The reoccurring theme that can be seem in almost off the reading throughout the course is that of religion and its importance to people. People from different cultural backgrounds and circumstances used religion to survive harsh conditions, cope with changes around them, and even justify their actions. Although religion became the way many people during the time period lived their life, it was also a barrier because of the different ways people interpreted the religion. Each community shared their own beliefs and defended themselves with their own religious practices. Religion for many years has been a force that has continued to bring people together but also caused groups of people who share the same beliefs to branch out and create their…
The authors draw attention to Charles Taylor’s A Secular Age in their analysis, inferring that perhaps the reason for the complicated outlook of religion is that “many facets of life in advanced societies are inhospitable to religious belief… including an ongoing ideological fragmentation that is exacerbated by expressive individualism, decline in our understanding of some of the great languages of transcendence, and the individual pursuit of happiness as defined by consumer cultures.” Kanji and Kuipers present a convincing argument of the complicated nature of religion in Canada. This analysis can be seen to communicate with the process of secularisation on a global scale; although Canada, according to the World Value Survey, is more religious than other advanced industrial states, some aspects of religion worldwide have survived better than others and thus the condition of religion and secularisation processes as a whole can be considered more complicated than theorists such as Jose Casanova suggested in their…
There are social and cultural expectations that individuals are expected to adhere to in their society. These expectations, or standards, vary based on location, time, and communities. In This reflection will be analyzing how practitioners of a religion adapt to society without losing their true sense of self. The community in which African slaves had to become acclimated with in Cuba was one of division, inconsistency, and coercion (Olmos 34).…
Religion is a default that people turn to - to step outside their norm, to fill a type of need and satisfaction. As Armstrong demonstrates, people use religion and practices to help them find meaning in their lives, when she sates “a poem, a play, or, indeed, a great painting has the power to change our perception in ways that we may not be able to explain logically but that seem incontestably true” (5). If one is willing to free up his/her mind, he/she will then be unable to find oneself in an open place where new ideas and experiences are welcome to enter. People alter their state of awareness in order to change how they think and feel. By doing so, this guides individuals to grow.…
“‘Religion will save us," I said. Since when I could remember, religion had been very close to my heart. ‘Religion?’ Mr. Kumar grinned broadly. ‘I don 't believe in religion.…
Secularism is a social or political philosophy that rejects all forms of religion and is associated with the belief that religion should not be integrated into the public affairs of a society. Secularism has contributed to Australia’s current religious landscape and is a key feature of democracy, advocating the notion of freedom from religion. Much of its increase can be attributed to the diminishing relevance of religious values in modern society. The increasing pluralism and materialism of society, along with society's increasing individualism and disillusionment with traditional religions are major reasons for an increase in secularisation.…
The speaker is Jonathan Haidt, based on the text he is a psychologist who studies religion, evolution, and self transcendence. I think the people that will be the most impacted by this text are those that struggle with trying to identify who they are and why they look towards religion and sacredness as their answer. This writing focuses on texts from scientist in the early 1800’s, focusing on their theories and beliefs on evolution and social science; told by Jonathan, a social psychologist.…
The main idea or truth in Armstrong’s article is that fundamentalism is now part of the modern world. No one can safely ignore it as it represents the alienation that is present in the world today. b) Armstrong said, “Fundamentalists feel that they are battling against forces that threaten their most sacred values.” So, one key question I would ask in response to Armstrong’s article is: Why can’t everyone show empathy, compassion, and respect towards the fundamentalists’ fears? Perhaps conflicts can be constructive if everyone involved had a broader awareness of different cultures.…
There is a need for constant evolution in any society, but one of the hardest things to change in any culture is the ideas of the people. The use of religion in the evolution can have great effects on the change. It can both hinder and excel the ideas of society in both the right and wrong direction. The writing of Matthew Scully, and Harriot Beecher show both the misuses of religion, and support their claims by showing how it may be used in the betterment of the world. They do this by utilizing two distinct strategies in their writings.…
In the nineteenth century many scholars and great thinkers started to support the belief that as the twenty-first century approached religion would slowly fade and cease to matter. They believed secularism and science would bring new found logic which would ultimately over come and transcend religion. Contrary to their belief, post modern reality is that religion has a huge impact both globally and individually on our lives. Religions like Hinduism Buddhism and Christianity have profound impacts on our social and individual lives within our community with or without us realizing.…
Throughout history people have turned to sacred beliefs for sense of well-being, gathering with others whom share their interests, or simply for a guided way of life to live by. Some of the world cultures have rituals, sacred grounds, even objects of common use to represent the practices in which they hold so dearly, for the majority of cultures, religion, typically with a worshiped deity, if not more than one, and a literary central religious text to live by, is how the rest of the religious world practices their beliefs. The largest of those religions is Christianity, making up 33.0% of the World Population, followed primarily in North and South America as well as Europe (Schaefer, 2015, p. 308). Christianity is defined as “the religion based…
Individuals want to have meaning, so religion plays that specific role by creating and preserving that for individuals in society. What Berger focuses on as important in the first part of the book is that humans need to have meaning and order. He also discusses the ways that humans function with religion as a way to shield themselves. In the second part of the book Peter Berger examines, the process of secularization and how it can have an impact on religious traditions involving individuals within society.…
In addition, secularization can occur on two separate levels: one on the individual awareness level and the other occurs on the level of society. Many religious institutes lost their power or influence within the public sphere. For example, the percentages of people going to churches declined from 40% in 1858 to 7% in 2005, (Lecture, 15, Feb.). Yet, religious beliefs both old and new are still sustained in the lives of many people. Sometimes by taking different new kinds of influential forms and it may lead sometimes to great religious upsurges.…
All throughout history, religion has played an instrumental role in determining the way people choose to live their lives. Whether it be by uniting groups of people across the world or isolating those who are afraid of opposing beliefs, religion has a tremendous impact on society and the way that it functions. The blurred line that connects religion and society has evolved over time, proving that religion is no longer what dictates the rules people must follow, specifically in culturally diverse areas around the world. In literature, authors have been able to highlight how the influence of religion on society has changed over time, through the development of their characters and the time periods they belong to. In works such as The Crucible,…
Religion occurs where ever societies exist, from the Sumerians and the Ancient Egyptians right through to modern society religion is everywhere. This essay will look at religion from a sociological perspective and try to answer whether or not Britain is becoming a more secular society. When it comes to religion sociologists, unlike theologists and philosophers, are not as interested in the details of religions themselves, but in what effects religion has on its particular society. The sociological study or religion is separate from the philosophical approach, which is concerned with such questions as the nature and existence of God and the relationship between God and science (William Alston, 1967), in that it does not seek to answer whether or not there, is any validity to religious beliefs. Sociologist Peter L Berger (1967) coined the term ‘methodological atheism’ to describe the process needed in comparing the different beliefs of various religions.…