Download Chapter 13 “Religion”

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eligion is a social institution that involves shared
beliefs, values, and practices based on the supernatural
that unite believers into a community. The sacred is
anything that people see as mysterious, awe-inspiring,
extraordinary and powerful, holy, and taking place
outside of the natural human world. The profane refers
to everyday activities that are not related to religion or
the sacred. Religion refers to a community of people
who have a shared faith. Religiosity refers to the ways
that people demonstrate their religious beliefs. Spirituality is a personal quest
in feeling connected to a reality greater than ourselves. The secular means
worldly rather than spiritual things.
A cult is a religious group that is devoted to beliefs and practices which are
outside of mainstream culture and society. New Religious Movement (NRM)
includes churches that have become established religions. They began as cults.
They include Christianity, Islam, the Mormon Church, and Hare Krishnas.
Religions often involve a charismatic leader whom followers see as having
exceptional or superhuman powers and qualities. A sect is a religious group
that has broken off from an established religion to form its own. Sects often
emerge from a parent religion which they feel has become too secular. A
denomination is a subgroup within a religion that has a common name,
tradition, and identity, and is generally on good terms with the group from
which it emerged. A church is a large body of people belonging to an
established religious group that has strong ties to the larger society. Examples
include the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant Church.
Worldwide, modern-day religion shows some striking patterns: There is no
religious group that comes close to being a global majority, the third largest
group is nonbelievers, and non-Christians outnumber Christians two-to-one.
Christians are 2.2 billion people, Islam is 1.4 billion, Hinduism is 887 million,
Buddhism is 386 million, and Judaism is 15.8 million.
Religion in the U.S is characterized by a high level of diversity and religiosity.
Overall, 92 percent of Americans believe in God and 56 percent say religion is
very important to their lives. American religious beliefs have been remarkably
fluid. More than 40 percent of U.S. adults have changed their faith since
childhood, many opting for no religion at all. Mainline protestant
denominations are declining while evangelicals are increasing. Evangelicals
believe that the Bible is the literal word of God. Participation in religion is also
changing. Overall, 4 in 10 Americans attend religious services at least once a
week, while 27 percent attend seldom or never. Mega church participation has
more than doubled since 2000. Women tend to be more religious than men.
Older Americans are more religious than younger ones. They are often seeking
spiritual comfort as elderly friends die, lessening a sense of isolation or
loneliness, and preparing for one’s own death. Overall, white Americans are
more likely to have no religious affiliation. Asian Americans are the most
diverse religious group in America. Overall, people with lower levels of
educational attainment are generally more religious than those with higher
educational levels.
Secularization is the process of removing institutions such as education and
government from the dominance or influence of religion. Religious service
attendance has decreased in the U.S. On
the other hand, many sociologists argue
that secularization is greatly overstated.
Some point out that fundamentalism, the
belief in the literal meaning of a sacred
text (such as the Christian Bible, the
Muslim Qur’an, or the Jewish Torah), has
increased in the United States and
worldwide. Civil religion (sometimes
called secular religion) is defined as when
elements of nationalism and patriotism
take on properties of the sacred. Secularization is also exaggerated. Examples
of growing religious impact on Americans include the growth of religious radio
and support for religious participation in drug counseling programs and for
Christmas displays on government property.
Sociological perspectives on religion include functionalism, which focuses on
the role of religion in keeping society together. Communal worship increases
social contacts and enhances a sense of acceptance and identity. Finally,
religion provides a purpose and meaning to life. Religion offers numerous
social services that benefit its members and others. People internalize religious
rules about right and wrong and fear damnation in the afterlife. This provides
social control. Religion also provides social change. It can lead to change society
or the economy. Max Weber argued that the protestant ethic, a belief that hard
work, diligence, self-denial, frugality, and economic success led the take off of
capitalism. Religion can be dysfunctional. Intolerance can lead to attacks on
religious minorities and heighten anxiety about death and the afterlife. Critics
of functionalism point out the perspective ignores how religious are in conflict.
Conflict theorists see religion as an opiate of the people detracting from
fighting for a better life on earth. Marx saw religion as a form of false
consciousness preventing people from protesting oppression. Religion is also a
source of social disruption and violence. For instance, for thousands of years,
many governments and religious leaders have condoned or perpetrated
widespread violence in the name of religion, claiming that they followed “God’s
will.” Religion also legitimates social inequality. Critics see conflict theory as
ignoring the role it plays in creating social cohesion and cooperation.
Feminists see religion as supporting patriarchy and sexism promoting male
dominance and experiences. Women’s subordination is a part of Islam, Judaism,
and the Christian traditions. Women are excluded from leadership positions in
churches. Critics see feminism as mainly a Western movement dedicated to
justice in employment and other laws. They also often overlook how religious
institutions and churchgoing men encourage men to focus on fathering and
have lower domestic violence rates.
Symbolic interactionist theories focus on how symbols relate to religion.
Religion is a system of symbols which define a community and worldview. A
ritual is a formal and repeated behavior in which members engage. Religious
rituals, like secular ones, strengthen one’s self-identity. Death rituals, for
instance, vary by culture and religion. Beliefs can include the idea that prayer is
important. Rituals and symbols come from beliefs, convictions about what
people think is true. Religious beliefs can be passive (believing in God but never
attending formal services) or active (participating in rituals and ceremonies).
Beliefs bind people together into a physical or spiritual community. One of the
strongest beliefs around the world is that prayer is important. Islam requires
prayer five times a day. In the United States, 58 percent of adult Americans say
that they pray more than once a day and do so for a variety of reasons, such as
feeling close to God as well as requests for better health, more money, and
healing sick pets. Critics of symbolic interactionism argue that the perspective
ignores macro approaches and social inequality. Especially from conflict and
feminist perspectives, as you saw earlier, people often use religion to justify
violence, war, and women’s subordination. Some critics also wonder if symbolic
interactionists are painting a rosy picture of religion even on a micro level
because when symbols, rituals, and beliefs clash, they can create considerable
conflict.