions. Religion is also an inhibitor according to Karl Marx. It stunts progression of many social classes or slows the progression of rights for women. Even though all of these peoples were Atheists, they all could still see the huge impact religion has had on our society, and how it has made us the people as whole we are today.
Religion is the one element of life that has connected the races and societies of the world for hundreds of years. It has given meaning to lives that may seem otherwise hopeless. Religion has provided for a universal language and culture among those who believe in a higher power. The spirit or being receiving the worship and praise may not be the same, but the practices are usually similar and serve the same purpose--to give direction, insight, courage, and a divine connection.
As a Christian, I go to church on Sunday and I believe in heaven as a holy place where I can meet God after my physical body dies. Every day I follow the Holy Spirit inside me, and I know I am forgiven for all of my sins as long as I act by the teachings of God. But besides all of these benefits for my spiritual body, what are some effects on my physical and mental health from religiosity? There are definitely effects on my well being from religiosity according to a study conducted by Yoshiomi Imamura and his colleagues researching the relationship between the belief after death and the well being in a group of elders in rural Japan. Many studies have been done in the Western hemisphere to show the beneficial relationship between religiosity
Religion is used as a tool by the governments the elites class for their own interests. Politicization of religion is it good or bad can be seen in history. Pakistan was formed by politicizing Islam. Not just Pakistan Nigeria Turkey India is other examples history has stated.
The evolution of religious leaders and religion has many conflicts in itself as they failed to address the questions of equity and misbeliefs. Basavanna and Ambedkar stand as the best example for which they voiced for equity and other misconceptions of the religion. As Obiefuna & Uzoigwe tells that Religion is then seen as dysfunctional to development nonetheless, underpins and gives force to ethnicity and culture and that often leads to the loss of lives and property. We see many religious conflicts occurring in the world which remain unaddressed by these religions and by their religious leaders. Many of the religious leaders now acts as a political object and identities which has forgotten the basic values and morality of the religion and most of them are failing in implementing them. There are very less instances that religious leaders spoke about the problems in the society and very few had tried (?) To address them. Most of them never bothered about the problems and always looked into preaching and increasing the number of followers. As religions are diverse, likewise the religious leaders are also very diverse with their own set of preachings, following and ideologies. We should make a point that if we speak religion, it's not the one its many in itself. And these religious leaders take the chance misinterpret and manipulate their preachings in the way they want. As a result, we can see a lot of gurus in our Indian Subcontinent. And the major misconception that driving is the religion and spirituality is seen together, but as spiritual gurus tell themselves that Spirituality has no religion. Spirituality is confined only to address the problems of the specific society of people. Although spirituality looks into the nature, but it rarely looked into addressing the broader problems of humankind. A religion which is
What does it mean to be religious? It means almost everything because religions deal with the whole of human life and death. For centuries people have searched for the meaning and truth of their own nature and the nature of the universe. Religions are the result. We view religions as communities of people who share practices and beliefs, who gather together in special buildings to worship, and who have a special way of living. More then three-quarters of the world’s population consider themselves members of some time of religion. Religion deals with almost all aspects of human life. It may have influence in marriage, work, and even food. Religion has been around for thousands of years and it will continue for many more.
My definition of religion has mostly stayed the same, but my perception of it has changed. At the beginning of the class, I assumed religion was something you believed based on your moral principles. I now believe that those moral principles are based on the religion that you believe in. Your religion changes your perception of the world and how to go about in it. Your religion tells you what is right and wrong in the world and answers all of the big questions one asks. Religion according to our book is, “A pattern of beliefs and practices that expresses and enacts what a community regards as sacred and/or ultimate about life” (Van Voorst 6). That definition was one thing that really got me thinking about my own personal idea of what religion