What important social applications does religion have?

Question

Many people think about how important their own religion is to them, personally. Unfortunately, some people firmly rooted in a faith have not thought about the social implications of their respective faith(s). This question is for those in any faith (i.e. Muslim, Christian, Jew, Hindu) who have thought about these implications and how they impact society as a whole.

For example, how does religious tennants serve as population growth control or social order and law abiding behavior? Why are these important in our society and how would these principles be served if mass religion or religous practice did not exist? Would the world erupt in chaos without religion... or would humans find a new social order of their own?

Answer 1

First, thanks for asking an intelligent question about the concept of religion.

Secular humanists, for example, have no need to have an organized creed laid over their beliefs in order to be upstanding citizens and morally good people. Well, as much as any other group.

You might want to read this book:

"Can we be good without God?: an exploration of behaviour, belonging and the need to believe", by Robert Buckman.

This might be a place where you can begin to find the answers to your questions.

To me, organized religion has only negative social applications. It very much encourages an "us vs them" mindset, and that can only lead to trouble. In fact, historically, this mindset has lead to just about every trouble this world has seen.

Answer 2

Morality has nothing to do with religion or atheism. God cannot provide morality for humans, they have to discover for themselves what morality is. Christianity, for example, teaches that self-sacrifice for God is moral, that self-sacrifice is love, that punishing all the descendents of Adam for having disobeyed God is justice, and to ask Abraham to take his son Isaac to be sacrificed as an act of faith was a darn good idea, and a moral one at that!

An atheist might think that since God doesn’t tell us what is and what is not moral, we ought to take a vote and society or the majority can tell us what is moral; and finally, another way is to follow the principle of subjectivism and decide for ourselves, depending on whim and what we like or dislike. In this case, what’s moral for you might not be moral for me. But a subjective morality is precisely what allows any form of despotism to take root; because a subjective morality follows the immoral law of the end justifies the means.

To sin is another way to say to be immoral. Morality is needed to live happily. Without morality, the world turns into a battlefield. What humans require, in order to live happily, is objective morality. That is not provided by believing or not believing in God. It is, however, provided by reason and logic.

Without reason, one cannot be moral. By objective I mean that we base our evaluation on facts and reality, not fantasy. The standard for evaluating a moral value can only come from facts, not feelings. The fundamental fact for a moral code is rooted in a simple reasoning process: is this action good for living or is it bad for living. If it requires self-sacrifice or advocates the sacrifice of others for the benefit of somebody else, be it God, society, or my mother-in-law, it is an immoral act. If it does not require the sacrifice of anybody, including self-sacrifice, it is a moral act. If you can follow this reasoning in every decision you’ll make, you will always be moral.

Answer 3

Good question! I give you a thumbs up for this. Here is my point of view from one prespective.

The conditions of the Church, the Nation and the World, is the cause of iniquity, that has taken deep root's into society!

This is the messages Jesus was trying to warn us of, in Matthew 24:12, when he said; "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." Now the original word for iniquity is "anomia" pronounced an-om-ee'ah and means illegality, ie violation of the law.

First, the word anomia in the original, stems from a condition of "without" law. Be it ignorance of the law, because of violating the law, or diminishing the law. This is speaking of Civil Law.

Second, anomia, implies "contempt" and "violation" of law, resulting in "iniquity" and "wickedness." This is speaking of the contempt and violations of the Laws of God.

Here, Jesus was warning us, about the spirit of "lawlessness." Because, it carries the connotation of a "liberal theology" that teaches that the laws of God are done away with. What we are seeing taking place in this Nation is, the results of what happens when the laws of God are pushed aside and said to be done away with. And, once this spirit and theology of anti-law takes roots, the love of many turns cold.

Jesus says "because iniquity "lawlessness" and "wickedness" shall "abound" i.e "increase, multiply, take deep roots" the "love" of many shall wax cold.

What is the connection in the spirit of anti-law or lawlessness, and love waxing or turning cold?

The connection of the two is seen in the physics of "cause" and "effect." It's the cause and effect between lawlessness and God's Love.

The original word for love used here is "Agape." Meaning "Unconditional" a Godly love. The kind of love that
comes from God. When someone begins to break the laws of God, in the spirit that Christ has in mind here, the love of God, and love of the truth will diminish in them.

Christ is warning His people throughout the ages not to fall prey to an anti-law attitude because, first of all, it is not what God commands in the Scriptures, and second, it will lead to a gradual breakdown of the true Godly love that can only come from Him.

For the agape love of God does not flourish in a disobedient and lawless people!

"When God's laws are done away with, by default, sin and lawlessness gradually takes deep roots into Society!"

And a Nation without God's Laws, is a Nation, taken over by Satan, and the fruits or deeds of sin. i.e Wickedness and Lawlessness. (Anarchy, Mob Rule, Wars.)

Answer 4

The purpose of religion is to make them better human beings.

Some religions do well in that mission; and others fail miserably.

Answer 5

It affects the economy, politics, everything

Answer 6

none