Does society influence religion or does religion influence society? HELP???

Question

meaning does society influence chritianity or does christianity influence society. give me accurate reasons and your source please. i need to know this for my intllectual well being. this is for a high school thesis paper and i just wanted to get you all's ideas before deciding on my own. THANKS

Answer 1

both...

Society influences religion in that religion has to change with the times. It used to be that Catholicism wouldn't allow eating meat on Fridays, spilling salt was sinful, and demons caused illness.

Now all these things are no longer in practice. Its happening today too...just a few years ago gays weren't welcome in any sect of Christianity, birth control was forbidden, and science wasn't welcome. People eventually accept these changes, and since the church is made up of these people...then the church changes too. Remember, the church is made up of society.

It goes both ways too. The reason I don't like religion is because its a group of people setting rules alongside beliefs. Certain sects of Islam say to hate those who aren't Muslim...so parts of Islamic society do. It was the Pope who ordered the crusades, so society followed. Some people today think that Bush is acting in accordance to Christian beliefs, and his decisions affect all of society.

On a smaller scale, some people think Halloween, Harry Potter, and Star Wars are evil because of their religion.

Answer 2

I think that it can be a little of both. 10 years ago I would have said that religion has a bigger effect on society. But now I think that it depends. I have seen religions popping up that teach Christianity, but without the traditional values that you expect at a church. I watched the Catholic church as theyselected a new Pope. There was a lot of talk about getting someone more modern. Someone who would do away with the traditional values that Catholics espouse. I watched in the last few weeks as the Pope apologized to the Muslims in the world because of a comment he made, which I believe was biblically correct. It made me sad that he would apologize if he really believed that what he said was the truth. In many cases, political correctness is seeping into some religiouns.

Yet on the other hand, there are still many religions that hold firm in their beliefs in traditional values. There are still many that regardless of the changes in society, they don't back down. No matter how politically incorrect their beliefs become, they still hold firm in their teachings. For example, many mainstream religions will not perform same sex marriages in their churches or temples. THere is a lot of pressure to change that, but it is still part of their beliefs.

Personally, I think that it is very sad anytime a religion caves into the peer pressure of Political correctness and changes their beliefs and policies because the world has changed. I think that trend will have a very negative effect on society. Structure is aways a very important thing . Right now it looks like churches are the only thing that is still structured, and as that structure starts to crumble, society will along with it.

Answer 3

Cool question. Sounds like a college paper to me. Anyways, society was first influenced by religion is what I'd say. Thus, we had the crucades and people being controlled by the church during the dark ages. Etc. Etc. Today though, no one really pays mind to religion because there are so very many out there. As a Christian I have noticed that people make up their own rules and call it "religion". Hopefully we make it to heaven. Acts 2:38 says it best. Good luck.

Answer 4

this is just my opinion. If you want research, you need to do that yourself.

I think your question is poor. It's clear that each influences the other.

For society influencing religion, look at the long term trends. Abolition of slavery, anti-racism, womens rights, etc. None of these come from religion. In fact religion (and the Christian Bible in particular) supported slavery, treating women as property.

It's only new "interpretations" that go along with new concepts of human rights. In short, society got better and religion had to go along or fade away. You would think that is slavery is so wrong, God would have said so in his holy book. It seems he forgot to mention that.

For religion influencing society, most societies are structured around religion. Births, marriages and deaths are nearly all marked in religious ceremonies. In the US, getting into goverment office without being a believer is nearly impossible.

I'm sorry I don't have time to expand on these ideas. I hope it's a good start.

Answer 5

Both. For example nowadays Christians don't kill children who disobey even though the Bible apparantly tells them to, because they know now that it would be wrong and society has made laws that forbid this. This is an example of society influencing religion.

Then there are for example Christians who do everything they can to make life hard for homosexuals because according to their religion they are committing a sin. That's religion influencing society.

There's plenty of other examples for both.

Answer 6

Christianity was the basis for the constitution. I think David Barton has done videos on this. So, religion does influence society. I hear in India where people are starving that cattle are sacred, so not eaten. See the point?

Answer 7

Essentially, I find it to be both. Religion and society are so closely intertwined that they really effect eachother. For example, when most religions are first created, their beliefs uphold what the society believes to be "right." afterwards, two things happen. First, society will start to change, and religion will have to change to keep up with it. At the same time, religious believers will resist the change in society, in favor of what has worked before and will work in the future.

At the time of religion's creation, it is fully compatible with society. Post-creation, society and religion will slowly draw a line between the two, and they will drift apart, and fight eachother for control.

Answer 8

Religion is an institution of society. It is separate from spirituality which is the individual perception of what is in existence at the level of the energy, or soul, of the cosmos.

Religion is the collective ideal of what a given culture in a given finite time decided is the expression of good. By extension what is good is God, or from God. It is the expression of the predominant cultural view in a given era. It can also be called the expresses of the collective cultural higher self.

I hope this helps, you have a very complicated question on your hands there. I just finished writing some 40,000 words on this issue in my work (see link) SpiritFlight.

Answer 9

Unfortunately, society has too much influence on religions..They have enough problems without having to change to appease today's society.

Answer 10

Society influences Christianity and other religions. Why, because their are so many branches of Christianity that people see and read into the bible the way they want to see it. Another words, the bible and other holy books are always misinterpreted or misread by many.