Sociology of Religion (Essay Sample)

Sociology of Religion
Name
Institution
Abstract
Different religions have a different set of beliefs and rules. In the entire history, religion has been a critical part of the society and has helped guide how different individuals interact with various environments. It is essential to understand that different individuals practice different religious beliefs. This paper seeks to assess the merits and demerits of practicing a particular religious belief such as belonging to a particular church, mosque, or synagogue versus just having your spiritual beliefs.
Advantages of belonging to an individual Religion
Being a member of a particular church, mosque, or synagogue helps in bringing people together. Persons belonging to a similar religion are brought together by their beliefs (Hjelm, 2013). This togetherness promotes living in unity and harmony amongst each other unlike in a scenario where an entity has his or her set of beliefs. Besides that, people in a similar religion and sharing beliefs are in a position to understand the needs of each other and thus help them out in time of need. It, therefore, becomes necessary for one to belong to a particular church, mosque, or synagogue. In this way, the person can be able to understand what goes in the society and promote living in peace and harmony as per the guidance of the beliefs they share. To Luhrmann (2013), belonging to an individual religion is advantageous over one believing in his set of beliefs. The scholar attributes belonging to a particular religion as an aid in one’s understanding of the need to determine his or her purpose. There is a firm belief that each one of us has a purpose that ought to be identified and accomplished (Luhrmann, 2013). Belonging to a particular religion helps one identify their purpose and thus achieve it. This is different from a scenario where an individual has his beliefs and does not understand that the individual has a mission to identify and accomplish.
Disadvantages of belonging to a particular religion
The pursuit of spiritual development is necessary and thus commendable. However, it is important to understand that joining an already established church, mosque, or synagogue is not the best way to do it. Belonging to a church, mosque, or temple makes an individual's mindset dysfunctional because one becomes immersed in an erroneous thinking for each other. Belonging to a particular religion makes one a captive to their thinking and prohibits an individual from discerning truth on his or her own by being dictated on what to belief (Roberts & Yamane, 2011). This is different from a scenario in which an individual has his set of beliefs and can make independent decisions.
Religious beliefs in many circumstances prevent the development of conscience. This results in problems such as unnecessary warfare and violence. According to Roberts and Yamane (2011), becoming attached to a certain religion makes an individual less compassionate. The wrong perfection of compassion becomes a substitute for reality because externalizing compassion in a defined set of rules and beliefs makes it seize to be compassion. Genuine compassion remains a matter of conscious decision that does not require the presence of baked standards and expectations (Roberts and Yamane, 2011).
Hjelm (2013) argues that different religions are authoritarian in nature and tend to dominate an individual’s free will. Religions are perceived as power structures whose aim is to convince members to surrender their power to benefit those who enjoy being in dominance (Hjelm, 2013). Faith is very powerful in practicing social conditions. Their operations lie in eroding an individual's trust in his or her knowledge to belief in that which is professed by the reli...