Who can tell me if religion is part of culture or culture is part of religion?

Question

Please if you agree or disagree with any of them, give me reasons.

Answer 1

Well, I guess it depends on who you ask, but from the perspective of social science (specifically cultural anthropology, which is my major of study), culture is the complex whole that is made up of all aspects of human behavior, beliefs and customs that are aquired through a person's interaction with a social group. Therefore religion is an aspect of culture. So is fashion, music, literature, cuisine, economic system, political system, philosophy, art, food production or collection system, family and kinship relations, gender roles, sexual practices, education, housing type, etc, etc, etc.

So my answer is religion is a part of culture.

Answer 2

Its depends on the respective religion and culture.

For example, Islam is a cut and paste religion, borowing from Judaism, Paganism, Christianty and the cultural norms therein.

The worship of the Mecca stone was a practice that pagans originated, yet today this rituals is a daily part of their lives, and thus this is considered a feature of their culture.

Islam insists that there be no distinction between law, government, religion and culture. Where Muslims insist a separation exists is when discussions about Islamic genitil mutilation occurs. Then they insist this is an african cultural item. Honor killing is the same thing.

The problem is, while we can find some other examples of gentil mutilation of honor killing outside the Islamic community, its still a chicken and egg question because Muslims who follow these practices do so based on religious rational and again, the entire religion was founded on the cultural norms of many religions/cultures.

The short answer is that there is often no way to distinguish the two.

Answer 3

I think both are true. Religion does have a big influence on culture, but culture has an influence on religion too.

If you compare for example Christian nations and Muslim nations, there is a clear cultural difference in addition to the religious difference. Then if you compare a few Christian nations with each other and a few Muslim nations with each other, you see that their beliefs differ a little. That's because each nation has a slightly different culture and that shows in religion as well as everything else.

Answer 4

I think it depends very much on what country you are from.

Would the irish be irish we know without catholicism?definately not.
I think a lot depends on wether you are talking about a catholic country or not.
The view in ireland for a long time and its probably still true is that religion in england is very much of secondry importance,it doesnt seem to impact at all on the ordinary persons daily life.
In catholic countries you will see people bless themselves passing churches,church bells will ring everyday at angelus,every person has milestones like first communion when they are 7 or 8 and confirmation when they are 12.

The long and the short is in catholic countries culture is secondary to religion and in protestant cultures religion is secondary to the culture,Right or wrong thats the view.
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Answer 5

I think religion is a part of culture.

Look at the difference between the Middle East and Europe.

Different Cloths, tradition, music, religion.

Need I say more?

Answer 6

Religion should come first, before culture.

The same religion can be practiced in different cultures for example their are muslims from Asia or Arabia who have differing cultures but follow the same faith.

Most of their practicing is accurate although culture sometimes seems to get in the way of the original teachings.

Answer 7

culture is part of religion that is my answer to you sir.

my reasons are in a religion you will find all the cultures matters are munching in there, but in the other hand you could not find all the religious matter in a culture.

Answer 8

Religion is a part of Culture.
Religion can contain Culture but not Culture in it's entirety...

Answer 9

I think it can be both but generally a culture is based around the religion other Wise the religion is meaningless

Answer 10

i think they r quite separate items, as religion equals belief as good ppl with clear hearts, simple, easy,... but they r quite ignorant.
while culture equals knowledge; as athiests being scientists. but if i had to choose religion come from culture as those following their families... or change religion after travelling abroad.