Term Paper on "Relevance or Irrelevance of Religion in Our Society"

Term Paper 5 pages (1518 words) Sources: 5

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Relevance of Religion in Our Society

Relevance or Irrelevance of Religion in our society

Religion has been linked by several scholars to be an instrument that brings about mental peace and satisfaction to the members of the society. Many scholars agree that there is a need for a secular way that brings this peace of mind. However, all answers lead to religion being the source of this much needed peace of mind. This can further be broken down into two main categories of religion. One is the faith without philosophy category and the other is faith with philosophy category.

In the ancient times, believers used faith as a way to bring about comfort and hope to their lives when they were in desperate situations which were beyond their own control and hopelessness. In these situations, faith was what brought them hope. It was regarded as the source of the light at the end of the tunnel. This is what is referred to as faith without philosophy. Some scholars refer to it as primitive faith Hyman & Handal, 2006()

The second category of religion is faith with philosophy. This tries to find the owner of the body and the mind. Though the body changes with each coming day as we age and the mind can also be changed voluntarily and involuntarily, the owner of the body and the mind does not change. The owner is independent and at the same time, permanent. Faith with philosophy believes in the existence of a soul which remains when the body is no longer usable. This kind of religion believes that God is the creator of the soul and at the end of life, the soul returns to God. Therefore there is some belief in afterlife. These religions also believe that God has limitless power, compassion and wisdom. This is commonly referred to as theistic religion and it includes Jewish, Muslim and Christian religions Hyman & Handal, 2006()

All people in the world have their own different positions on religion though there are the commonalities that can be found which give us the relevance of religion in our current society.

Religion as the source of laws

Religion is an important source of law. Both public law which is used in the judicial systems in the various countries around the world and other laws in the society. Some of the religious laws include the customary Jewish law which is referred to as halakha, sharia law, which is the Islamic law, Hindu law and Canon law which is the Christian law Molloy, 2009()

The Bible is an important source of law. There is the Mosaic law which were the laws given to the Israelites by God. There are also the Ten Commandments which were given to Moses on Mount Sinai. There are also the laws that Jesus gave to his disciples and followers which are referred to as the New Commandment. These laws have been incorporated in public law and also in the societal laws Flood, 2012()

Sharia law is derived from the Quran and the examples set by the prophet Muhammad in the sunnah. Muslims in general believe that sharia is God's law and it is used in Muslim countries and regions to determine cases though there are varying interpretations of the sharia law in the different countries, societies and cultures around the world. The sharia law deals with many aspects of life such as politics, crime, economics and personal matters too, for example, hygiene, sexual intercourse, prayer, diet, and fasting. Sharia law is internationally recognized although in Muslim minority states and countries it may not be applied in the determination of cases Flood, 2012()

Hindu Law is based on the Many Smriti and it was recognized by the British at the end of the rule in India. However, it was largely influenced by the waning after the establishment of the Indian republic Flood, 2012()

The halakha or Judaism law is based on the Torah which was God's covenant law. It pertains to nearly all aspects of human lives. Some of the law relates only to men and some part of it only to women. Some of it relates only to priestly groups such as the members of the tribe of Levi and some only to the farmers in the Land of Israel. Some of the laws are only applied when there is a Temple in Jerusalem Flood, 2012()

Religion and life

Religion also touches on almost all aspects of our day-to-day lives and it is one of the major guiding factors to how families relate to each other.

In Christianity, the Ten Commandments give guidance as to how human beings should carry on with their lives. The fourth commandment given to Moses tells us to keep the Sabbath day holy. In family life, this commandment can be seen to mean that people need to remember the Sabbath and to go to worship the Lord. The fifth commandment tells us to honor our father and mother so that our days may be long. This commandment asks that children should respect, be honest and to listen to their parents. The sixth commandment tells people not to kill or murder. This means that there should be respect for life since all creations were made from God. The seventh commandment prohibits people from committing adultery. The eighth commandment prohibits stealing. The ninth commandment prohibits telling of lies and the tenth commandment outlaws coveting the belonging of another person.

The Jewish Torah law also gives the rules which need to be followed in the day-to-day lives of Jews. These laws help to differentiate good from bad and to encourage people to do more of good than bad in the society.

Religion also touches on the quality of family life. Religion teaches perseverance and patience in marriage. It also encourages working the couple working together as a team to achieve stability and fulfillment in their lives. The traditional Jewish laws state that divorce should always come as a final result and should never be the first answer to problems Marks, 2006()

Religion gives the members of society common belief, values, and social norms. This helps to standardize how people think about the various things in the society and how they carry out their activities. As described above, the Ten Commandments, for example, describe how people should carry about their lives. This gives the society a common standard upon which their actions and activities are carried. In this way, religion promotes a peaceful co-existence between human beings Iii, 2002()

Religion also serves to unite people together. Though people have their own varied religious beliefs, there is some commonality in these beliefs which is what brings these people together. Although the trends in recent years have pointed more towards religion being a source of a divide between the people in the world, religion can also be used to unite people. This divide has come from the varied decisions on crucial matters of life such as homosexuality, abortion, birth control, women priests, religious war, etc. However, religion can be used to give concrete answers to these questions and thus unify the divided people Marks, 2006()

Religion also explains the things which science cannot explain. Science is all about using the brains which were given to us by the almighty to understand his work in creation. One important thing that science cannot explain is religion itself. Science has failed to explain the various aspects of the various religions around the world. They have failed to explain the history of the religions, their doctrines and belief. Religion is the only answer to religion.

Conclusion

Many scholars believe that by following what is taught by the various religious doctrines, the members of society can live lives that a full of joy, love, service, and compassion for one… READ MORE

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