religion - march 11 Flashcards
stained glass metaphor for religion
- Stained glass windows meant to be viewed from the inside, but looking at it from the outside—though it’s different and you can’t see it in its full glory, you can still look at it and see a lot about it and be able to ask questions about it (you can see like shapes n shit, who/what the stained glass windows are depicting, can ask who made it, when, why, etc
- Stained glass is like religion in that sense—can’t really fully understand it as a non-member or non-believer, but can still observe and study aspects of it
universally true about religion:
- Religion in some form or another exists everywhere
- Religious forms and behaviours vary wildly (even though religion exists basically everywhere)
religion and society
Whatever the motivation for religion, the structure of society and people’s place in society influence the following:
- Content and intensity of people’s religious beliefs
- Form and frequency of people’s religious practices
issues with finding number of religious people
Defining what a religion is—attending like a church or mosque or smth? (what if you can’t make it to a church for whatever reason or you go to church but you don’t believe?) (also this doesn’t measure how strongly a person really believes, yk)
secularization thesis
The secularization thesis says that religious institutions, actions, and consciousness are on the decline worldwide and will one day disappear altogether
- And i mean yeah the institutions n shit are kinda going away—like the separation of church and state, like how we have non catholic schools n shit, but this isn’t entirely the case ykyk
critiques of traditional secularization thesis
The traditional secularization theory has fallen short:
1. Traditional secularization theory stated that all societies undergo a process called differentiation, where worldly institutions (ie education) break off from the institution of religion over time
- Hasn’t necessarily happen, definitely hasn’t happened entirely
- Like look at St. Joe’s hospital right here in London, Quebec requires all students to take a course in religion and ethics, or other areas of the world where religion plays a huge role—like look at Sharia law in Islamic countries
2. Separation between church and state
- Modern states are increasingly compelled to intervene in disputes over religion
- Like do churches have a right to refuse to marry gay couples because of their religion? Can pharmacists refuse to prescribe plan B?
- Modern states are increasingly compelled to intervene in disputes over religion
revised secularization thesis
- The revised secularization thesis holds that an overall trend toward the diminishing importance of religion is unfolding in different ways throughout the world
- Secularization as a tendency rather than an iron law, and a tendency especially in the global north
the market model of religion
- Sociologists suggest looking at religion this way?
- Services are demanded by people who desire religious activities
- All of the benefits of religion etc
- Religious denominations are similar to product brands offering different “flavours” of religious experience
- Success in attracting people relies on business strategies/how desirable they can make themselves seem
- Also not all societies allow or encourage competition between different religions
religious monopoly
- Religious monopoly exists when one religious body has acquired special privileges from the state, preventing other religious bodies from “selling their brand” to consumers
- When consumers can access only one brand, satisfaction is limited
Issues with a monopoly—if you’re not satisfied there aren’t any other choices, and the brand isn’t forced to get better to compete with others so they can suck if they want and there’s nothing you can do - Lacking options, some consumers might resort to underground stuff, but most people become indifferent
- Also like the clergy—they get paid regardless bc they’re paid by the state, so there’s no incentive for them to be good
- So the market model predicts that there will be more secularization in areas with a religious monopoly
Sweden an example—3 of 4 citizens belong to the Church of Sweden, church is heavily subsidized by the state so they don’t have to try to attract new members, and sweden has one of the lowest rates of church attendance in the world
religious pluralism
- In countries that permit open competition among religions, those who market themselves well gain more members
- Leads to religious pluralism—the diverse array of religions and religious beliefs in a given area
- Also religious groups tend to become routinized over time (definition in textbook but only mentioned during lecture?)
issues with market theory of religion
The market theory of religion is not watertight:
- A near-monopoly in religion exists in many Muslim-majority, but religious observance is widespread
- Both Canada and the US have unregulated markets, but the US is a more religious nation than Canada
- One explanation/theory is economic inequality—US has more inequality/poverty, so therefore more religion
- Another one is the US was founded on the choice of religion/etc, so that mindset is pervasive
- Another one is that US accepts immigrants from different countries than Canada, and so that can change the religious landscape
cults (general)
First off—not all cults are religious
Ex. multi level marketing schemes
Also line isn’t super clear cut—scientology is considered a cult in some places and a religion in others
characteristics of cults
- The group displays excessively zealous and unquestioning commitment to its leader
- Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished
- The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s) and members
- The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which may cause conflict with the wider society
- The leader is not accountable to any authorities
- Subservience to the leader/group requires members to cut ties with family and friends
case study: jim jones’ people’s temple
- Started as a minister for Disciples of Christ
- 1960s or so, he’s from Indiana btw, moves to northern California
- Begins to pull away from DC and moves northern California
- Begins preaching a “new message” centering himself as the true leader
- Messages escalate in their grandiosity (he’ll became the leader of the US, eliminate all problems in society—like racism, class inequality, sexism—all goodbye)
- Found that the US was too restrictive, so moved followers to Guyana (in South America) where there were fewer rules
- Claims of having been The Buddha, The Báb, Jesus Christ, and Lenin
- Mass suicide becomes the ultimate test of dedication to the “Cause”
- Culminated in the 1978 massacre of >900 people through cyanide-laced Flavor Aid (and bullets)
- “Don’t drink the kool-aid”
why do people join cults
- Loneliness and seeking connection
- At a crossroads/feeling difficulties with life
