Module 3 Flashcards
From a Religious Perspective Why SHOULD religion be involved in society?
Religions believe they offer MEANING and PURPOSE for human existence.
- offer guidance for life in the temporal sphere
It helps promote
- *THE DIGNITY OF A HUMAN (social,political, religious)
- Christianity teaches people through creation stories that everyone is made with equal dignity and certain rights are to upheld to respect it. It teaches people that humans are not machines or objects instead they equal to one another and have dignity which has to be respected and appreciated.
- HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE (social, political)
- since the human race has equal dignity Christianity teaches the people that about social justice; how the rights of others are to be respected and up-kept
- Christianity teaches people are equal and tries to make sure people are on equal level through social acts of justice an education.
- improves society and economy
- DEMOCRATIC VOICE FOR THE MINORITY. (Political, Social)
- through the teachings of solidarity, subsidiarity and participation the church encourages people to respect everyone and help the vulnerable achieve success in their life.
- the church as a group and its leaders also have the ability to VOICE the concerns of the minority and help the public understand, help and respect them in society.
** MARRIAGE AND FAMILY LIFE ( social, cultural)
Teaches people the responsibilities they have with each other and how to upkeep them so that everyone may be happy and healthy in their lives.
Explains the roles within a household, how to respect each other and how to take care of each other.
** COMMUNITY OVER INDIVIDUALISM (social, political, cultural)
- the church unifies, connects and groups the community with a voice.
It ensures people and their are not excluded, instead listened upon and treated with love and care,
- church acts a family uniting the human race to do good and feel good.
** SHARING OVER MATERIALISM (social, political)
- through the teaching of UNIVERSAL DESTINATION of GOODS the church teaches people to share earth’s resources equally with everyone so that people can also experience their rights and feel happiness with their lives.
Overall boosting world economies and encourages the formation of a healthy and happy society.
From a sociological perspective (study of social behaviour) why SHOULD religion be involved in society?
It says that religions can perform particular functions in society
- HELP CEMENT SOCIAL SOLIDARITY (social, political)
- religions organise people into groups in society which helps everyone to stand together as one - one voice, help understand each other and their disabilities and what they believe in. Creates the human race a family - a group with similar understandings and efforts.
- PROMOTE WELFARE (social)
- many religious take up the responsibilities to respect everyone’s rights and help them achieve happiness and a standard of living through charity work. This not only helps the economy overall but also many people are considered, respected and helped to overcome struggles.
- PROVIDES RECREATION , Eg festivals (social, religious)
- many religions have festivals and events where the believers are able to perform recreational activities which increases their state of happiness in their life, allows them to be creative, find inner peace.
- appreciate each other for their talents Eg playing an instrument
- INFLUENCE POLITICS (political)
- if any false play is being done by the government, political leaders or if any injustice issues occur, religion has the ability to VOICE and call out the injustices for the affected people and suggest possible solutions to make the situation better.
** PROMOTE HUMAN QUALITIES s (social)
- religion allows people to understand their meaning and purpose and allows them to understand the good traits within them.
Which encourages them to identity the good qualities and perform theses good traits, making the person over all.
The good traits also allow the person to identify skills, develop them and lead a successful life or help others.
- PROVIDES COMFORT AND MENTAL PEACE (social, religious)
- Prayer and worship can be seen as a meditation method for many people to de-stress and be at peace within themselves.
- some religious beliefs also keep people sane and helps them understand what they need to do in life. Eg do good on earth to enter heaven
From a RELIGIOUS perspective why should religion NOT be part of society?
- some people desire an environment where they can commune with God privately, free from distractions of society.
Eg. In early Christianity this was the reason for monasteries and hermitages - religious order live a communal life but have taken vows of Poverty, Chastity and obedience as a sign of Separation from worldly attractions
- religion should be a break from the busyness of life; while religions offers periods of solitude and private times of contemplation in retreats and pilgrimages
From a SECULAR HUMANIST view why should religion NOT be part of society?
- HUMAN REASON IS SUFFICIENT
- Basic human understanding of human rights as expressed from the UN is enough for the society to be organised in a fair way. Therefore there is no need for religious laws to dictate human activity as humans already have understanding.
- RELIGIONS ARE PATRIARCHAL, INTOLERANT AND DISCRIMINATORY
- since majority of the religious stories are told of men, does not mention women and have outdated laws (against races, women and other minority). Many people believe religious beliefs advocate for inequality, unfair rules and prejudice.
- RELIGIONS HAVE A HISTORY OF WAR AND DISCORD
- many past wars and incidents have been influenced by religion. Therefore people now believe that listening to religion may discriminate others and influence many negative attitudes to arise and make people perform some unlawful acts, Eg 9/11
- RELIGION IS OPPOSED TO SCIENCE
- there is physical evidence and reasoning behind science when comparing to religion and therefore more people are moving towards a scientific understanding and disregarding the teachings of religion.
- RELIGIOUS BELIEF IS NOT RATIONAL
- some believe that certain religious beliefs such as ‘thou shall not kill’ is not rational when comparing to real life scenarios. Eg serial killer not being sentenced to capital punishment.
- SACRED WRITINGS ARE OUTDATED
- some scriptures such as the Old Testament include some controversial ideas such as ‘don’t eat shellfish’ which now have been ‘debunked’, making people believe that the religion itself has become outdated and is filled with false information.
** HAS COMPLICATED ROLE (social, political, religious and cultural)
- due to increase of non Christian religions in Australia it has further complicated its role as society moral compass, its hard to determine which is more important, which idea or belief is meant to be upheld.
Which religion to listen to?
Why is homelessness regarded as an injustice?
From a catholic perspective homelessness can be regarded as an injustice because Housing and other necessities is essential to sustain lives of humans. It is a RIGHT inscribed to humans so that their dignity may be respected These entitlements are associated with the ‘exalted dignity proper to the human person’, whose ‘rights and duties are universal and inviolable’
- it is fundamental to human dignity, and allow equal opportunity for everyone and their dignity = to make everyone on the same page
- when people are homeless everyone’s human dignity is damaged because everyone has equal dignity. When one’s is disrespected everyone’s is damaged.
- everyone is equal in dignity and therefore must be given the same opportunity
- puts HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY on everyone to attain to STOP homelessness
From a societal perspective, according to the UN humans must all have ‘a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations’.
- therefore it is a continuing development for the community and society itself to ECONOMICALLY attain this common standard of living.
- it is an injustice people are not given the same opportunity to be seen equal.
Why does the Catholic believe homelessness is an injustice; using Subsidiarity and participation, Dignity of the Human Person, Common Good, universal destination of good, Solidarity.
Subsidiarity and participation; by having homelessness in the society it means that it is going against this principle because people are not participating the community to help others and purposefully creating ‘weak’ people in society and not empowering each other to reach their potential.
Common Good- the society is purposefully is going ‘Everyman for themselves’ and people are continuing to take care of their preferences and not looking out for each. The community is not ensuring everyone can reach their potential, they are making sure they reach thier potential by making others suffer and become homeless.
Solidarity- by having homeless people in the community it is not a ‘wholesome community’ because humans are not standing together for everyone to reach their potential and rights met, not giving voicing for the vulnerable,
Human dignity; when one’s dignity is disrespected, everyone’s is to because everyone shares the same dignity.
- the human rights inscribed within dignity making everyone the same everyone is hurt by not allowing it to reach its potential.
- exclusion from housing is not treating human dignity with the same respect
Universal destination of goods; developed countries do have the ability to help those in need and homeless because the community does have the resources however it is not shared equally among its people and the world, so that everyone may experience it.
How does the Catholic Church respond to this injustice?
Makes sure everyone understands this is an injustice and ensures everyone understands that this their responsibility to overcome it.
It calls on the government to;
- provide Assistance for low-income groups must meet basic material needs.
- provide greater cooperation to increase social and community housing.
- address the major structural issues that drive up prices.
It calls on community and church to
- provide assistance through charity work as a collective
- volunteer to do services and ensure buildings and necessities are available to the affected
- everyone is welcomed into parishes
- work as an organisation to help
Calls on individuals
- make everyone feel welcomed and respected into community and parishes
- raise awareness; research, educate, encourage
- lend a helping hand; donate and support organisations to help achieve a goal of not having homeless people
