what functions religion may have?
Religion has many functions.
Religion makes people depend on it. People think that religion gives them mind peace. So people are given many things by religion. If a person believes one religion, the person gets peaceful feelings.
I think It is the most important reason to have religion. Religion also makes people control society. To control society, religion gathers people. Gathered people act for the religion. The people gain sense of belonging The sense of belonging gives people more satisfaction. Therefore people may rely on religion. Also religion has a function to maintain social order. Religion makes society integrate. People to believe same religion look at same direction. It is easy to integrate people in this case. Religion makes people feel no alienation. We live together. In the life, religion is one of combining people. So through religion people feel comfortable. I don't have religion. But religion is very important to someone. Someone may think that religion is life itself. They depend on religion completely. If they depend on religion too much, religion may give people harm things. But adequate belief makes someone change his life.
Can you think of other examples in how religion can be used to control people?
First, if someone has anxiety, the man searches something to lean. It is religion.
Religion will make him overcome the anxiety. The man feels sense of stability in the religion.
The man will need the religion whenever he has anxiety. Like this, the same religion makes people believe that their religion is a law. Of course the law is not legal law. But to them, they may need something to lean. The religion becomes the something. The religion gives people to need help sense of stability. After, people make a return for the sense of stability. The return is piety. Religion uses people's mind to control people.
I think religion has many good function. I don't have good image about religion. But I change my thought.Religion has not only shortcomings but also good advantage.
I feel similar to how you feel awkward about religion. As the conflict theory shows there are shortcomings of religion. It can be used by objects different from piety. But there are advantages of religion like making people have hope and win challenges by the belief toward religion. So although it may feel awkward, I think it will be good for us to have good thought about religion.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your opinion about function of religion. Because of religion people could have peace in mind and religion also integrate society. Although there are many people in the world who trust religion blindly or don't believe any religion, I also think adequate belief is the best way to have peace in our mind.
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