What It Means To Be Sacred
In American society, there are many things that can be considered sacred. Sacred items are usually considered religious items, but that isn’t always the case. Sacred item examples include things, places, persons, and ideas. There are many ways to look at sacred elements.
With there being many different elements that can be considered sacred, it depends on the person that is talked to. Someone may consider anything sacred if they wanted to. Most people, like myself, would correlate the word “sacred” with religion, and items related. The word “sacred” is defined as being “connected with God,” or “relating to religion” (Sacred, n.d.).
Although the definition relates religion to sacred elements, we can see that today the word sacred is used as …show more content…
Through Sociology, Émile Durkheim discusses that “"religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say, things set apart and forbidden” (Durkheim, 1915). Durkheim explains that “The sacred refers to things set apart by man including religious beliefs, rites, duties or anything socially defined as requiring special religious treatment. Almost anything can be sacred: a god, a rock, a cross, the moon, the earth, a king, a tree, an animal or bird. Once established as sacred they become symbols of religious beliefs, sentiments and practices” (Durkheim, 1915). This means that anyone can turn anything into a sacred element and that it usually refers to religion in the end. Nowadays, we can see this being mostly the case, but not always.
Sacred elements, in American society, like things, places, persons, and ideas, are usually considered religious, but it can differ from person to person, and society. Personally, I find my mother’s knitting needles sacred because they gave my family a better life because she created a business and could support a five-person family with those knitting needles. Sacred elements can be seen in everyday life and differ from person to person. In American society, these elements are a large influence and can come from
With there being many different elements that can be considered sacred, it depends on the person that is talked to. Someone may consider anything sacred if they wanted to. Most people, like myself, would correlate the word “sacred” with religion, and items related. The word “sacred” is defined as being “connected with God,” or “relating to religion” (Sacred, n.d.).
Although the definition relates religion to sacred elements, we can see that today the word sacred is used as …show more content…
Through Sociology, Émile Durkheim discusses that “"religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say, things set apart and forbidden” (Durkheim, 1915). Durkheim explains that “The sacred refers to things set apart by man including religious beliefs, rites, duties or anything socially defined as requiring special religious treatment. Almost anything can be sacred: a god, a rock, a cross, the moon, the earth, a king, a tree, an animal or bird. Once established as sacred they become symbols of religious beliefs, sentiments and practices” (Durkheim, 1915). This means that anyone can turn anything into a sacred element and that it usually refers to religion in the end. Nowadays, we can see this being mostly the case, but not always.
Sacred elements, in American society, like things, places, persons, and ideas, are usually considered religious, but it can differ from person to person, and society. Personally, I find my mother’s knitting needles sacred because they gave my family a better life because she created a business and could support a five-person family with those knitting needles. Sacred elements can be seen in everyday life and differ from person to person. In American society, these elements are a large influence and can come from