In a society that offers no hope of happiness or release from struggle and suffering, people quite naturally begin to place their hopes elsewhere. They respond to their condition by hoping for something that lies outside the conditions and constraints they cannot control or influence. Religion becomes some kind of hope for rescue from life. Religion responds by offering either internalization to a spiritual realm or an external hope of a better world and a better life beyond the pale of death.…
Religions provide many functions on Earth mental peace being one function. Religion encourages all that believe in times of need. It is one place you can always go to for help with your problems.…
A religion or religious system is a dynamic, living reality. While it can be identified and studied through characteristics such as rituals and sacred texts, it is in essence a living thing, which is given expression through all its characteristics. As dynamic, living realities, religions help provide meaning for those who follow them.…
There are two primary views on the issue of whether religion is a force for social change in society. Certain theorists adopt the view that religion is a conservative force, maintaining the status quo, whereas other theorists have the belief that religion is a force for social change, bringing about revolutions in society. With all views, the lack of a universal definition of religion remains a problem. Marx for example would argue that religion inhibits social change as it legitimises and justifies the status quo, whereas this contrasts Weber’s belief would be that religion can cause social change as it helped the development of capitalism.…
Assess the functionalist view that religion benefits both society as a whole and its individual members. (18 marks – 6AO1 & 12AO2)…
According to the linguistic roots of the term religion re-, means “again” and lig-, means “join” or “connect”. The word religion proposes the joining of the human world to the sacred world (Molloy, 2010). In my personal point of view religion is very important because it allows us to believe that there is a God who loves us and wants us to be happy. There are different types of religions and none of them are wrong if they lead people to a life of love, joy, compassion, and service. The question of why religions exist is evidently because it serves as human needs (Molloy, 2010). One of the first needs of humans is having a meaning when it comes to dealing with our mortality. It is very common that as individuals we try to look for a purpose of why different situations happen in life especially when we have no control over them. The religion we belong to can give us comfort to some level in our life. There are some elements known to involve a religion regardless of which one it is which will be discussed in this paper. Also this paper will mention the relationships with the divine, sacred time, sacred space or the natural world, and the relationship with each other.…
Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess the functionalist view that religion benefits both society as a whole and its individual members.…
Religion is defined as a belief in spiritual beings, or a description of practices. The evolution from ancient religions to desert religions has been nothing less than captivating. The similarities and differences between religions make them unique. It is imperative to understand the past to understand the present. Religion as we know it evolved from all of the religions that came before. Whether we agree with the practices or not, they in reality influenced our religious beliefs today.…
Religion has affected society both positively and negatively throughout life. Most religions promote and educate individuals in social virtues; how to choose right over wrong regardless of personal desire (Fisher, 2005). Many charities feed, cloth, and shelter the homeless all in the name of their God and acting on their faith. Unfortunately, while organized religion promotes faith in positive social virtues it also can instill fear and oppress its follower at times. The followers who see the founder of a religion to be extraordinary or supernatural could be mislead by a dishonest and unethical leader (Fisher, 2005).…
From the word religion, it came from two Latin words “re” and “ligare” which to reconnect. Religion promotes high principles of human morality for the establishment of good relations among society’s members and eliminates all discrimination. As a result of this, it creates teamwork. It makes the society work as a team to help each other get by on “the passage of life” instead of making it more difficult. Also doing this will not only reduce conflicts and hatred with one another, plus it also keeps everyone organized and will work together to create a better world for the next generation of our world. Even though we know the purpose of this, why is this important to…
First what does the term Religion? Clifford Geertz argues that: Religion is a cultural system that creates powerful and long-lasting meaning, by establishing symbols that relate humanity to beliefs and values. ( Geertz 63) Religions have symbols, traditions, writings and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to explain the origin of life or the universe and the afterlife. They tend to emphasize morality, ethics, laws or a preferred lifestyle from their ideas about the universe and human nature.…
Religious traditions bring some order in a world of chaos. Many individuals follow a religion to help during times of hardship and religious traditions help bring calm or…
Religion and its impact on life, is very difficult to define. Religion divides humanity into several groups and each group of people has it’s own definition of what religion is. Among the many religions that exist in the world today, are those that instill strict behavior and deeds to their followers. On the other hand, it is customary for other religious groups to prioritize according to family values and beliefs. However, every religion has their own view of what religion signifies to them. The behavioral constituent of religion is characterized by the degree of morality and ethical values that are practiced by members of that religious group. The essential features of religions are concluded by ancient interpretations to the point that the foundation, through which religion was created, has greatly influenced today’s overall characteristics and individual principles. First, this essay will argue that Buddhism is the religion most focused on behavior and deeds. Second, it will demonstrate that Christianity is mostly centered on cultivation of spiritual and moral character. Third, this paper will explain that family values are fundamental in the beliefs of Christianity. Lastly, it will present to what extent the historical context of those choices has influenced those particular characteristics.…
Religion is a common set of belief held by different individuals available within a society. Religion concerns itself with purpose, cause, and nature considered for the creation of a superhuman agency fitted with several moral codes. The codes provide guidance on how humans should conduct themselves throughout their life time. Religious beliefs are known to fall into a pattern of 8 different elements such as the belief system, community, central myths, rituals, an ethical system, experiences of the emotions, expressing religion in a material manner, and the ability of being sacred (Jacobs, 2005).…
Around the world there are many people who identify with contrasting and diverse religions. These religions can provide a comfort to people and act as a way to bring communities together. However they can also be the cause of conflict between groups of people. Many wars have been fought over religion and many religious extremists can be the cause of political controversy. In investing oneself to a religion, many people find a satisfaction because they feel part of something. They feel like they a part of a community, of something bigger than themselves. Religion is a world wide practice, and it through learning and developing deep connections to their religion, people can discover parts of themselves they never knew existed. Some people don’t yet believe in anything, and are still searching for answers about the earth, and universe. In doing this, they are learning about themselves and their beliefs. Sometimes it can be difficult to commit to a religion. Because people believe in some aspects of it, but disagree with others. Thus, our opinions are formulated, which in turn help to shape parts of our…