From these perspectives we will investigate: Religions that are not tied to a particular culture or location. There’s just a difference: it is murdering you as you believe that it’s there for the benefit, and faith is currently masquerading as medication. When you accept the idea that you are a sinner, you start seeing those around you as sinners. So people prefer not to chose for themselves but to have others choose for them. Religion can be controversial, for sure, and there have been quite a few negative events done in the name of religion. 14. In every aspect of life people consult with their religion and act according to the teachings of religion. Religious worship also leads to a reduction in the incidence of domestic abuse, crime, substance abuse, and addiction. Religious instruction and belief remain today the lifeblood of society’s moral ethos. The Negative Impact of Religion on Society For as long as humans have had the ability to reason, they have attributed the natural phenomenon and the world around them to deities, spirits, and supernatural forces. (This was Karl Marx’s criticism.). To survive is one thing–even stones do that–but to live is a completely different thing. Similarly, religious groups are fighting nonreligious ones. There is only one difference: religion is masquerading as medicine, and while you think that it’s there for your benefit, it is secretly killing you. Religion fosters an attitude of contempt towards people who are less religious. top-rated free essay Effects of Religion on Society. Some religious groups encourage people to vote for political candidates who are opposed to any sort of progress, just because they are socially conservative. People have different food preferences based on the region, climate and also culture. Related to this, religion teaches people to believe in doctrines that are very unlikely to be true and that an intelligent person should not otherwise believe. As you can see, the negative effects of religion on society are enormous. We are lucky that there are not so many people who are prone to that … 20. So which is greater, the positive effects or the negative effects? Some very extreme religious groups believe that the end of the world is imminent and that we need to prepare for the end-times. Some religious people, inspired by their beliefs, refuse to accept sound medical advice. And when it gets suppressed, people don’t learn how use it. Others are just a projection of yourself, a mirror, on whom you can see your own reflection. … In addition, religious practice can increase physical and mental health, longevity, and education attainment. 19. Naturally, when they are put in such a situation, they find themselves in a continuous state of fear. Does religion do more good or more harm for the world? The big word of the day is “tolerance,” or the flip-side “intolerance.” Tolerance has become a … 23. A religious war or holy war is a conflict primarily caused or justified by differences in religion. On the other hand, however, religion is teaching people to behave in the best ways possible — in a few words, to be perfect, just like angels. Religion provides us with role models (e. g. the saints). Not only does religion teach virtue, it catalyzes moral action. This site uses cookies to improve your user experience. To blindly follow a religious or any other ideology simply means to restrict your perception, suppress your thoughts and emotions, and live in hypocrisy — in other words, to live in pain and misery. Religion is like poison, also as the human entire body is being killed by toxin faith is killing your own spirit. Many religious institutions and organizations provide medical care and necessary services for people all over the world. They are always afraid of whether their actions are right according to religion or not. Throughout history, religion has been a force for control, repression and authoritarianism. 2. But unless we stop having an authority tell us what to do or what not to, we will never be free to live the way we deep down want to live. Religion teaches us to forgive others. Religion has a history of resisting the development of science. However, at its heart, religion is intended for good. 8. The role of religions in transnationalism and globalization. People still face racism in most countries as USA, Africa and Brazil, even with the end of apartheid have a high difference between black and White. Answer: Religion has a positive effect in many ways, including giving individuals a sense of meaning and moral guidance. 4. This is the reason why religious groups fighting against each other. You begin to accept the idea that you are indeed a bad person, corrupted, unworthy. 24. The effect of racial, sexual or religious discrimination has a big impact in the society. I have compiled a list of some of the positive and negative effects of religion on people and on society. 21. 15. In general, the hope for the afterlife makes death seem less frightening. It’s pretty harsh to say that someone deserves to suffer for all eternity. However, what has become clear to me is that most of these effects, whether positive or negative, are not directly caused by religion. Religious beliefs and practices, and why they change. The problem, however, is that starting point of religion is fear. And once you do so, your mind becomes filled with hatred, bitterness and resentment — a true hell on earth. 6. The Most Frequently Asked Questions about My Religious Upbringing, Being a Progressive Christian Parent in a Postmodern World, The Quiet Religious-Freedom Fight That Is Remaking America, Entry: Psychedelics and Societal Collapse, God’s Confusing Response About My Gender Expression. Effects of Religion on Society. When, however, you have grown up conditioned to believe what is right and wrong according to a religious dogma, and you’ve been taught that to doubt the religion you were born into means to go to hell, naturally you become afraid of seeking knowledge. Obviously, culture … 6. While people of north prefer wheat as they … Thousands of people are killed in terrorist attacks that happen in the name of religion. Indeed, religion is confining people’s minds in the darkness of ignorance, and those who are in search of the light of truth are being condemned by religion. A large majority of Americans feel that religion is losing influence in public life, according to a 2019 Pew Research Center survey. When I say ‘living’ I don’t mean just surviving. 28. That’s a pretty dark thing to believe. In Christianity, some of Jesus’ teachings are rather extreme (e. g. “sell all that you have”). In my personal opinion, the positives ultimately outweigh the negatives. 10. Some people find religious rituals to be very meaningful (e. g. praying the Rosary). Religion teaches us to be kind to others. 16. Life is made up of choices, and to make the right choices isn’t always that easy. 15. Positive and Negative sides to religion All religions have one goal for society which is to unite them with a divine reality. 7. By Dragon5150 Aug 27, 2008 290 Words. Rather, they are caused by how people choose to use religion. Negative Impact of Religion: The institution of religion has caused many problems in Indian society. 8. For examples, people in India have food preferences mostly like rice in south India and wheat in northern India. We should cherish the positive effect of the religion on our society, but also be aware that religion in wrong hand can become a real force of evil that is also willing to do some horrible things. Religion is one of the main reasons why people are afraid of living. There is also beliefs that religion can be dangerous to society when used to advance the interests of a people at the expense of other people especially those with different religious beliefs. Religion is based on the idea of sin: all people are born sinners, impure souls, and if they don’t purify themselves, they will soon be condemned to hell by God, where they will have to experience eternal suffering. I ended up with 30 positives and 25 negatives. That Dawkins did not offer any caveats or qualifiers to… Some religions, especially the Catholic Church, have a long history of trying to suppress human sexuality, even when it’s completely normal and healthy sexuality. It helps to structure society, keeping it ordered and stable. In India, … Groupism: Religion divides people. But obviously people are not angels, so how can they act in such an unnatural way? Many religions teach (or previously taught) that homosexuality is immoral. At present modernization, globalization and social change are creating very drastic changes in every sphere of life. 21. The very nature of corruption undermines almost all processes and goals set fourth by a liberal democracy , while causing high distrust and low public approval between officials and citizens. 23. 7. 10. Religion is like slow poison, and just as poison is killing your body, in the same way religion is killing your soul. Some religious groups go even further and claim that you have to belong to their religion to achieve salvation, which would imply that anyone who doesn’t belong to their religion would automatically go to hell. Early Christianity was much more supportive of women than were most other societies during that time period. People with the same religion forms a community and follow sacred rituals. The fear of hell is always in your mind, filling you with worry and anxiety, and this does not allow you to live spontaneously. So how exactly does religion negatively impact society? Religion sometimes teaches people to accept injustice as God’s will, rather than to fight against it. As a result, you fear that those you meet want to harm you — they are also evil, ill-willed, enemies of yours. Frequent conflicts: People belonging to different religions feel that their religion is superior. 5. In addition, you will not tolerate religious ideologies that are different from the one you hold. There is evidence that religious people are less likely to commit suicide than nonreligious people. (But please note: if people didn’t have religion, I’m sure they would’ve found something else to start a war over.). We would have seven billion people, but a society would not exist. Copied Select a Section 1 /0 Religion, on the one hand, teaches that people are born sinners. It has grown a massive cult following since then, and can be blamed for a plethora of negative issues occurring in the world we live in. 3. The hope for the afterlife can be a source of comfort for people who are unhappy in life. However, religion has positive and negative impact on the people. Religion is essential to a vibrant, democratic society Religion is vital to democracy “[We] have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion.” — John Adams. It has always caused conflict and … 18. I ended up with 30 positives and 25 negatives. Some religious groups place too much emphasis on following the letter of the law with regard to their rules, dress, rituals, etc. 19. In the past, religious beliefs were used as a reason for executing or sacrificing people. That is an appalling thing to believe. 1. People desire this type of reality that exists in all organized religions.Eastern and Western religions all share another commonality which are rituals, prayers, stories about a divine being and symbols. Negative effects of religion on society. Some religions have a culture that turns a blind eye towards physical and/or sexual abuse. What matters is not how religious or nonreligious you are; what matters is how you choose to make use of your religious views, whatever they may be. 1. Religion teaches people not to question things. You stop searching to find truth, and hence to educate yourself and grow as a human being. I have compiled a list of some of the positive and negative effects of religion on people and on society. It provides ceremonies for life's big events, such as marriage, birth, and death. IMPACT OF WESTERN CULTURE ON TRADITIONAL AFRICAN SOCIETY: PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS Dr Clifford Meesua Sibani Department of Religions, University of Benin Abstract The western culture has tremendously impacted on African traditional society in a very positive and negative dimension. Frequent conflicts: People belonging to different religions feel that their religion is superior. A lot of money is tied up in religion, money that some people may think is better spent on the welfare of humans. It is very conservative and hard to budge on some very important issues. 13. If each individual was taken and locked in their own cell, they would not be able to accomplish anything. Religious groups have been a driving force behind some progressive movements in history, including the abolitionist movement and the Civil Rights Movement. As you can see, the negative effects of religion on society are enormous. 26. 22. They prefer to walk on paths made by others, instead of creating and walking on their own paths. The negative effects of religion have been mentioned as follows: A sense of superiority: Many times, it happens that the people of a certain religion start believing that the teaching and morals of their own religion are superior than any other religion. 5. 20. Yet this is unsuccessful as morality, integrity and self-respect not already inherent in the individual, cannot be enforced with any great success. 17. Sin is what we are made of, and whatever we humans are doing is bound to be corrupted in one way or another. That is a very irrational and self-destructive thing to believe. 25. Religion builds community. The Negative Impact of Religion on Society As long as people have been unable to answer questions with an indefinite answer, religion has existed. The Negative Effects of Religion on Society. By doing so, they have ostracized the gay community. 9. 2. Knowledge and wisdom are incompatible with dogmatic religious ideologies. When you believe that you are being constantly watched by an all-seeing eye of God, you have to act in certain ways to please God. In this article, I will try to weigh both sides. (In some parts of the world, that still happens.). Many people choose to follow a religious dogma, even though they’re suffering from this choice, simply because religion frees them from personal responsibility. Such divisions may come in the way of development of the country. I’ll start with the negatives: 1. Such divisions may come in the way of development of the country. The deep sense of community that one finds in religion is difficult to find anywhere else. This has been the subject of intense debate for centuries. Religious teachings provide insights into human nature and many of life's mysteries. To live spontaneously one has to take responsibility for oneself, and this can be quite burdensome. Religion is the origin of most of the world’s holidays, and holidays are fun. Some religious communities are very insular and fear the outside world. As a result, religiously indoctrinated people become neurotic and in some cases even psychotic. 3. Religion sometimes encourages people to be ascetic and delay happiness until the afterlife, rather enjoying this life while we have it. Negative Impact of Religion: The institution of religion has caused many problems in the Indian society. Religion encourages people to believe in superstitions (e. g. the idea that if you pray for something, God will make it happen). Many religions teach that some people will go to hell after they die. Religion has played a huge role in the development of societies and … 29. Religion allows people to believe they’ve been forgiven when they feel regret and remorse over things they’ve done wrong. That’s why once you start hating yourself, you are bound to start hating others too. But you don’t have to agree with me. 1. 4. There is a reason as to why corruption has such a strong negative connotation associated with it, as impacts caused by its direct and indirect effects on society cause massive consequences. 25. Examples include the Catholic Church’s attempts to suppress free speech with its Index of Prohibited Books, the wholesale persecution of purported witches throughout the Medieval and Early Modern periods in Europe and the … about     newsletter     contact    disclaimer     DMCA / removal notice   privacy policy. The hope for the afterlife can also be a source of comfort for people who have recently lost a loved one. Some people attest that it is religion that gives them the strength to keep going in life (“The Lord is my strength”). The issue of the mosque adjacent to the twin towers’ former location has certainly intensified feelings. Religion teaches us to focus on what really matters, rather than worldly success. Certainly the most notable negative impact on society is religious wars. StudyMode - Premium and Free Essays, Term Papers & Book Notes . Religion can help people accept painful things about the world. Negative Effects of Religion • Religion has often been named as the culprit behind divisiveness and conflicts among people. It is supposed to teach how human behavior should be managed, but it can be interpreted in so many different ways, which cause strife and even lead to wars. The demands that religion places on people are unrealistic. Religion has become a major feature in our nation and on the major news networks. Most people want to believe that there is more to reality than just the physical, scientific universe, and religion teaches us that indeed, there is. These effects are intergenerational, as grandparents and parents pass on the benefits to the next generations. 8/20/2017 15. An example would be the Catholic doctrine of the Virgin Birth of Christ, which — let’s be honest — is probably not true. Positive and Negative Sides to Religion. Religion reminds us that some things can never be known (“God only knows”), which can help to relieve anxiety. 17. I think religion has more negative impact than positive on our society. Well, it’s hard to say. Also, some religious people worry that they themselves might go to hell, which is a source of unnecessary anxiety in their lives (since, after all, hell is probably not real). What if harming society is part of religion’s survival strategy? In any society religion plays an important role in the shaping of the people’s lives, behaviour and interactions. Religion sometimes displays a patronizing attitude towards poor people in the third world. 18. Religion allows people to believe that their lives have a purpose. One way or another and grow as a reason ” can be,... 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