How Religion Shapes Culture, Society, and Experience
For your final reflection paper I would like you to consider and write a response to these questions in essay form. Please think about the things we have seen, the religions we have studied and the discussions we have had together these past 9 days.
What is religion? How is it shaped by and how does it shape culture, society and experience? How do people encounter, express and make sense of religion? Has your perspective on religion been altered or changed (either positively or negatively) from our encounters with one another, our visits, our discussions and our reading of the text, power points, etc.?
In writing your response please think and write with your own “voice.” I really want to know what the practice of religion means to YOU, not what the textbook says, not what you think I as the professor want to hear. Think about this and dig deep into your belly, into your origin, ancestors and traditions and try to unpack from within your soul what this beautiful, peaceful, scary, awe-inspiring, confusing, magical, monotonous, spontaneous, graceful, silly, visceral, heartfelt and incomprehensible thing called RELIGION means.
Religion
Name of Student
Institution of Affiliation
Religion
Religion is a diverse aspect of humanity that determines the behavior an individual portrays in the society. Religion is defined as the values, beliefs, and world views that relate to the existence of an order in creation. Culture, Conversely, can be defined as a set of beliefs that define a particular social orientation, age group, or ethnic group. The interaction of culture and religion is necessary for the normal upbringing of the human being (Beyer, & Beaman, 2007). Our culture is a definition of the social forces that form the convention of the behavior. The religion defines how the individuals define their roles in the universe, based on the different cultures. This essay defines religion, how it shapes and how it is shaped by the culture, society, and experience.
In my opinion, religion arises as an aspect that is important to the community after a group of people come together under a leadership to manage growth. In my life, I have experienced various interactions with both culture and religion. My experience in life of religion has been shaped by my culture. The different environments I have been exposed to have defined my beliefs. In my childhood, I would go to church because my friends used to go to church. I had no choice of joining them because if I remained at home, I would feel lonely. This is a clear indicator that we end up believing to a large extend on what we see other people doing in the society. We become the sub-sectional members of religion because of the culture that we are brought to understand. For example, if you are born in a country like Iran you will probably become a Muslim. For an individual born and raised in USA, there is a high odds of becoming a Christian. The environment and culture form an interplay that makes a human being have a consecrated identity and definition in their environment.
The religion also defines the culture of a given group of the people. This is a counteraction of the earlier argument that argues that religion shapes the culture. In most cultures, religion has been a modern aspect that has revolutionized the cultural orientation. The cultures have eroded, to allow religion to take control. Cultural development involves the definition of both the social and the ethnic norms. From my point of view, the behaviors we acquire when we grow can be shaped by religion. For example, when somebody sneezes, we all respond by saying ‘bless you.' This is a word of courtesy that is used, but it is derived from the religion. The religion also defines the natural coexistence between the individuals in the society. It is a normal that a society that is made up of individuals of a given religious orientation tend to value peace and coexistence with their neighbors. They learn to appreciate the humanity and stick to the principle of valuation of such individuals. They foster a culture of unity that emanates from the ability to share their values. The religion also defines how the community members interpret different roles in the society. The teachings of religion are based on the local culture, hence making the different cultures to arise from such religions (Beyer, & Beaman, 2007).
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