Religion And Society: The Importance Of Religion In Society

1037 Words3 Pages

“It is science, and not religion, which has taught men that things are complex and difficult to understand”-Emile Durkheim. Understanding religion is a very difficult task, with so many views and thousands of different religions. No matter what the religion is, or where it is located they all have an importance for society. The importance religion has is establishing what is correct and what is not. Religion has been around for many years, so has the many different understanding of the purpose religion has on society. Most of all the three key factors of religion that has an impact on society are; Social support, experience, maintain social control. For starters let’s establish not only what religion exactly is, but also what is the social …show more content…

Religion and education prepares young people to live a positive and productive elderly life. So what exactly is social control? It is performing the “manifest function of transmitting knowledge” (310). Social control it teaches young people what is to be good, and right. Most of all it is to emphasizes on; discipline, scheduling, and responsible work habits. This is viewed as what are the norms, and values of society. Like schools that educate people with the skills of mathematics, history, and sciences. Religion is to maintain society by driving in what they like to view as good character traits. Most religions believe if you live a riotous life on earth, you can live in paradise for eternity once it is your time to die. Although according to a survey conducted by Global Attitudes “True to the stereotype, surveys showed that Americans are more likely to believe that hard work pays off”. In other words even those without religion do have “good morals” and believe in change coming with hard work. Another form of Social control is most religions believe marriage is to be between man and woman, they do not condone gay marriages. Although in the Bible states ““You shall love your neighbor as yourself,””. With that being said generations are changing and beliefs along with them, who knows in years from now youth would be reading about how once gay marriages seemed wrong to

Show More
Related

  • The Influence Of William James On Religion

    813 Words  | 2 Pages

    There is no society without religion. James has also states that religion is “personal destiny”, which means that it existence is infinite in human life. Human lifestyle has been influence by the religion, so religion is a principal factor in universe. Religion is based on different believes and practices of humans which is totally understandable, despite of difference in religion people have same shared belief of putting their God above the others and shows the love and affection toward it. God has created this universe, the specious around us is the sign of his existence.

    Read More

  • Converting the Umuofia People to Christianity in Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe

    766 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Necessity of Religion in Today's Society

    540 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Necessity of Religion in Today's Society No, religion in NOT necessary in today’s society. Maybe not every war but, the main cause of some of the most devastating wars has been religion. Today, discrimination is based on a person’s belief or religion. Though some might say that discrimination could be based on clothes or looks, but those trends may be demanded of them by their religious beliefs.

    Read More

  • Exploring the Necessity of Religion in Human Life

    899 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are thousands upon thousands of theories about why human beings need religion, one of the most popular being that we are sheep and will always need a Shepard, leader or set of rules to follow. This theory was tested by a team of psychological scientists in Ontario, Canada, by assessing whether or not religious beliefs had an effect on ones self control. The results were somewhat

    Read More

  • Influence Of Religion On Western Civilization

    730 Words  | 2 Pages

    Religion has greatly influenced western civilization. Religion is a way to express ourselves in our own way. To be able to choose who or what we believe in freely. This gives us a sense of individualism and helps our civilization to grow and develop each religion. Just about every ancient culture practiced religion in some way. They were either monotheist, polytheist, atheist, or believed in “magic”. Western civilization was impacted by religion in more ways than one. Every religion contributed in their own way. Some religions even worked together to help create a stronger, more structured civilization.

    Read More

  • Religion: Competition, Conflict and Influence

    749 Words  | 2 Pages

    disagreement. With everyone trying to promote themselves in the eyes of God, or achieve eternal salvation spirituality is no longer about humanity’s deliverance. The individual believes that as long as he serves the word of God he is justified in benefiting himself. Humans have, in a way, made religion into a competition, and with competition comes conflict.

    Read More

  • Religion's Impact on Social Health and Unity

    1078 Words  | 3 Pages

    Are the bonds created through religion enough to help one overcome poor social health? All superficial controversy aside, it is very important for individuals to recognize the impact that the practice of religion has upon the majority of the human populous. It is clear that religion is a leading contributor towards to the social health of many people. Religion tackles many issues of poor social health by bringing people together and giving them a common mindset. Three major things that have a large impact on society are the ceremonies, purpose seeking, and comfort that is provided in communities throughout many different religious groups. There is much to learn from religion and why it still stands strong

    Read More

  • The Society Religion as a Social Glue

    868 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Society Religion as a Social Glue The view in the title is a functionalist’s view. Durkheim claims that religion is to do with the sacred and certain things, people and places are perceived to be sacred for example Jesus Christ, totem and the Tajmahal. He claims that what people perceive to be sacred are actually symbols of a collective consciousness. By worshipping these sacred things etc. they are actually reinforcing the beliefs, values, norms and tradition which make social life possible.

    Read More

  • The French Revolution and Christianity

    1720 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout the course of history, man has looked to religion for answers. Curiosity as to how we got here and why we are have driven people to seek out answers to these somewhat unanswerable questions. Over the past few thousand years, several varying religions have been established, some more prominent than others. Many of them share a similar story of a divine creator who has always been and will always be. In the case of Christianity, whether true or not, it has proven to be beneficial to society as a whole. The Bible set the standard for the moral compass that humans live their lives by to this day. The key fundamental problem with religion, although not the fault of religion, is that man has often used it as a gateway to power and prominence. In the case of the 18th century Gallican church, the French were abusing their religious powers, thus creating vast inequality throughout France, which eventually led to a rebellion against the church, and the eventual destruction of the church within France.

    Read More

  • Rational Choice Theory Of Religion Essay

    779 Words  | 2 Pages

    The sociology of religion is easiest to define by understanding the core of sociology. According to Ronald Johnstone in Religion and Society, the goal of sociology is to “[understand] the dynamics of group life” and “[understand] the influence of groups on individual and collective behavior” (Johnstone 2). This goal is sought under the assumption that “people become human only in groups” (Johnstone 4). Thus, the sociology of religion is the study of religion from the perspective of humans as communicative and influenceable beings, both on an individual level and more importantly, as religious groups. This means that the sociology of religion is less about specific religious belief systems and more about the implications and influence of religious

    Read More

  • Sociological Perspectives on Religion

    994 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Religion is a ritualized system of beliefs and practices related to things defined as sacred by an organized community of believers.” (Basirico et.al. 379). Religion is an important element in the society because it influences the way individuals act and think. It has shaped the relationship and bonding among families as well as influenced the decision made in economics and politics. Religion in general has contributed to shape a society and a government structure which will influence the way the individuals under certain governmental structure behave. Sociologists are interested in religion mainly because religious belief is heavily rooted in individuals’ lives and it helps sociologists to interpret human’s actions, expression, and experiences. Due to its significance in society, sociologists try to study religion in depth to explain and understanding religions beyond science. Supernatural belief, which is the core of religion, cannot be explained using science which relies only on facts and data. According to Emile Durkheim, religion consists of three elements, a system of beliefs and practices, a community or church, and sacred things which are common throughout all religions. Although a lot of people may have thought that sociological studies in religion will undermine one’s faith towards their beliefs, in my opinion, sociological perspective in religion will have no effect on one’s faith toward their beliefs.

    Read More

  • The Role of Religion in American Society

    563 Words  | 2 Pages

    For many years we have heard about the separation of church and state. Despite being written as part of the First Amendment in the Constitution, can the two really be separated? What law actually dictates the separation of church and state? The truth is that the government has never passed a law implementing a separation of church and state. What is actually written in the Constitution is: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." America is one of the few nations in the world whose sole existence is due to religion. The pilgrims were the first to settle in America. They came in search of religious freedom, as did many others after them. Many of America's early documents, laws, and freedoms were based on religious beliefs. We could look at several similar examples. The fact is that freedom of religion, speech, press, peaceful assembly, and to petition the government are all covered in the First Amendment. The first of these firsts is the freedom of religion. This most likely means that when the authors of the Bill of Rights prepared the first ten amendment to the Constitution, the first thing on their minds was protecting or possibly creating a freedom of religion; but what about the separation of church and state? If our founding fathers intended the separation we are now levied with would their earliest documents contain phrases such as "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness…" This is part of the Declaration of Independence. Here is another example from Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, "…that is this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth." Even in the Pledge of Allegiance the nation is referred to as "…one nation under God…" Religion also plays an important role in politics. As once stated by Ronald Reagan "politics and morality are inseparable, and as morality's foundation is religion, religion and politics are necessarily related.

    Read More

  • The Influence Of Catholic Social Teachings In The Help

    1033 Words  | 3 Pages

    Every person is unique in what they do, how they think, and above all, what they believe in. This fascinating diversity is attributed to several social factors, taking many forms, with the perhaps most influential being theology. Religion plays a significant role in guiding the individuals of the world to form a moral conscious aimed at helping choose what is perceived to be “right.” For example, the Catholic faith in particular releases numerous documents rooted in scripture to help guide and inform individuals of what is believed to be the intended meanings behind the teachings found in the Bible. However, as the year’s fly by and society advances, many of these documents become difficult to apply and reference when facing contemporary social

    Read More

  • Religion and Civilization

    1234 Words  | 3 Pages

    Religion helps establish mankind’s place in the order of the universe. As civilization began to be established through the domestication of animals, the irrigation and cultivation of agricultural crops, and life became more complex (moving from mainly a hunter/gather existence to one that could settle down and have more time to consider advanced ideas) people began to consider questions such as, where life comes from, is there a creator or creators who helped make the world, and what happens after we die. Religion helped answer some of these questions. It gave people purpose, meaning, and perspective. Religion helped establish nations in the case of religious theocratic governments. In many of the ancient civilizations, such as the Egyptians, the Mayans, and even Mesopotamia, the priests and other religious leaders played prominent roles in help shaping the laws and government of these civilizations. As his...

    Read More

  • Essay On Religious Institutions

    949 Words  | 2 Pages

    Social Institutions are mainly the organizations that are part of our everyday lives. This is religion, education, and government. Social institutions structure the behaviors and beliefs of many individuals around the world today. Many people today will never know that they are part of social institutions because they believe that the organization that they are in is different from others when it is actually the same. My purpose in writing this analysis is to prove why religion as a whole should no longer continue to be practiced. In this analysis of religion will discuss the history of religion, where religion stands today in this society, and a brief discussion on the acceptations of homosexuality within the church.

    Read More

More about Religion And Society: The Importance Of Religion In Society

Open Document