“Right hand to God, left hand holding the jewels”
By: Jamilah Dodd
3/21/14
“You are only as good as your relationship with god.” I was always told. Growing up with a religious family who both played by God's handbook, the"Bible" and from time to time to part in what was looked at as the "devils work". I always knew I had parents who both came from religious backgrounds but I never knew what religion was.
What is religion?
I came to the realization in sociology class that religion is not really one simple thing and there's no one particular religion. Religion is simply an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems and worldviews that relate to humanity to an order. There are many religious groups:
- - Christian
- - Buddhist
- - Jew
- - Islam
- - Communist
- - Wicca
- - Satanism
- -Animism
- - Hindu
- - Jain
- - Tao
- - Freemason
- - Shinto
- - New Age
- - Sikh
- - Hare Krishna
- - Confucio
- - Secularism
All of which have narratives, sacred histories, morals, values, and symbols. There are three major functions of religion, establishing social cohesion, promoting social control, providing meaning and purpose. I've learned that religion saves elite by legitimizing status quo and diverting attention from social inequality. There two types of religious organizations Churches and Sects. Churches are nondenominational and try to appeal to everyone. They have ordained leaders they are highly formal and they always try to find new members. Sects have spontaneous ways of worship, attracts outsiders, highly charismatic leaders. In society we learn that everyone is not going to be open and accepting to anyone’s individual religious practice, morals, ways of worship or values.
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