How Religion Affects a Society

According to Emile Durkheim, “Society has a life and power of its own beyond the life of any individual”. Durkheim believed that people around the world change certain everyday items into sacred symbols of their collective life. An example would be the United States flag. We treat it with respect and it is not to be used in a profane way such as wearing it as clothing. It is also not supposed to touch the ground. Society is tied together through religion. The words “In God We Trust” is on our currency and the words “under God” is in our Pledge of Allegiance.

Durkheim believes that there are three major functions of religion that contribute to the way society functions. The first function is that it establishes social cohesion. Religion unites people through shared symbolism, values, and norms. The second function is that it promotes social control. Every society uses religious ideas to promote conformity. God is defined as a judge like being that encourages people to obey the cultural norms. Religion is also used to back up the power of political systems. Some rulers would claim to rule by “divine right” so that obedience was seen as doing God’s will. The third and final major function of religion is that it provides meaning and purpose. Religion offers a comforting sense that our lives serve some sort of purpose. These beliefs strengthen people and help make them less likely to despair in the face of change or tragedy. Due to this, we mark major life situations such as birth, marriage, and death with religious observances.

Religion has played a role in my life that has helped me get through hard times. I was born and baptized as a Lutheran. When I was young, my mother and grandmother would take me to church every Sunday. It wasn’t something I particularly liked, but I was quite young at the time. Eventually we decided to stop going, but that didn’t steer me away from believing in a God. The belief that God is like a judge is something that has helped keep me a responsible young adult. I obey the cultural norms and try to be as good of a person as I can be. If and when I sin, I pray for forgiveness. I pray for the safety of my friends and family every day. Religion has helped keep me strong through difficult times in my life. For example, my father abandoned me and my mother when I was very young. Since then my mother has had to work multiple jobs to support me and sometimes that wasn’t enough. We have had to move a numerous amount of times just so we could find the cheapest apartments to rent. Life has never been easy for us, but religion has helped me cope with the difficulties in life. I have never thought that we couldn't get through something because God will always be there to catch you when you fall.

http://www.academia.edu/3838157/Importance_of_religion_in_todays_world

http://www.religioustolerance.org/var_rel.htm