Download Aim: What function does religion play in society?

Topic: Religion in Society
Aim: What general functions does religion play
in a society?
• Do Now: On a
scale of 1-10 (1
being the least
and 10 the
most), how
large a role does
religion play in
your life? Why?
“Religion is the sigh of the
oppressed creature, the
heart of a heartless world,
just as it is the spirit of a
spiritless situation. It is the
opium of the people.”
Karl Marx, German economist
& Communist political
philosopher (1818 - 1883)
What does this quote mean to
you?
Sociological Definition of Religion:
• Beliefs that some
things are sacred (set
apart from the
‘profane’
• Practices (rituals)
centering around the
things considered
sacred
• A moral community
(church) resulting from
the group’s beliefs and
practices
Discussion Questions:
1. What are some world religions and their
respective beliefs?
2. What are some functions of religions in society
(what do they do for a society)?
3. In what areas of secular (non-religious) life can
we see religious influences?
4. How much does culture play a part in a person’s
religion? Are some cultures/societies more
religious than others?
The Ka’ba stands at the center of the Great Mosque (al-Haran al Sharif) in Makkah.
The Golden Temple in Amritsar
The Golden Temple (Darbar Sahib) in Amritsar, India is the holiest structure for Sikhism.
The Temple Mount, Jerusalem
Temple Mount contains sites holy to both Jews and Muslims, including
the Western Wall of the Second Temple, al-Aqsa Mosque, and the
Dome of the Rock.
Function of religions:
• Why do you think that religion is a
universal institution, similar to the
family and having some sense of
economic system and political
order?
Sociological Functions of Religion:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Questions on ultimate meaning of life
Emotional comfort
Social solidarity
Guidelines for behavior
Social control
Adaptation (new countries/environments)
Functional Equivalents of Religion:
• Can you think of some examples of things
that fulfill the same functions of religion we
just discussed but are not actually religions?
Culture and Religion:
• Secularization of culture: culture which used
to be heavily influenced by religion but no
longer is.
• The United States is a prime example
• Despite this increased secularization,
describe areas in which you still see the
influence of religion in our society…
Topic: Religious Cults
Aim: How do religions go from cults to
churches?
• Do Now:
Define
the term
‘cult’ as
best you
can
Cults:
• A new religion
whose teachings are
in opposition to the
dominant culture
• All religions began
as cults
Characteristics of Cults:
• Charismatic leader. These leaders
are believed to have special abilities
and/or qualities.
• Cults are met with societal rejection
• Members claim to have the only
‘truth’
• Demand intense commitment from
followers
• Most cults fade into obscurity
some, however succeed and make
history (Heaven’s Gate, e.g.)
The Manson Family:
• Led by charismatic leader Charles Manson,
a juvenile delinquent who sodomized other
boys while in detention, Family followers
believed in Helter Skelter, a massive
retaliation by the black race against, in their
own words, whitey. They also shared
Manson’s belief that the Beatles White
Album was sending them messages about
how to participate in Helter Skelter. Songs
like Piggies, from that album, inspired drugaddled murderers like Charles Watson and
Patricia Krenwinkel to go into the
Hollywood Hills and commit the gruesome
murders of successful, rich members of the
upper classes.
Psychological techniques of persuasion
• Unconditional positive
regard
– “love bombing,”group
hugs, etc.
• Meditation, chanting, and
other mind-numbing
techniques
• Peer group pressure
– Pressure to conform, be
part of the group
• Verbal abuse
•
•
•
•
•
Confession
Fear, guilt appeals
Sacrifice; personal, financial
Loyalty tests
Demonizing (doubts are the
Devil at work)
Physical techniques of persuasion
•
•
•
•
Physical isolation
Sleep deprivation
Fasting
Control of the
person’s time
(rigorous schedule,
no free time)
• Loss of privacy
• Constant praying or
witnessing of beliefs
to the group
• Repetitive motion
(chanting, dancing)
• Hallucinations (via
hyperventilation,
hallucinogens, chanting,
etc.)
• Body manipulation
• Extreme dress codes
• Loyalty tests
Ho No Hana:
• Ho No Hana Sanpogyo (Ho No Hana Sanpogyo) is a
Japanese sect often called the "foot reading cult." It
was called this because its founder, Hogen Fukunaga,
claimed he could diagnose illness by examining
people's feet. He founded the group in 1987 after an
alleged spiritual event where he claimed to have
realized he was the reincarnation of Jesus Christ and
the Buddha. The group at one time claimed 30,000
members. However, Fukunaga charged $900 for the
foot readings and a suspicion arose that he used the
money to benefit himself. He was accused of
swindling money from housewives and had to pay
over a million dollars in damages. Now, Ho No Hana
changed it's name to "Yorokobi Kazoku no Wa.”
Sun Myung Moon:
• Better known by the mocking nickname,
Moonies, the disciples of Sun Myung Moon
believe that Moon himself is the divine
being, or Messiah. His status as the second
coming of Christ allows him to live in royal
fashion, supported by his many followers
all over the world. It is believed that the
cult lures in young people and separates
them from their loved ones by making
them feel a part of a new and more loving
family. Moon expects to be treated as God,
because he believes he is God, or so he has
led his many followers to believe.
Members of the Davidians
Branch Davidians are an offshoot of the Seventh Day Adventist Church believing in the
“Second Coming” of Jesus Christ and the end of the world in a fiery apocalypse
Rachel Jones- first wife at 14yrs. Her father Perry Jones gave his blessing to David for her
hand in marriage.
Michelle Jones- 3rd wife at 12yrs old. Very quiet and reserved. Had a 2yr old daughter
with David, Serenity.
Paul Fatta- grew up in a normal environment. Born and raised in Hawaii to a very wealthy
family. Very bright man.
Jaime Castillo—Born in Texas. Grew up on welfare. Moved from suburb to suburb. Very
difficult childhood. Played in a band. Experimented with drugs.
Livingstone Fagan—most devoted member. Known to be very stuffy and serious.
There is a diversity of nationalities and races
Besides Americans, there were blacks, Asians, Mexicans, and Australians
There were the rich and poor people along with educated people
Those with childhoods ranging from normal to difficult childhoods
Religious ‘Sects’:
• Larger than a cult but still
tension between dominant
culture
• Emphasis personal salvation and
emotional expression of
relationship with God
• Use evangelism- the active
recruitment of new members.
• Not all cults become sects
Church:
• Large, highly organized
religious group
• Less emphasis on personal
conversion
• Highly bureaucratized
• Most members come from
within community, rather the
outside the church
Part 1 (4 mins), parts 8 & 9
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7Ix
GGfpSWk
Aim: How are religious groups
organized throughout the world?
• Do Now: List
some of the major
world belief
systems and what
their major beliefs
are…
Religion and Social Class:
• Religion in U.S. is stratified by social class
• Some religions ‘top heavy’ (Episcopalians/Jews)
and some ‘bottom heavy’
(Baptists/Evangelicals)
• About 40% of Americans belong to
denomination different from the one they were
raised in. People who change their social class
more likely to change their denomination
Race, Ethnicity, and Religion:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Islam =
Judaism =
Hinduism =
Confucianism =
Roman Catholics (in U.S.) =
Greek Orthodox =
Protestant (Baptists specifically) =
Race, Ethnicity, and Religion:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Islam = Middle East
Judaism = Jews
Hinduism = India
Confucianism = China
Roman Catholics (in U.S.) = Irish/Hispanic
Greek Orthodox = Greek
Protestant (Baptists specifically) = Black
Americans
World Population by Religion:
Fig. 6-1a: Over two thirds of the world’s population adhere to Christianity, Islam,
Hinduism, or Buddhism. Christianity is the single largest world religion.
Statue of
Buddha
Hong
Kong,
China
Christian Branches in the U.S.
Fig. 6-3: Distribution of Christians in the U.S. Shaded areas are counties with more than
50% of church membership concentrated in Roman Catholicism or one of the
Protestant denominations.
Universalizing Religion: is a religion that
attempts to operate on a global scale and to
appeal to all people wherever they reside
Ethnic religion: primarily attracts one group
of people living in one place. Most
universalizing religions are divided into
branches, denominations, and sects.
Can you list some of each type?
• “I definitely would prefer to believe God
created me than that I’m 50th cousin to a
silverback ape! What’s wrong with wanting
our children to hear about all the holes in the
theory of evolution” – Lark Myers, parent who agrees with
Dover high school to offer ‘Intelligent Desgin’ as alternative to evolution
• I believe it is wrong to introduce nonscientific ‘explanations’ of the origins of life
into the science curriculum. This policy was
not endorsed by Dover High School science
dept…” – Tammy Kitzmiller, parent who filed lawsuit against the
school board
• The Scopes Trial —
formally known as The
State of Tennessee v.
Scopes and informally
known as the ‘Scopes
Monkey Trial’—was an
American legal case in
1925 in which a high
school biology teacher
John Scopes was
accused of violating the
state's Butler Act that
made it unlawful to
teach evolution
Race & Churches:
• As “White Flight” took place in the early 20th
century, churches followed members to the
suburbs
• Abandoned urban churches taken over by
minority congregation that appeals to working
class
• Many urban churches struggle to stay open and
engage in community outreach to attract
members
Mosque at Ground Zero: 13 mins
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFTr
MgNfmjs
Aim: How Does Christian
Fundamentalism Manifest in the United
States?
Do Now: Why do
you think that
Christians, more
than any other
religious group,
have so many types
of denominations?
•
What makes someone a member of a certain religious
organization?
•
To what extent does that individual remain a member
of a religion if they deviate from basic
tenants/teachings?
Fundamentalist Christian Churches:
• Teach that the Bible is
literally true and that
salvation comes through a
personal relationship with
Jesus
• Denounce sex in the media,
abortion, premarital sex,
cohabitation, sex education,
and drug use
Secularization of Religion:
• Sects, in opposition to the dominant culture, stress
the evils of that culture (sex, drugs, etc) and the
purity of their own teachings. Stress
‘otherworldliness’
• As sects gain more respectable status over time, no
longer experience alimentation, and pleasures of
culture appear less threatening
• This process called the secularization of religion shifting focus from spiritual matters to affairs of this
world
Secularism and Fundamentalism in
the U.S.
• Secularization: the decline in the significance
of religion in daily life
• Fundamentalism: traditional religious
doctrine that is conservative, is typically
opposed to modernity, and rejects ‘worldly
pleasures’ in favor of otherworldly
spirituality
The Electronic Church:
• The ‘televangelist’ movement preachers reach millions of
viewers and raise millions of
dollars
• Worships gather in the
thousands in sizes that rival
concert arenas
• Many local ministries see
televangelists as competitors
who only care about making
money off the public
Joel Osteen 60 Minutes (9 mins)
• http://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=zv8F
wssTGCg