Module 1 - PEOPLE AND RELIGION Flashcards
(30 cards)
What is Secularism?
Secularism: the principle of separation of the state from religious institutions. (political theory)
- relationships between religion and state are managed, and the idea that they should be independent of one another
What is secularisation?
(sociology) secularization is the transformation of a society from close identification with religious values and institutions toward nonreligious values and secular institutions
- the decrease prevalence and status of religion in a given society.
- The movement away from an organised spirituality/ religion (does not mean people are not being spiritual)
- The country is being/becoming less religious, more of society is being less religious
What is ‘Separation of the church?
The principle that the government must maintain an attitude of neutrality towards religion.
- reinforces the legal right of free people to freely live their faith, even in public.
- Secures the rights and privileges of all citizens under a government and ensures that both government and church function according to their God-given roles.
Why is there religion in society?
Religions offer a way of life that seeks to provide people with MEANING AND PURPOSE.
How can an individual interact with religion?
RESPONSE AND INTERACTION with religion is a VARYING DYNAMIC AND COMPLEX PROCESS THROUGHOUT LIFE.
Due to CONTEXT OF LIFE of (age, gender, education), circumstances, experiences, and influences/ encounters from people, places, matters, religion generally in life and from the surrounding world.
Sometimes an Individual’s approach may be
(Unconscious approach) Sometimes religion does not register as an important part of life, other times it may be immersed in a culture or an individual’s life from a young age without and conscious effort of reflection about the merits of deeper meanings offered in religion.
(Conscience approach) acceptance or rejection may be a ‘huge deal’. The individual is actively aware of religion, shows interest in or reaction to religion. (Usually later in life)
How might people RESPOND to a religion?
People respond in different ways to religion (accept or reject)
HOW DO SOCIAL FACTORS IMPACT ON HOW PEOPLE INTERACT WITH RELIGION?
Social factors have the potential to either SUPPORT, HINDER OR OBSTRUCT an Individual’s interaction with religion.
Such factors create a climate in which ideas and/or actions have the potential to colour or influence how people and religion interact.
What are the six different types of social factors impacting how people interact with religion?
- Cultural Focus
- Historical Issues
- The presence of SOCIAL DISADVANTAGES OR HARDSHIPS
- SOCIAL ATTITUDES AND PHILOSOPHIES that promote, marginalise, or reject religion and/or religious matters
- POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES and administrations
- PEOPLE that inspire/motivate/direct how people should act or think IN RELATION TO A RELIGION
Explain Cultural focus (examples)
individualism, consumerism, materialism, religion, tradition
Explain historical issues (examples)
immigration, religious extremist activities, past wars, journeys, events, and activities
- Historical issues such as events, problems, and particular situations in the economic and social world
- Such circumstances inform people about religion and even forms particular ideation or perspective of a religion/s.
Explain The presence of SOCIAL DISADVANTAGES OR HARDSHIPS (examples)
inequality, poverty, wars
Explain SOCIAL ATTITUDES AND PHILOSOPHIES that promote, marginalize, or reject religion and/or religious matters (examples)
Forms of secularism, militant atheism, Christian humanism
Explain POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES and administrations (examples)
Theocracy, communist society
Political ideology and administrations refer to a certain set of ethical ideals, principles, doctrines, myths or symbols of a social movement, institution, class or large group that explains how society should work and offers some political and cultural blueprint for a certain social order.
Explain PEOPLE that inspire/motivate/direct how people should act or think IN RELATION TO A RELIGION (examples)
Leadership (collectively/ individually - un/conscious)
How does CULTURAL FOCUS impact how a person interacts with religion?
Negative:
- Consumerism, - where individuals are more concerned with the acquisition of goods.
- Previously Sunday was regarded as a ‘rest day’.
- This meant that normal consumer business, shopping, sporting games, and other activities were often set aside for religious observance and family mass.
- However, since the beginning of contemporary Australia this practice of ‘keeping the sabbath day holy’ is often rejected and many non-essential activities and businesses of consumption are exercised throughout the whole of Sunday.
- This hinders and distorts spiritual expression, through materialism being a distraction to the way in which people perceive spirituality or happiness as something to be consumed.
- Australians now are chasing possessions to provide them with a moment of ‘happiness’ while depleting and threatening their happiness and satisfaction with their relationships, self, and their spiritual soul.
- cultural focus of materialism in Australia, religion does not register as an important part of life, thus hindering and possibly obstructing an individual from experiencing and interacting with a religion such as Christianity.
How do HISTORICAL ISSUES impact how a person interacts with religion?
NEGATIVE EXAMPLE: Religious extremist activity such as the; ‘Twin Tower terrorist attack’ in New York known as 9/11,
- can cause people to move away from religion because see it is an immoral, dangerous, and fear-oriented theology, particularly in countries like England, Australia, and America.
- Many people after this event of terrorism throughout the world were influenced to become Islamophobic and had a prejudice against the religion of Islam.
POSITIVE EXAMPLE: Immigration in Australia was also an event that had the most profound effect on how Australians interact with religion.
- Post-1945 there has been a steep decline in the total number of people identifying with the three largest Christian denominations (Catholic, Anglican, and Uniting Church) due to people now having the opportunity to migrate.
- Since 1971, the number of Australians associated with a religion other than Christianity has risen from just 0.1 million to 1.5 million.
- Australia is increasingly a story of religious diversity, with Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam, and Buddhism all increasingly common religious beliefs.
- This means that immigration in this country had a positive influence on religious affiliation because it introduced many religions, cultures, beliefs, and perspectives, to many oblivious Australians.
How does The presence of SOCIAL DISADVANTAGES OR HARDSHIPS impact how a person interacts with religion?
- Being ‘socio-economically disadvantaged’ means living in less favourable social and economic circumstances than others in the same society.
EG. low income and living in a deprived area. In the world’s poorest countries; many which are located in Asia and Africa, which experience such disadvantages
POSITIVE INFLUENCE: religion plays a more functional role due to the hardships people encounter such as war, poverty and terrible health conditions.
- This is because religion itself is the most powerful and available ‘structure’ helping many residents cope with a daily struggle to provide for themselves and their families.
- For example, it is the religious institutions such as ‘Vinnies’ which often provide essential services such as education and health care, and the social networks that faith communities provide can be crucial in times of crisis.
- This relationship between people and religiosity provides them with hope and makes their emotional well-being much stronger among poor countries than among those in the developed world and therefore people are support religion and approach it positively.
Negatively impact:
the opposite is seen in many developed countries in Europe and now in Australia because in the richer countries, people are less likely to face existential threats, so they have more opportunity for fulfilment outside of religion.
- This is a reason why the growing percentage of Australia’s population reporting no religion has been a trend for decades and is accelerating because the ‘glamorousness’ and ‘materialism’ acts as a distraction which hinders people’s relationship and approach to religion.
How do PEOPLE that inspire/motivate/direct how people should act or think IN RELATION TO A RELIGION impact how a person interacts with religion?
POSITIVE EXAMPLE:
- motivates people around them are considered as positive influences for religion, because a large number of people will tend to idealise, he/she.
- For example, Australian born evangelist Nick Vujicic, who has done much to make people take him as an example and start thinking about others, and how people suffer when assistance is not provided through his motivational speeches.
- He is a role model for many because he showed a good example to others, he helps and inspires people to find their true purpose and meaning through the religion of Christianity.
NEGATIVE EXAMPLE:
Australian Catholic Cardinal George Pell.
- After hearing the news of the immoral actions committed by this Catholic authority, many people questioned leadership in the Catholic church and how some orders of ministry can misuse this power of teaching and governing.
- This individual, therefore, has had the ability to inhibit people from Christianity, because his actions have ‘clouded’ the view on whether the religion is positive, safe and honourable.
How do POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES and administrations impact how a person interacts with religion?
- affects because society and community are governed and expected to work in a particular order and idea.
NEGATIVE EXAMPLE:
Communism has the greatest influence of distancing people from faith
- To unite the country, religion/s under this political ideology is not allowed, because it differentiates people in the masses
- therefore the population is often obstructed from religious observance because they are oblivious to the potentials, beliefs, and teachings of many faiths.
- because the communist government obstructs any influence of religion.
POSITIVE EXAMPLE:
Theocracy is another political ideology, however, it immerses people into religion and affects religious affiliation in a country positively.
- A theocracy is a form of government in which a deity of some type is recognized as the supreme ruling authority, giving divine guidance to human intermediaries that manage the day-to-day affairs of the government.
- The Vatican City is the only country in the world with an absolute theocratic elective monarchy that is guided by the principles of Christianity.
- The Pope is the supreme power in the country, of the Vatican government.
- As a society in its own original right, has the right to live its own domestic religious life in freedom, in particular the freedom to choose religious education, however, since the government and ruling are Christian, many people are influenced to become more affiliated into the Christian religion.
How do SOCIAL ATTITUDES AND PHILOSOPHIES that promote, marginalise, or reject religion and/or religious matters impact how a person interacts with religion?
Negative:
- a secular nation that believes in the principle of separation of the state from religious institutions, will be more diverse and accepting of religions and beliefs.
- The increase in secularisation in Australia means more people are separating themselves from religion.
- This is partly a result of people who are products of a more individualistic society who lack in social solidarity more than their parents.
- In the last census showed statistically that the growing percentage of Australia’s population reporting no religion has been a trend for decades, and is accelerating.
- Those reporting no religion increased noticeably from 19 percent in 2006 to 30 percent in 2016 and were influenced to do so because of Australia being an increased secularised nation.
- This means that secularisation has a negative influence on religious affiliation in the nation.
What are the 4 views on religion?
- religion as a BELIEF SYSTEM
- religion as a HUMAN INVENTION
- religion as a FUNCTIONAL AGENCY
- religion as a POLITICAL ENTITY
Explain Religion as a belief system
(religious role)
Religion is a system and a group of people which ultimately exists due to the basis of particular beliefs
Is religion as a belief system POSITIVE or NEGATIVE view?
Positive:
- Religions offer a way of life that seeks to provide people with MEANING AND PURPOSE.
- It establishes morals and a moral compass that allows the community to be safe, fair, and just.
- meets SPIRITUAL NEEDS and can bring transformative change in people and communities.
Therefore, it gives people Comfort
- in times of crisis, provides answers, assistance, and interpretation of the situation.
- religious events act as recreational and positive times - something to look forward to
- provides hope in bad times
Brings a community of people together
- can build strong relationships
- a strong congregation of people that are not affected by crisis ( always help available)
Negative:
Teachings, Customs, Traditions, Rules, and Explanations may be inaccurate, unfair, and outdated.
eg. Can segregate people into communities and expectations.
- cast systems, gendered jobs, and abuse of power
Explain Religion as a human invention
Religion is a collection of untrue ‘made up’/ created ideas and beliefs, which is now is a quaint but harmless leftover from a bygone era.
