The Contribution of Religion to Societies and Cultures in the 20th Century.

piety which does non have an concern on close is a toothless tiger. This plagiarize exemplifies the idea that if morality did not impact an private, it would have the analogous assemble of a ferocious tiger not being able to conserve its force. From the Latin religio (the respect for what is sacred) and religare (to bind, in the sense of an obligation), the word religion is an set up collection of belief and practice systems, focusing on what battalion settle down to be sacred or spiritual.Throughout history and societies across the world, unearthly leading have used sacred narratives, symbols and traditions in an attempt to give more than meaning to life and to gain wisdom through the understanding of the universe. In every known culture throughout centuries, a form of religion is prime, practiced either deep down a globe manner within a group, or in a private sanction. The practice of religion can be found through different practices such(prenominal) as feasts and festivals, God or gods, music and art, meditation or initiation, sacrifice or service, and other aspects of culture.A Study on Religion and the Role of It on wad and Media.In order to gain insight of its contributions within cultures and society, it is important to look at this question with a sociological perspective. While a major(ip)ity of people believe religion to be an individual process, as peoples beliefs are extremely personal, religion is also considered to be a social institution. Social scientists bring in that religion exists as an organised and integrated set of beliefs and behaviours centred on prefatory social needs and values. Thus, religion is a cultural universal found in all social groups.The definition of a society is a confederacy of people living in a particular surface area and having shared customs, laws, and organizations. Living within a societal range, we are wonted(a) to accept or reject the ideas of religion in which society develops and dis plays. When considering the impact of religion on a society this can have twain a positive or negative impact. Religious communities live by analogy they see connections amongst God and humanity, between the spiritual and the material, and between the human persons who form the wider community.They value relationships and context and harmonious order. Archbishop Thomas Collins. Religion discusses the extremely debatable questions such as the meaning of life. This leads into deeper questions such as Who am I? Is in that location life after destruction? Is there a God? Although these questions may seem impossible to answer, for individuals it brings a sense of comfort and belonging in search for those answers. It brings an individual self-worth and happiness, and the note of something to live for.This is one of the briny reasons people decide to follow a certain religion to bring them self-pleasure and to do right by their religion, therefore contributing positively to societ y. The overall contribution of religion is about beauty. In literature, architecture, painting, sculpture and even film we discover the exhilarating and inexhaustible judgment of beauty in life. Under the topic of beauty, religion enters subtopics that emphasizes the giftedness of beauty, promotes beauty to upraise human flourishing, and encourages the response of awe and gratitude.The Bible is still considered one of the great works of literature of all time. This sacred text is universal, having the ability to mountain range out to an international audience. The Bible has the ability to build a community as cultures find these stories relatable. Also, the beauty in architecture found in places of adoration is outstanding. This shows that the religious imagination recognises the ferment in the community earlier the beauty of such structures, such as the Sistine Chapel, attracting thousands of tourists daily to admire the beauty.Another major contribution of religion to society is the promotion of justice through the interest group of common good. International figures such as Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Dorothy Day, and Nelson Mandela are stellar representatives of religion who helped change oppressive social, economic and political systems benefiting not only there society, but cultures around the world. Although religion can impact society in an extremely positive aspect, it can also be used as a manipulative tool for its promotion.It can encourage violence when religious believers are convinced that their views are being challenged, leading to an outbreak in wars. A recent example was associated with Islamic Terrorists being linked to occasional violence in Uzbekistan. A man of god, Ulugbek Kodirov, entered the USA with the plan of assassinating Obama as he knew this was what he was supposed to do for Islam. He stated he was acting at the direction of an Islamic terror group in his home country. When analysing this situation, the manipulative abili ty that eligion can empower over an individual is drastic. If it has the power to impact the individual, obviously the society will become involved. geographically small cultures within Iran/Iraq can be hugely influenced by religion, as their cultures would focus on the main foundations that it abides. Another example of this is the Lords Resistance Army (LRA), a militant movement which was operating in northern Uganda, South Sudan and entered the Central African Re national.The groups main source of ideology is Christian fundamentalism however, these followers under the group loss leader Joseph Kony (who proclaims himself as the spokesman for God) have been accused of widespread human rights violations, including murder, mutilation, child-sex slavery and abductions. This is a clear example of where the contribution of religion negatively impacts a culture as a small society is more susceptible in acting for these violent crimes, as their knowledge of the outside world is censore d. The occurrence that religion in these types of societies is monitored, doesnt allow the individual to practice by oneself.Sacred texts are edited to suit the religious dictators views, punishments are ensured when one does worship correctly, and it is very rare for the ability of individuals to privately worship their personal beliefs. in that respect are those that advocate that the voice of religion be silenced, or at least relegated to the purely private sphere. There are those who argue that the public celebration of festivals such as Christmas should be discouraged. These are worrying signs of a failure to appreciate not only the rights of believers to immunity of conscience and freedom of religion, but also the legitimate role of religion in the public square. Pope Benedict XVI In conclusion, religion is the backbone to our society. Although it has the aptitude to negatively impact cultures, it also has the ability to share insight into the future generation religious leaders. Many religions send across the same message, having the same values and methods of worshipping. When these values are taken on board, it can provide positivity in different cultures, giving individuals renewed hope and a positive outlook on life.