The influence of Christianity on society. How Religion Can Impact Your Life

Probably no one will argue that religion is one of the most important factors in human history. You can, depending on your views, argue that a person without religion would not have become a man; you can (and this is also an existing point of view) prove with equal tenacity that without it a person would be better and more perfect. Religion is a reality of human life, and that is how it should be perceived.

The role of religion in the lives of specific people, societies and states is not the same. It is enough to compare two people: one who lives according to the laws of some strict and isolated sect, and the other who leads a secular lifestyle and is absolutely indifferent to religion. The same is the case with various societies and states: some live according to the strict laws of religion (for example, Islam), others offer complete freedom in matters of faith to their citizens and do not interfere in the religious sphere at all, and in others religion may be prohibited. Over the course of history, the situation with religion in the same country can change. A striking example of this is Russia.

And confessions are by no means the same in the requirements that they make of a person in their rules of conduct and moral codes. Religions can unite people or separate them, inspire creative work, feats, call for inaction, peace and contemplation, promote the spread of books and the development of art and at the same time limit any spheres of culture, impose bans on certain types of activities, sciences etc. The role of religion must always be viewed specifically as the role of a given religion in a given society and in a given period. Its role for the whole society, for a separate group of people or for a specific person may be different.

At the same time, we can say that religion usually tends to perform certain functions in relation to society and individuals.

Here they are:

Firstly, religion, being a worldview, i.e. a system of principles, views, ideals and beliefs, explains to a person the structure of the world, determines his place in this world, shows him what the meaning of life is.

Secondly (and this is a consequence of the first), religion gives people consolation, hope, spiritual satisfaction, and support. It is no coincidence that people most often turn to religion during difficult moments in their lives.

Thirdly, a person, having before him a certain religious ideal, changes internally and becomes able to carry the ideas of his religion, affirm goodness and justice (as this teaching understands them), putting up with hardships, not paying attention to those who ridicule or insults him. (Of course, a good beginning can only be affirmed if the religious authorities leading a person along this path are themselves pure in soul, moral and strive for the ideal.)

Fourthly, religion controls human behavior through its system of values, moral guidelines and prohibitions. It can significantly influence large communities and entire states that live according to the laws of a given religion. Of course, one should not idealize the situation: belonging to the strictest religious and moral system does not always prevent a person from committing unseemly actions, or society from immorality and crime. This sad circumstance is a consequence of the weakness and imperfection of human nature (or, as followers of many religions would say, “the machinations of Satan” in the human world).

Fifthly, religions contribute to the unification of people, help the formation of nations, the formation and strengthening of states (for example, when Rus' was going through a period of feudal fragmentation, burdened by foreign yoke, our distant ancestors were united not so much by a national, but by a religious idea - “we are all Christians”) . But the same religious factor can lead to division, the collapse of states and societies, when large masses of people begin to oppose each other on religious principles. Tension and confrontation also arise when a new direction emerges from a church (this was the case, for example, during the era of the struggle between Catholics and Protestants, surges of which are felt in Europe to this day).

Among followers of different religions, extreme movements periodically arise, whose members believe that only they live according to divine laws and correctly profess their faith. Often these people prove they are right using cruel methods, not stopping at terrorist acts. Religious extremism, unfortunately, remains in the 20th century. a fairly common and dangerous phenomenon - a source of social tension.

Sixthly, religion is an inspiring and preserving factor in the spiritual life of society. It preserves public cultural heritage, sometimes literally blocking the way for all kinds of vandals. Although it is extremely misleading to perceive the church as a museum, exhibition or concert hall; When you come to any city or foreign country, you will probably be one of the first places to visit a temple, which the locals will proudly show you. Please note that the word “culture” itself goes back to the concept of cult.

We will not go into the long-standing debate about whether culture is part of religion or, conversely, religion is part of culture (there are both points of view among philosophers), but it is quite obvious that religious ideas have been the basis of many aspects of people's creative activity, inspired artists. Of course, there is also secular (non-church, worldly) art in the world. Sometimes art critics try to collide secular and ecclesiastical principles in artistic creativity and argue that church canons (rules) interfered with self-expression. Formally, this is so, but if we penetrate into the depths of such a difficult issue, we will be convinced that the canon, sweeping away everything superfluous and secondary, on the contrary, “liberated” the artist and gave scope to his self-expression.

Philosophers propose to clearly distinguish between two concepts: culture and civilization, referring to the latter all the achievements of science and technology that expand human capabilities, give him comfort in life and determine the modern way of life. Civilization is like a powerful weapon that can be used for good, or can be turned into a means of murder, depending on whose hands it is in. Culture, like a slow but mighty river flowing from an ancient source, is very conservative and often comes into conflict with civilization.

And religion, which forms the basis and core of culture, is one of the main factors that protects man and humanity from decay, degradation and even, possibly, from moral and physical death - that is, all the threats that civilization can bring with it. Thus, religion performs a creative cultural function in history. It can be illustrated by the example of Rus' after the adoption of Christianity at the end of the 9th century. Christian culture with centuries-old traditions established itself and flourished then in our Fatherland, literally transforming it.

Again, let’s not idealize the picture: after all, people are people, and completely opposite examples can be drawn from human history. You probably know that after the establishment of Christianity as the state religion of the Roman Empire, in Byzantium and its environs, Christians destroyed many of the greatest cultural monuments of the ancient era.

Seventhly (this is related to the previous point), religion helps to strengthen and consolidate certain social orders, traditions and laws of life. Since religion is more conservative than any other social institution, in most cases it strives to preserve foundations, to stability and peace. (Although, of course, this rule is not without exceptions.)

If you remember from modern history, when the political movement of conservatism was emerging in Europe, church leaders stood at its origins. Religious parties tend to be on the right-wing side of the political spectrum. Their role as a counterweight to endless radical and sometimes unreasonable transformations, coups and revolutions is very important. Our Fatherland really needs peace and stability now...

Religion is a significant phenomenon in the cultural life of society, performing many socially significant functions. There are many definitions of the concept “religion”, combining which we can formulate a rather long definition. Religion - This

1) views of the world that are based on belief in God, deities, spirits, ghosts and other supernatural beings who created everything on Earth and man himself;

2) actions that constitute a cult, in which a religious person expresses his attitude towards otherworldly forces and enters into relationships with them through prayer, sacrifice, etc.;

3) norms and rules of behavior that a person must follow in his daily life;

4) the union of believers into one organization (in science such a union is called a confession, and among the people - a church, community, sect, etc.).

Throughout human history, religious views have changed significantly. Three main stages can be distinguished - early religious views (deification of animals and forces of nature, veneration of spirits), the formation of national religions (special ideas usually characteristic of one people) and the emergence of world religions (religious views that have adherents among people of different nationalities and are aimed at all humanity) Let's briefly look at each of them.

In ancient times, man thought of himself as an integral part of nature, inhabiting it with spirits, deities, and invisible forces. The most ancient forms of religion include animism (animation of the forces and elements of nature), totemism (veneration of animals and birds as the ancestors of the human race), shamanism, belief in the spirits of ancestors, etc. The ancient Slavs, for example, inhabited the entire world around them with spirits: house, yard, field, forest, pond.

Many peoples believed that their ancestors were once animals or plants. These sacred ancestors were called totem . Drawings, dances, holidays and rituals were dedicated to the totem. There were ideas that after death a person would again turn into this animal or plant. Echoes of faith in sacred animals and plants can be especially clearly observed in state symbols (on the coats of arms and flags of a number of settlements, regions and entire countries there are eagles, lions, elephants, wolves, bears, roses, cedars, oaks, etc.), in titles and even in people's surnames.

The influence of early religious ideas has a significant, sometimes subtle, impact on our daily lives. We believe in magical ideas about the evil eye and damage, carefully watch films about vampires and ghosts, are interested in horoscopes, tell fortunes using the lines of the hand, are afraid of “unlucky” numbers, walk around black cats, and sing hymns. Even children's games have their roots in the veneration of supernatural forces - counting rhymes with spells of the forces of nature, tag with the magical ritual of “bewitching” by touch. The richest heritage of ancient times are collections of myths. The most famous of them are Egyptian, Greek and Roman, although Scandinavian, Middle Eastern, American and many others are no less interesting. Their stories are the basis of classic works of literature, fairy tales, set to music and immortalized in sculpture. You cannot consider yourself a cultured person without familiarizing yourself with such a heritage.

Like any social phenomenon, religion performs certain social functions. Religion makes its contribution to explaining the world and clarifying the place of man in it, sometimes filling the gaps that exist in science. Her answers extend both to the origins of the appearance of all living things (each religion has its own views on the beginning of the world, which received the scientific name “cosmogony”), and to the end of human history. Science and religion have long been considered irreconcilable rivals in our country. It’s just that scientific theories use precise formulas and numbers, rely on laboratory research, and religious statements use images and symbols. Both are necessary for man and all humanity.

Religious ideas, values, attitudes, religious activities and religious organizations act as regulators of human behavior . All sacred religious books contain a whole system of injunctions and prohibitions. For example, the holy book of the Jews, the Torah, prescribes rules for the daily behavior of people and the observance of the Sabbath.

Religion serves as a means of communication among believers. First of all, people communicate with God and His servants, and in addition they communicate with each other. Believers do not feel loneliness, have common topics for conversation, and are close to like-minded people. A single faith gives a feeling of understanding and help, which a person sometimes lacks.

Finally , religion allows a person to feel the meaning of life, gives hope for the future salvation, to get rid of suffering. An idea arises about the direction of historical development and the common fate of one’s people.

Society and religion, man and faith are inseparable concepts that allow us to talk about the unity of humanity not only in space (we all live on the same planet), but also in time (different eras are interconnected and do not disappear without a trace).

Religions called world religions play a special place in the religious world of modern humanity. Distinctive feature world religions is that they are professed by people of different nationalities. With their appearance, the interaction between different peoples strengthened. Let us characterize the world's leading religions:

Buddhism appeared in India in the 6th century. BC. as a sign of protest against the caste system of dividing society and allowed everyone the opportunity to leave the circle of rebirths immediately, without long ascents. According to legend, Prince Gautama faced poverty, illness, old age and death, which forced him to leave his home, family, honors and power. After long wanderings, he achieved the highest truths and became the Enlightened One (in Indian - Buddha). He then became both a deity and a prophet of a new religion. Buddha taught that the world is ruled by suffering, that its cause lies in the presence of numerous passions in a person (they seem to tie him to the world and force him to be reborn again and again, and therefore suffer), that one can abandon them and receive eternal bliss ( Buddhists call this state of complete peace Nirvana) and that there is a way to achieve Nirvana. These truths are very similar to the principles of healing: having a medical history, a diagnosis, recognizing the possibility of recovery and a prescription for treatment.

Buddhism imposed very strict demands on people, which turned into almost a rejection of all life's pleasures. The culture of human behavior required him to observe five strict commandments: do not kill (and the requirement applied not only to humans, but also to the entire living world, including ants, flies, midges, etc.), do not take someone else’s (that is, the requirement to be content with to your own), don’t lie, don’t drink intoxicants, beware of looking at women (treat a young woman like a daughter, a woman the same age like a sister, an older woman like a mother). Of course, a simple person was not able to fulfill all this, and later the regulations were softened - only the deliberate murder of a living creature was condemned, and the last commandment was replaced by a ban on adultery.

The sacred book of Buddhists is the Tripitaka (translated as “three baskets”), since the texts were originally written down in special collections called baskets or pitakas), and the symbols are images of Buddha sitting in the lotus position and the Wheel of the Law with eight spokes . True, there are still different directions, because not everyone liked the relaxation of the original requirements. Be that as it may, Buddhism is one of the three world religions, the majority of its followers are now located in China, especially in the mountainous regions of Tibet. In our country there are peoples who profess Buddhism - Buryats, Kalmyks and Tuvans.

Christianity - the second oldest and most widespread world religion on Earth. Christians recognize the Holy Trinity as God (the unity of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit), the main symbol is the cross (Jesus Christ died on the cross, atonement for the sins of people), the basic principle proclaims love for one’s neighbor (“Love thy neighbor , as himself”), the commandments of the Old Testament are recognized, and various Lives of the Saints are venerated. Most Christians recognize seven main sacraments that form the basis of external worship of God: baptism (immersion or sprinkling with holy water), anointing (anointing the body of the person being baptized with special church oil), communion (eating special bread and wine, symbolizing the body and blood of Christ), confession (the opportunity to repent of your sins before the clergyman), wedding (church consecration of marriage), priesthood (special rites before entering the priesthood) and unction (confession of a dying person).

The emergence of Christianity is associated with an attempt to overcome the ethnic limitations of Judaism within the framework of the Jewish nation. In his sermons, Christ spoke about equality regardless of origin and belonging to a particular nation. A person’s personal responsibility for his further salvation was recognized. During the first years of its existence, Christianity was banned and many of its adherents were subjected to persecution and cruel executions. More than three hundred years passed before the authorities recognized this religion. Later, different directions and currents appeared in Christianity. There are three main branches of Christianity - Orthodoxy , Catholicism And Protestantism .

The birth of Christianity marked the beginning of modern chronology - our year corresponds to the time that (according to Christians) has passed since the birth of Jesus Christ. Many monuments of world art reflect biblical images and scenes, and crosses are present on the national flags of many countries around the world (Switzerland, Finland, Greece, Great Britain, etc.).

The youngest of the world's religions in terms of time of origin appeared Islam. Its origin dates back to the beginning of the 7th century, and Muhammad is considered the main prophet. Islam originated among the tribes of the Arabian desert and then spread throughout the world. Muslims, supporters of Islam, believe in one God, Allah, and have one holy book - the Koran. The main center of veneration is the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia (wherever a Muslim is, during prayer he turns his face towards Mecca, and he must pray at least five times a day).

Islamic regulations are very strict - you cannot eat pork (even something that has come into contact with pork - a knife, fork or plate, a devout Muslim will never pick up), it is forbidden to drink wine, during prayer you must be on your knees and pray bow to the ground, infidels must be destroyed during the holy war of jihad or ghazawat (this rule arose in the years when the Arabs fought a war for their territory and faith, but today the possibility of peaceful coexistence with representatives of various religions is recognized, and only individual fanatics seek to call for merciless war with infidels).

Islam plays an important role in the modern world. Its symbols - the green color and the crescent - are necessarily present on the banners of Arab states, and the regulations even become the main laws (in a number of countries, legal proceedings are conducted according to the laws of Sharia - Muslim law - and they still use ancient punishments - blows with a stick, stoning, etc. ).

There are many Muslims in our country. They have complete freedom of religion. New mosques (sacred buildings where communication with God takes place) are opened, religious books are printed, and the opportunity opens up for studying the religion of one’s ancestors.

In relation to different religious views, all people are divided into atheists, sectarians, representatives of a certain confession and non-religious people. In the Soviet Union, atheism was recognized as state policy and consisted of a constant struggle against any manifestations of piety, superstition, and mysticism. Religious literature was banned, and special atheistic subjects were taught in educational institutions.

Now freedom of religion has been proclaimed in our country - every person can profess any religious views or not profess them at all, any persecution for faith, and therefore atheism, is prohibited. A person has the right to be non-religious, but at the same time he should not everywhere and everywhere prove from a scientific point of view “the falsity of the fabrications of churchmen,” or accuse them of fraud and theft. True, another danger has emerged - freedom of religion has given birth to a mass of very different sects, drawing people into their ranks by any means, often using psychic influence. The leaders of these sects, under the guise of fighting for simplicity of life, demand the transfer of personal property to the sect, and use their people to put pressure on others.

The world of religion is very complex. Peoples in their own way have sought and are seeking ways to understand life, answers to the main questions of the existence of mankind. Some people, and there are scientists among them, are trying to divide all religious ideas into more and less correct, independent and subordinate, primitive and complex, higher and lower. Not only militant atheism is dangerous, but also religious fanaticism and sectarianism. Humanity is strong in its diversity, and this statement can fully be attributed to the relationship between religion, politics and society. All paths are good that lead to peace and harmony between people.

Belief in moralistic, punitive gods with an interest in human affairs may have facilitated the spread and development of human societies, the study's authors say. published in the latest issue of the journal Nature. In this study, scientists test the hypothesis that

belief in an all-seeing and punishing god promotes increased cooperation, trust, and justice among people from regions geographically distant from other adherents of the same religion, thus promoting the social expansion of the group.

Benjamin Grant Perzicki and colleagues interviewed 591 people from eight regions of the world—Brazil, Mauritius, the Russian Republic of Tuva, Tanzania, and the islands in the South Pacific. Interviewees were adherents of world religions such as Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism, as well as adherents of a variety of local religions and traditions, including ancestral faiths and animism. The authors studied the behavior of participants during an “economic game.”

Each participant was given 30 coins, a cube whose edges were painted in three colors, and two cups. Participants were required to guess a color, choose a bowl where they wanted to place the die, and then toss the die. If the drawn color coincided with the one guessed, then the person had to put some of the coins in a pre-selected bowl; if it did not match, then in another. In one series of experiments, one bowl belonged to the player himself, and the second to a fellow believer living in the same region as the test subject. In the second series of experiments, the first cup belonged either to a fellow believer living next door or to a fellow believer from another region of the globe. In addition, the subjects were interviewed in detail and asked questions related to their attitude towards their gods; assessments of the qualities of the gods, such as, for example, morality, moralizing, mercy, and cruelty, were measured and averaged.

The participants in the game did not voice their decisions about the hidden color and cup, which means that the decision about where to put the coins remained entirely on their conscience. However, if all the players acted honestly, the final outcome would fit into the picture of statistical probability. Meanwhile, this did not happen.

Scientists have found:

The more a person was inclined to characterize his god as "all-seeing" and "punishing", the more money he was willing to donate to strangers of the same religion.

The results also showed that people do this not because they want divine rewards, but because they believe in supernatural punishment.

According to the experimenters, this study clearly shows that people's belief in supernatural punishment contributed to increased cooperation in societies and their further productive development.

Magnets against religion

However, as another study shows, religiosity is not only associated with a sense of cooperation and collaboration and, moreover, is not a “fixed value.” Recently in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience study was published about the connection between religiosity and everyday nationalism and the brain’s reaction to threat. Researchers say that using magnetic stimulation of the area of ​​the brain responsible for searching and making decisions, it is possible to change a person's attitude towards migrants and religion.

In this study, people filled out tests that determined their level of religiosity and attitude towards visitors. Next, the brains of the subjects were exposed to short magnetic pulses. After that, participants again had to express their opinions about religion and migrants, and before this, people were asked to think about death (as psychologists say, such thoughts increase the degree of religiosity) and look at texts written by migrants expressing their negative or positive attitude towards their new place of residence.

Despite external incentives,

the results showed a 32.8% decrease in religiosity and a 28.5% improvement in attitudes toward immigrants.

According to researchers, this reaction is explained by the fact that both religiosity and a negative attitude towards migrants are the brain’s response to a challenge—a threat. In a situation with religion, the threat is the fear of death; in a situation with migrants, it is the fear of representatives of another culture.

Beautiful landscape distracts from the church

You can reduce the degree of a person’s religiosity not only with the help of magnetic impulses; there are also more pleasant ways to do this. Thus, psychologists have found that the living environment directly affects the degree of a person’s religiosity: the better the climate and the more beautiful the environment, the less often people turn to God and attend church. An article about this unusual research recently was published in the journal Sociology of Religion.

It turned out that

people living in regions with beautiful nature and good climatic conditions are much less likely than others to identify themselves with one religion or another.

Psychologists naturally explain this by the fact that pleasant landscapes and good weather contribute to the emotional stability of people and have a beneficial effect on the psyche, that is, they do what a huge number of people are looking for in religion and faith in higher powers.

God is against stress

It cannot be said, however, that nature is a monopolist in the market for means to maintain a good mood, and faith does not have a positive effect on a person’s emotional state. According to a new study from the American Psychological Association, published in the journal Psychological Science, thinking about God can make believers less frustrated and reduce daily stress, as can daily contemplation of beautiful scenery.

Experimental studies have shown that when people think about religion and God, their brains work differently, which makes it easier for a person to respond to failure. First, the study participants were asked to write down their thoughts on the topic of religion, and then they were asked to complete a very difficult test: the level of the tasks was so high that all subjects, without exception, made mistakes. The results showed that believers who thought about religion and God before completing the task had decreased brain activity in areas of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which is also responsible for behavior and preparedness for unexpected situations and mistakes.

As a result, they were not very worried or nervous about the mistakes they made.

Atheists reacted differently: if they were first given tasks related to God and religion, then activity in the ACC area increased. Researchers suggest that for believers, any life changes can be natural and explainable by faith and religion, so their stressful emotions from failures are much less. On the contrary, for atheists, thoughts about God may contradict their perception of the world and life ideas, which leads to greater nervousness and anxiety when they make mistakes.

The researchers believe that these results can help understand other interesting but controversial information about religious people. For example, there is some evidence that religious people live longer, are happier and healthier. Scientists, however, urge atheists not to despair, believing that such patterns can be associated precisely with a system that helps to understand the structure of life and one’s own world. Perhaps atheists would be just as effective in dealing with stress if they first thought about their own beliefs and beliefs.

Many people find it difficult to understand why religion is needed today. And this is not surprising, because outside the window is the 21st century, when it seems that all natural phenomena have long been explained from the point of view of science, and the very dogmas of Christianity, Islam and other religions have lost all meaning.

But this is only at first glance. If we look deeper into this issue, it turns out that the functions of religion in society today are no less relevant than in the Middle Ages. Let's sort things out in order.

How did the first religions originate?

It is impossible to say with complete certainty which religion was the first; most likely, it was one of the pagan beliefs. At the dawn of its development, humanity could not explain natural phenomena that now seem simple, be it thunder, lightning or wind. So people began to deify the nature around them.

This was done for several purposes - it was easier to understand nature and control the fear of the unknown. People had their own patron gods, which gave them confidence in everyday life, in war, on campaigns and voyages. This can be clearly seen in the example of Ancient Greece, where each profession had its own supreme patron.

Later, the need for new beliefs arose; the old religions no longer corresponded to the development of society - many of them lacked morality, which led to the decomposition of society. Partly for this reason, early Christianity spread so rapidly, since in it the functions of religion were clearly spelled out in the form of commandments.

Religion as a deterrent to animal instincts

The basis in any religion is moral teaching, that is, the promotion of the positive qualities inherent in man, and the suppression of negative ones. Positive characteristics include kindness (love your neighbor as yourself), honesty, sincerity, etc. And negative characteristics include envy, greed, lust and other vices inherent in man.

In his teaching, Jesus emphasized the importance of love for one's neighbor and self-sacrifice. His crucifixion on the cross is also symbolic, which means not so much atonement for the sins of all mankind, but self-sacrifice: he gave the most valuable thing he had - his life - for the sake of people. In this way, an example of selflessness was given to people.

The social functions of religion in society are to maintain a balance between animal instincts and human qualities. And one of the key tasks of religion is to regulate human behavior so that he does not succumb to his weaknesses and do something bad.

Worldview function of religion

Human consciousness is designed in such a way that it requires a clear explanation of the world around us. From the moment of birth until death, a person strives to learn new things and find an explanation for everything he sees. But not everything around us could be explained logically until recently, and even today there are inexplicable things. Religion took on this ideological task, instilling norms of behavior through the example of biblical characters and showing what could happen if these norms were violated.

Until the twentieth century, no one doubted the educational function of religion, and only with the decline of morality did many negative labels begin to be attached to faith. We will not deny that today Christianity itself is violating its own commandments, but one cannot help but admit that in its original form it brought order and organization to society, providing stable support for its development.

Also, do not forget that it is important for a person to live a meaningful life, and for many such meaning was and is given by faith in a higher power.

The unifying role of faith

One of the functions of religion is to unite people, to unite them within society. It is for this reason that in times of crisis in history people turn to faith. The simplest example: during a war, when not only the unity of people is required, but also raising their military spirit. Even during the Great Patriotic War, this was remembered, although the ideology of communism itself denies the existence of God as such!

But there are also negative examples in history - the crusades or jihad (translated as “holy war”). Under good intentions, terrible military conflicts were unleashed, leading to many casualties and destruction. And it cannot be said that all this is in the past and will never happen again.

Compensatory function of religion

From time immemorial, people came to churches in search of consolation, trying to drown out their inner pain. This is the function of religion in society as an outlet for a person, where he can calmly speak out and find peace. The priest in this case plays, to some extent, the role of a psychologist, and to some extent, a mediator between God and man. After all, it is on his behalf that he absolves sins and gives advice to the repentant, thereby giving him relief.

Of course, today not so many people come to church to seek consolation, however, it cannot be said that the function of religion as a compensator for mental suffering has been lost. It has survived, although it is not so obvious to many today. Part of its role is played by psychologists, providing the necessary psychological assistance to those who need it.

Religion and marriage

According to statistics, up to 80% of marriages today break up. Moreover, in the first few years of marriage, most young people simply cannot stand living together.

Why is this happening now, but did not happen in pre-revolutionary Russia or under the USSR? After all, it would seem that life has become much easier than a century ago, but the number of divorces continues to grow, and the birth rate is falling. And let us note that this happens mainly in traditionally Christian countries, and not in Muslim ones, where the functions of religion in human life have not lost their relevance, and the commandments are strictly observed today.

The answer suggests itself: young people getting married do not take this step with due seriousness. For many, the words “Both in sorrow and in joy” do not carry the proper meaning, but remain just words. At the first difficulties, they file for divorce, and more often this is done by women who, logically, should be interested in preserving the family.

Previously, it was not like this: when people got married, they understood that they would have to live together all their lives. And the leading role of the husband in the family was confirmed not only by the fact that he played the main role of breadwinner in the family, but also by religion. No wonder there was an expression “A husband from God,” that is, given to a woman as a husband once and forever.

Managing life through religion

Faith provided not only guidelines for correct behavior and logical meaningfulness of life, but also performed a managerial function in society. It regulated relationships in society in various social groups and between them. She tried to reconcile the rich and the poor, thereby preventing the development of social conflicts.

Let's sum it up

Having analyzed what functions religion performs in society, one can understand why religions not only arose, but were also actively supported by the state. Thanks to faith, meaning appeared in the life of a common person and order was maintained in society itself, and this provided the opportunity for its full development, at least until a certain historical period.

In our time, religion performs the same functions as it did centuries ago. And we must admit that even with the development of technology, humanity is not able to do without it.

Religion exists in society not as a body alien to it, but as one of the manifestations of the life of the social organism. Religion is a part of social life, from which it cannot be isolated, since it is firmly woven into the fabric of social relations. Nevertheless, the nature and degree of this connection in different spheres of human life are not the same. And in order to see the degree of influence of religion on a person’s life, it is necessary to consider this issue from several positions:

1) religion and science

2) religion and society

3) religion and economics

Religion and Science

The relationship between “religion and science” consists of two questions: 1) what is the relationship between the subject of religion and the subject of science; 2) how science can study religion.

The first question arose when science suddenly began to claim to refute or at least verify the dogmas of various religious doctrines. However, already at the end of the 19th century. They began to express the idea that these sciences have nothing to do with religious knowledge. The answers contained in religious doctrines can neither be confirmed nor refuted by scientific data. Thus, science and religion are completely different in their focus. Knowledge of science and knowledge of religion do not intersect; they belong to different spheres, serve different purposes, arise in different ways. But still, nowadays scientists are constantly trying to prove the doctrines of religion from a scientific point of view. And the fact that religion and science have different subjects does not mean that science cannot study religion itself.

But on the other hand, the role of religion is also manifested in the fact that it is deeply hostile to science and the scientific worldview. For many, many centuries the church mercilessly stifled science and persecuted scientists. He prohibited the dissemination of progressive ideas, destroyed the books of progressive thinkers, and imprisoned them and burned them at the stake. But despite all efforts, the church was not able to delay the development of science, which was urgently dictated by the needs of material production. In our time, being powerless to refute the greatest scientific achievements, the church is trying to reconcile science with religion, to prove that scientific achievements do not contradict faith, but are consistent with it. Science gives a person reliable knowledge about the world, about the laws of its development. And religion, in turn, gives an idea of ​​the meaning of this person’s life. Today, religion is studied in almost all humanities.

Religion and society

The question of the relationship between religion and society is, first of all, a question of the role of religion in motivating social behavior. Religion is a link in sociocultural connections, the functioning of which makes it possible to understand their structure and emergence: it acts as a factor, firstly, in the emergence and formation of social relations, and secondly, in the legitimization of certain forms of social actions and relationships. Religion helps maintain the stability of society and at the same time stimulates its change. Religion makes human life meaningful, it gives it “meaning,” it helps people understand who they are by showing the meaning of the group to which they belong among other people inhabiting our world. Religion also contributes to the stability of society by establishing norms that are beneficial to a given social structure and creating the conditions for a person to fulfill moral obligations. In addition to interreligious ones, religion causes conflicts related to its existence in a secular society. Religious commitment can lead to conflict between adherence to the requirements of faith and the law. In turn, religious conflicts can promote change, and social changes can cause changes in the religious sphere. One should also keep in mind the fact that religious affiliation can serve as a means of uniting certain groups.

In modern society, the relationship between religious and political institutions is considered in two aspects. The first is associated with the functions performed by religion to substantiate and maintain the values ​​of a given society. These values ​​are also involved in political activity: their influence and attitude towards law and authority is reflected in support or opposition to them. The second aspect concerns the correlation of religion with politics as an institution representing the interests of certain social groups associated with strengthening their influence.

Religion and Economics

At different historical periods, religious groups, wishing to influence the economic views and behavior of their followers, faced a dilemma: on the one hand, they tended to consider poverty a virtue. For example, the Bible states, “Blessed are the poor, for they shall inherit the earth,” and the Buddhists exalt the mendicant monk who travels easily, unencumbered by economic concerns, and can therefore easily plunge into a life of observation and reflection. However, as soon as the organization of a religious group becomes more complex, a problem arises - funds are needed for its activities. Then the group begins to get involved in economic affairs, whether it wants to or not. She begins to demand contributions from her followers and is grateful for the donations she receives from wealthy members. If a member of such a group manages to get rid of poverty, he is not condemned; on the contrary, he is even praised for his hard work and frugality.

Thus, religion influences the economic sphere. Firstly, when economic life emphasizes such personal and business virtues as honesty, dignity, respect for obligations, and religion successfully instills these virtues in its followers. Secondly, religion sometimes encourages consumption - religious holidays encourage the consumption of certain material things, even if they are just special candles or special foods. Third, by emphasizing human work as a “calling,” religion (especially Protestantism) has elevated work, no matter how degrading, and this is associated with increases in productivity and income (see Table 1). Fourth, religion can justify and validate specific economic systems and activities.

Table 1 Ratio of income of believers

American researchers also came to the conclusion that religion affects the rate of economic growth. And, as a rule, belief in hell spurs growth more than belief in heaven.

Harvard economics professor Robert Barro, together with a number of scientists, conducted a series of studies on the connection between the religiosity of the population and the economic growth of different countries. The main conclusion is that faith in God can increase the rate of economic growth.

Robert Barro divided having a belief in God, a belief in an afterlife, a belief in heaven and a belief in hell. His study, based on data from 59 countries, showed that the contribution of these factors to economic growth is always positive, although unequal. For example, belief in heaven has a much smaller impact on economic growth than belief in hell. The scientist himself expressed it this way: “The stick in the form of potential hell turns out to be much more effective than the carrot of potential heaven.” However, it has long been known that fear is the strongest stimulus. He spoke about the role of religion, in particular Protestantism, in creating ethical and moral incentives for effective work at the beginning of the twentieth century. Max Weber. According to scientists from Canada Ulrich Bloom and Leonard Dudley, religion influences the economy not so much through incentives to work more efficiently, but through the positive effect of the ban on lies and deception, which is especially important in economics.

Banks and religion

Banks are an integral part of the economic sphere. And here, too, there is interference of religion. There have been some studies that have shown that Protestants are indeed more responsible in their dealings with banks. And this once again proves that religion is an integral part of personality and largely determines a person’s behavior in society. For a long time, science and government institutions in many countries classified religion exclusively as a matter of private life. It is now clear that such a position does not correspond to the realities of life. From the history of Italy, Germany, and other European countries, we observe a situation where a certain part of the financial system was formed under the influence of religious beliefs and with the direct participation of the church. In a number of cases, the principle of religious solidarity worked, this concerned, in particular, issues of lending. In the West, at one time they believed that religion was disappearing, moving more and more into the sphere of private life, but now they understand that religion concerns many spheres of public life.

The influence of religion on many banks, for example in Italy, is very strong. It has developed historically and remains significant today. Related to this is the phenomenon of “ethical banking business,” that is, a business that complies with the ethical standards established in society. The formation of ethical standards is influenced by bank clients and public institutions, including the church. Now we see how the requirements to take into account moral, ethical and religious values ​​in the banking business are gradually growing. This is a very interesting phenomenon, and banks must respond to it in their practices.

The face of a bank, as is known, is largely formed by its clients. To be successful, he must take into account the peculiarities of the culture (and religion is an integral part of it) of the region where he works. Without this, he is disconnected from life, and as a result, the quality of service will suffer - one of the important tools for maintaining customer loyalty.