Durkheim believed that dimensions of religion would eventually
disappear
other religions such as civil religion would take place.
american civil religion involves loyalty to the nation state and belief in god
singing the national anthem
it is not necessarily catholic, protestant or Jewish god but american god
Although america involves a belief in god , according to belief this doesn't have to be the case.
Nazi germany and soviet union had secular political beliefs and rituals around which they sough to unite society
religion binds people like social cement
did a study at Australia
Arunta tribe of aborigines
worshipping a sacred object
created by society and is so sacred
according to Durkheim, totem is created by society
o they're actually worshipping the society
this helps to devlop moral ties between them
this gives shared identity, commitment and belonging
this is called collective conscience
shared norms values, beliefs and knowledge that makes social life and co-operation possible
this helps to prevent any rapid social change
Malinowski
he argues that death is the main reason that religion still exists
he sees religion giving explanation for events that were hard to explain
2 types of situation
WHERE THE OUTCOME IS UNCONTROLLABLE AND UNCERTAIN
AT TIMES OF LIFE CRISES
Birth, Puberty and Disruptive changes
Lagoon fishing is safe and no ritual
Parsons
religion helps to cope with unforeseen and uncontrollable outcomes
2 essential functions that performs for modern society
it creates and legitimates societys central values
it is the primary source of meaning
answers to ultimate questions about human conditions
why do people die at young age
neglects that religion as a source of oppression of the poor or women.
ignores the conflict and divison in modern societies where there is more than one religion
marxism
class conflict
marx predicted that working class would
become of their exploitation and unite to
overthrow captilaism
In marxs view, religion operates an ideological weapon used by
the ruling class
to legitimate the suffering of the poor as something
inevitable and god-guven
religion misleads the poor into believing that
suffering is virtuous
According to chrisianity, IT IS EASIER FOR A CAMEL TO PASS THROUGH A
NEEDLE THAN IT IS FOR A RICH MAN TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
Lenin describes religion as supernatural gin
the ruling class religion cynically to manipulate the
masses and keep them from attempting to overthrow the
rulling class by creating a mystical fog that obscures
relaity.
religion legitimates the
power and privilege appear
to be divinely ordained.
religion as the product of alientation
alientation means losing control or
separated from that one has
produced
religion acts like opium to dulll the pain of oppression
Feminism
society as patriarchal
EVIDENCE
Religious organisations
male dominated
orthodox Judaism and catholic forbid
to women to become priests
Karen Armstrong sees womens
exclusion from the priesthood of most
religions as evidence of their
marginalsiation
Places of worship
womesn participation may
be restricted.
For exmaple not being allowed to
preach or to read from sacred texts
In islam women are not allowed to touch the
Quran whne they are on their menstruation
jean Holm escribes this as the devaluation of
women in contemporary religion.
Sacred texts
usually written and
interpetted by men.
Stories of anti female stero-types
the story of Eve who in the Judaeo-Christian
story of Genesis, caused humanity fall from
grace and explusion from the garden of Eden
Religious laws
and customs
women given fewer rights
than men
for example to get divorce
Many relgions legitimate and regulates women's
traditional domestic and reproductive role
For example, the catholic church bans
abortion and aritifical contraception
However Karen Armstrong argues that early
religions often placed the women at the centre.
For example earth mother goddness
Saadawi argues that it is not the
direct cause of their subordination,
rather it is the result of patriarchal
However woodhead argues that women
use religion to gain greater freedom and
respect
For example western feminists to
see it is a symbol of oppression
However she argues that some Muslim women
to wear the hijab to escape the confines of the
home and enter education and employement
Religion now contributes to womens oppression . for instance El saadawi and
Armstrong sees the rise of montheism as legitimating the power of men over women,