Does Religion Have a Place in Social Work/Social Welfare?
In the past years, social work has been attributed to various movements such as charity organizations which are derivatives of the church. As years went by, studies indicated that individuals began to move away from the spiritual mentality and opted to seek explanations of events from science. Those in the social work profession were fueled by ideological and opinionated incentives other than sacred motives. Currently, there has been great turn in the direction of social work such that religious organizations in relation to this particular field have been founded and continue to grow.
The relationship between social work and religion continues to raise many questions and some have argued that religion has caused great difficulties for community workers. This subject has attracted several debates and the most logical fact is that social work overlaps not only religion but other institutions as well such as politics, family, education and many more. Social welfare helps families for instant in providing information on foster care and adoption. Other educational courses also have social aspects for instant physical growth provides useful experiences to the youth.
Churches have also been interested in the well being of individuals and have provided counseling servicers as well. The present scenario in social welfare is as a result of the events that occurred in the past. Religion and social welfare cannot be perceived as independent entities since it is obvious that they are intertwined. They all depend on each other in then sense that social organizations can get funding from the church since they all have a common objective. It however ought to be understood that not all religious individuals view this connection as significant.
To some, religious should not have as place in social welfare and the reason given is that some of the family problems are as a result of sin and poor decision making. With reference to this, these individuals explain that religion is not at one point supposed to associate itself with sinful ways. Therefore, it is not right in their view to fund social organizations since they act contrary with the ways of the church. For those who oppose such assertions claim that these social welfares are legitimate and hence should be accepted since they assist individuals in improving their well being.
The supporters of the integration between social welfare and religion add that problems experienced by individuals are not self inflicted but rather are beyond human control ( Zastrow p8).Reality is that all societies should come up with a way of meeting the needs of the less fortunate. As mentioned above, in the past such needs should be met largely by the family and the church. The future for social welfares can only be determined greatly by the intense advancement in technology in all entities including the religious sector. It is again significant to understand past trends in order to find satisfying solutions.
When examining the family as a social entity for instant, marriages were considered as sacred in the past centuries. Cases of divorce were unheard of and very member fop the family had specific roles which they adequately met. In the current regime nevertheless, the most significant aspects in marriage are affection and child rearing. The concept of divorce has continued to gain momentum and the number of broken families is alarming. Analysts have predicted that there will be a major change in the family unit in future and this will be due to the numerous advances in technology.
It is then clear that the question as to whether religion has a place in social welfare is a complex one. It ought to be understood that the current society is a liberal one such that individuals are free to act the way they fee like. They are no longer guided by the various institutions that had the mandate in the past to define an individual’s character. Culture has had a major influence on how society members perceive the world I general. What is right to one person may be wrong to the other and hence this difference in values has resulted into crucial controversies on how life should be led.
Most of the answers to such critical questions are normally personalized and hence no clear solution can be deduced. The most interesting thing is that none of this entities are ready to surrender and in fact faith based social welfares have continued to be on the rise. Social welfare and religion issues are complex and good data is essential in order to come up with the right recommendations( Ambrosino et al p145).The notion that unity is strength could not be put any better and hence it would be better if the two institutions worked hand in hand.
It is necessary that individuals gather as much information as possible and make extensive analysis regarding the relationship between social work and relation. A proper evaluation is the only hope that can enable one to come up with an outstanding and satisfactory answer.
Work cited
Zastrow,C. Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare: Empowering People. New York: Cengage Learning, 2009
Ambrosino et al. Social Work and Social Welfare: An Introduction. New York: Cengage Learning, 2007
