How Religion Positively Influence The World Essay

Religion has played a very significant role in human life right from the moment the individual could realize the fact of his existence and made an effort to understand it in relation to the vast, outer nature. Whether we like it or not, religion has wielded immense influence on the individual life and the society constituted by him. August Comte has stated that the evolution of mankind took place through three stages, which he has described as theological, metaphysical, and positive states. Scholars have made efforts to understand the origin of religion in their own ways. For example, Hegel and James Frazer thought that religion is born out of magic; E. B. Taylor on the other hand saw the origin of religion in animism; Herbert Spencer expressed the opinion that religion came into being because of cult of ancestor worship; Max Muller propounded the view that a feeling of awe towards nature was responsible for the birth of religion; Emile Durkheim came out with a view according to which religion is a product of rights and rituals characterizing a society. Religion is the phenomena, which is accepted by the people of the whole world. Weather directly or indirectly. Each and every person of the world have accepted religion because it only the religion by which whole world is controlled. If the religion is not there no body would control him/herself by the evil deeds. Only the mane of God controls the human being by doing evil deeds. Before doing the wrong deed every person feels that God is looking at him/her. Religion influences society but happily the street is many bible-quoting Christians vehemently opposed two ways the abolitionist movement of mid nineteenth century . And we cannot say that these sincere believers were merely citing passages out of context. It must be admitted that the whole biblical era and the writers of holy writ condoned gross inequality included slavery Similarly Christianity and the other world religions were obviously founded in and influenced by a common sexist past, one which unfortunately continues in varying degrees to live in and through them. So society has and can positively influenced religion. This is necessary unless religion is to retreat to pre rational forms of argument and support absolutism that today claims limited respect. John Cobb jr. shows insight in his modest contention that â€Å" in addition to grounding and motivating the ethical concern it shares with secular humanism, religious faith provide an ethos and a world view and it affects the people and communities involved. † Americans Struggle with Religion’s role at Home and Abroad: As a religious people, Americans are unsure about how to judge a world that seems increasingly in conflict along religious lines. The public overwhelmingly sees religion’s influence in the world and the nation as a good thing. And by 51%- 28%, Americans think the lesson of September 11 is that there is too little, not too much religion in the world. But the public does not see all of religion’s effects as positive. A 65% majority believes that religion plays a significant role in most wars and conflicts in the world. Further, while most say that Islam is no more likely to encourage violence than Other religions, a plurality of Americans believes that, in general. â€Å" Some religions† are more likely than others to encourage violence. Those who think that some religions are more violent than others are more likely to see widespread anti America n sentiments among Muslims. The Christian writer Paul wrote, â€Å" God will give to each person according to what he has done. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism. All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and the law will judge all who sin under the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them). Young People More Influenced Positively: A majority of those under age 30 express a favorable view of Muslim- Americans, Muslims, and Islam alike (57%, 57% and 51% respectively). Other Americans generally have a favorable opinion of Muslim-Americans; however, they express more skepticism toward Muslims and Islam. Americans age 65 and older in particular express mixed views when it comes to Muslims and Islam. By 43%- 25%, members of this group say they feel favorably towards Muslim Americans, but seniors who were asked about Muslims rated them less positively (30% favorable 30% unfavorable). Just one- in- four has a favorable opinion of Islam, while 37% express an unfavorable opinion. College- educated Americans also express more favorable views of Muslims and Islam than those who did not attend college. Education has particularly strong effect on perceptions of the Islamic religion. While about half (52%) of college graduates have a favorable view of Islam, just 29% of those who never attended colleges agree. Among religious groups, white evangelical Protestants have the least favorable view of Islam. Fully 45% of white evangelical say they have an unfavorable opinion of Islam, compared with just 29% who rate religion favorable. White evangelicals also are most likely to say they have an unfavorably view of Muslim-Americans. As many as three- in ten feel unfavorably toward Muslim-Americans, compared, with about two-in ten among other major religious groups. Still, this is less than the 38% of white evangelicals who rated Muslim-Americans unfavorably a year ago. Modern Reasons for Adherence To Religion: 1. Authority: Most religions are authoritarian in nature, and thus provide their adherents with spiritual and moral role models, who they believe can bring highly positive influences both to adherents and influences both to adherents and society in general. 2. Supernatural connection: Most religions postulate a reality which includes both the natural and the saupernatural. Most adherents of religion consider this to be of critical importance, since it permits belief in unseen and otherwise potentially unknowable aspects of life, includeing hope of eternal life. 3. Moderation: Many religions have approaches that produce practices that place limitations on the behaviour of their adherents. This is seen by many as a positive influence, potentially protecting adherents from the destructive or even fatal excesses to which they might otherwise be susceptible. Many people from many faiths contend that their faith brings them fulfillment, peace, and joy, apart from worldly interests. 4. Fulfillment: Most traditional religions require sacrifice of their followers, but, in turn, the followers may gain much from their membership therein. Thus, they come away from experiences with these religions with the feeling that their needs have been filled. In fact, studies have shown that religious adherents tend to be happier and less prone to stree than non-religious people. 5. community ans culture: Organized religions promote a sense of community among their followers, and the moral and cultural common ground of these communities makes them attractive to people with the same value. Indeed, while religious belief and practices are usually connected, some individual with substantially secular belief still participates in religious practices for cultural reasons. Conclusion: Religious belief refers to a faith or creed concerning the supernatural, sacred, or divine. It may concern the existence, nature and worship of a diety or deities and divine involvement in the universe and human life. It may also relate to the values and practices based on the teaching of a supernatural leader. Unlike other belief syatems, religious belief tends to be codified. While often used synonomously with religion, according to this religious belief wikk be assumed to refer to ideas rather than practices. Religion cannot add or subtract any thing from the plausibility of any scientific theory. But this does not mean that religion has no connection with science. Our proposal, perhaps appearing a bit audacious in tone but actually quiet modest in motivation, is that religion, properly understood, confirms the entire scientific enterprise. It does so by justifying g the fundamental trust that nourishes all scientific in query. Our conviction is that we can go beyond conflict, contrast, and even contact in formulating religions relationship to science. Here we are claiming specifically that faith in a personal god has a unique capacity to confirm our trust in reality’s endless intelligibility, a trust without which scientific in query is hopelessly crippled Religion is a phenomenon, which is propagated in the whole world. Each and every person has adopted and positively influenced with it. Whether a person is male or a female they make prayers and always feel his appearance they have accepted the existence of God, who always looked after them. Most of the people spiritually and psychologically come into contact with God, truth and spiritual power. They feel that the religion frees them from deception, sin and spiritual death. Religion has its own significance in the life of human being. References: 1- The Divine Religion; Bhagawat Dharma and Culture; R. N. Vyas; Cosmo Publication New Delhi;1984. 2- What is a Person? An Ethical Exploration; By James William Walters; Published by university of Illinois . Press;1989. 3- http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Religious_belief 4- science and religion from conflict to conversation; John F. Haught; Paulist Press;1987. 5- http://p eople-press. org/reports/display. php3