The Nature of Religion Kathy Legare rel/134 May 10 2012 University of Phoenix The Nature of Religion Describe the common elements of religion. An important element in a religion is to have a Supreme Being or person to worship. Where this supreme being(s) guides and teach people how to live. That does not help or hinder the control of the nature of mankind. (Johnson, 2009) There is an unwritten code that religions have that tells the believer how to live, how to bring more in to the religion and what do if the person does not want to believe.
In this essay I will consider Richard Katz book Boiling Energy: Community Healing among the Kalahari Kung, in particular the chapters "Kung Hunter Gatherers" and "The Kung Approach to Healing". I will examine Katz proposal that the Kung’s healing dance does more than just ‘cure' in the generic sense. I find his argument compelling. I argue that his conception of the Kung healing dance allows us to draw parallels with religious practices in our own society, and therefore infer ideas about the nature of religion itself. I note one weakness of his argument in regard to his observation if the inseparability of the Kung’s everyday life and their religion, compared to western societies.
The True Religion Since the beginning of time, humans have relied on the teachings of different religions in order to explain their existence and to give them a purpose for living. People today, however, have an understanding of religion that is superficial because they rarely find complete satisfaction or definite purpose in the teachings of their faiths. Followers of these faiths think that religion can fix the problems in their lives without them having to try to fix the issues themselves. Humans seem to be lost without a solid spiritual understanding, and they resort to accumulating material items in order to find importance in their lives. Nonetheless, instead of focusing on material items, humans should interact in and with the “Natural World”.
Grendel’s Existential Intuition People across the world seek out an understanding of life. Many turn to religion, a sanctuary for meaning and philosophies; however, people lose faith due to their own insecurities, starting a new search, ultimately leading to existential philosophies. Dictionary.com defines existentialism as “a modern philosophical movement stressing the importance of personal experience and responsibility and the demands that they make on the individual, who is seen as a free agent in a deterministic and seemingly meaningless universe.” Grendel is an ideal example of an existential character in the novel Grendel by John Gardner, who mocks every creature that he encounters, amused by their “stupid” actions, and later attempting
2. In a short but consistent essay explain the role of religion in today’s world. Give consistent reasons for your explanation. In today’s world religion seems to have a different place than in times before. Throughout history religion is what governed countries, brought people together, and gave morals and rules for everyday life.
Alana Peters Reaction to Ministering Cross-Culturally Cross Cultural Studies June 29, 2011 Title Minatistering Cross-Culturally, written by Sherwood G. Lingenfelter and Marvin K. Mayers, gives Biblical principal that guides in relating with people of other cultures. It demonstrates how every person inhabiting this Earth develops basic values that perhaps can differ from those that are found within the cultural norm of the area. Traditionally, people tend to associate and surround themselves with those with similar beliefs and principals. In turn, this excludes all others from the group they have formed. A key principal of this book is that “the practice of incarnation (i.e.
“The main function of religion is to provide people with a code of behavior which regulates personal and social life”. Assess the extent to which sociological arguments and evidence supports this view of religion in modern society. (33 marks) Functionalists view religion as a central role in institutions like the family and the economy, in creating and maintaining value consensus, order and solidarity. The first functionalist to widen this thought was Durkheim. Durkheim believed that social order and stability only existed if people were integrated into society by value consensus.
Along with this, Western Christianity separated humans from nature. In older religious traditions, humans were seen as part of nature, rather than the ruler of nature. And in animistic religions, there was believed to be a spirit in every tree, mountain or spring, and all had to be respected. In contrast with paganism and Eastern religions, Christianity "not only established a dualism of man and nature but also insisted that it is God's will that man exploit nature for his proper ends." White noted that Christianity was a complex faith, and different branches of it differ in their outlook.
I think they are all three subjective according to the civilization they exist in. To the religious they are all one in the same. To philosophers, they are distinctly different. As well as being subjective they are also developed in accordance with societal norms of the day. Each society has differing values that play heavily into the establishment of these norms.
Religion for a functionalist would be viewed as more of a reinforcement for the values that society holds. One thing almost all religions have in common is the lesson of being “good”, to treat others how you would want to be treated. It also gives people something to turn to when they feel lost, or something to blame when life is not going the way the would like. Religion holds people together in many ways, offering stability to society. Religion does, however hold both manifest and latent functions.