Religion in society
Introduction
Religion is ubiquitous. Even when people have no attachment or relationships with it, they still encounter it at some point in existence. Religion influences all aspects of society, social, economic and political. In recent times most especially, religion has encompassed politics in a humongous way. Islam as a religion received a lot of criticism from the community at large. This is after the September 11 bombing in the United States carried out by Islamists. There are many religious centers in all parts of the world. All citizens have the right to practice their religion. This is as long as it does not interfere with the opinions and rights of others.The constitution encompasses God in the pledge of allegiance. Most religions cover liberation of people, and it looks down on tyranny in all its forms. That explains why most democracies invoke God in their constitutions and some of their laws. Religion sometimes controls and governs all aspects of a country. This is a characteristic of most Muslim countries administered by sharia laws sociology and religions form a complex relationship (Johnstone 120).
Religious Fundamentalism
Many people even determine the people they put into power based on their religious beliefs and practices. For example, a person may base their choice to elect someone regarding their opinion in subjects like abortion or homosexuality that ultimately all point to religious beliefs. Sociology studies the manner in which people live. Since religion is a significant part of human existence, the two subjects connect inexplicably. Through analysis of religious fundamentalism and determination of how religion affects social class, the key contributions of the concepts are revealed.
Religious fundamentalism involves aspects of religion usually in the form of a movement that share various principles tied to religion. People in these fundamental groups share in the same principles. There is an element of fanaticism towards people that do not agree in their principles. Originally, the movement realized their roots in the twentieth and nineteenth centuries. The movement began from American Protestants that insisted on the teachings of the bible as being free from errors.
Fundamentalists rejected adding modern aspects to the bible to include the changing aspects of society. Religious fundamentalism has shaped various aspects of politics and democracy especially in international politics. The first fundamental movement was characterized by Marxist tendencies. It showed some aggressiveness towards certain politically affiliated issues like abortion and rights of lesbians and homosexuals. The movement was so concerned with political events in the country. They attempted to indict President Clinton during his time, as a president (Johnstone 130).
What most religious fundamentalists fail to understand is that the world would inevitably modernize and secularize. This is in the wake of all the changes in the world. The changes might have come at the expense of religious beliefs. This could be the reason why the fundamentalists felt threatened in their religion. Straying away from certain religious views and practices has provided certain advantages. These are viewed in terms of technological advancement that overcomes inherent sociological problems like hunger, disease and poverty.
Religious fundamentalists may appear as being too radical. This is in terms of how the distances and steps they will take to defend their religious beliefs and practices. For instance, certain religious Islam groups may be fundamentalist in the manner in which they conduct their affairs. Islamist jihadist movements have strived for years to overthrow regimes and rulers that undermine their religious freedoms. This they do in defense of jihad, a holy war against all those opposing advancement of Islam as a religion.
Fundamentalism is also in certain Christian aspects where followers are too born again to agree to certain issues. Another instance is areas where Jews of the orthodox nature from Israel associated with conservative political opinions. They are always on the opposing end of what they view social relaxation of ethics and norms. Interaction between religious views and politics has been airing queries for a long time. The queries seem to be against advancement of religious gains as far as their interests go.
Some theorists like Karl Marx were able to identify the inevitability of association of politics with religions (Johnstone 126). Initially, before the advancement of neo Marxist perspectives, people thought that politics association was economical. There were also stances and values associated with religions. With time, it became impossible to analyze politics without including religious issues.
Religious expressions and Social Class
Social class has always affected religious expression. Differences in society are unavoidable even in religion. It is difficult to comprehend how class adds to religious advancement or removes from it. Important sociological theorists like Max Weber analyzed the relationships between religion and private enterprise. Some societies would like to think that their societies are welcoming to all people. It does not matter the amount of money that people have.
There is a separation of abilities that people have in the society. Theses abilities are categorized in terms of who has more money, better schooling and a better job. It would seem as though money separates people in all classes. This is after serious examination of society, and other aspects such as religion affect class? Religion ultimately unites all people regardless of class or economic status.
Class is a pivotal factor in separating people along social lines. According to studies, educated people tend to lean towards the teachings of the church. This is ironic as society expects that unemployed people and those who are struggling financially will turn to the church. The church is regarded as a spiritual institution for guidance and assistance. Granted most people that participate in politics have some form of employment and invested in religion.
Ultimately, they are bound to determine the direction in which politics will take. People with families also seem to lean towards religion, as well. These people play a critical role in formulated and implemented policies. It is them, and the middle class that determine the success and failure of policies. This occurs in the stages of monitoring and evaluating (Johnstone 126). It is clear that sociological perspectives affect political direction in a great way. Decisions that people make regarding their political choices are largely due to their religious orientations. Trying to separate the two would be impossible as ideals from religious factions like fundamentalism ultimately affect the election of leaders. It is also associated to the formulation of vital policies associated with various issues like sexuality and abortion.
Conclusion
There is an inherent relationship between Religion and other aspects within the societal setting. Political power of a country has to put into consideration certain aspects of religion. This is because religion is so people related. In some countries, especially the developing ones, people do not have much belief in establishments and institutions. These people turn to religion and ventures like political parties and institutions to incorporate the power of religious institutions. This is visible in certain practices like solving conflicts or riots in the community. There are groups that ensure religion and politics have to establish a harmonious relationship for the well-being of all their citizens. This creates a stability and balance that drives the motive of self-control and generation of hope.
Works Cited
Johnstone, Ronald L. Religion in Society: A Sociology of Religion. Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2007. Print.
