Religion in the life of society. The role of religion in modern society Social studies essay on religion

For example, the Athenian tyrant Critias in the 5th century BC. wrote: “Religion was invented by my glorious predecessors from the highest nobility, who were looking for a way to better manage people.” Or another example, when religion was perceived as allegorical knowledge. This idea was put forward by Thiogenes in the 6th century BC. According to him, religion was presented and understood as a certain special way of knowing the world, which allowed a person to understand the world around him not only using a scientific approach, but also allowed him to learn some deep, higher, fundamental truths and knowledge that science, in principle, , cannot be obtained. These are, in a way, the main ideas that explain the structure of the universe. In the Middle Ages, as is known, the issue of religion and war was acute. A sad milestone in history known as the Age of the Crusades, when war became a just cause at the behest of God. When the knights gave their lives for the main shrine of the Christian world - the Holy Sepulcher. Doesn't this directly show that the role of religion and the church was dominant at that time? Definitely. Or another example, Lenin’s struggle with religion. He considered it an unnecessary attribute of the state, believing that faith interferes with the common man; he simply does not need it. That is why in Soviet times religion was harshly criticized. Despite the fact that Karl Marx wrote: “Religion is an indirect result of social relations, expressed as a mental construct, an illusory consciousness necessary for a person to compensate for injustice, heaviness and conflicts in the real material world.” Simply put, Marx believed that religion is a mental mechanism invented by man to make it easier to experience injustice and suffering. He considered it pointless to fight religion in itself, because as long as life is not fair, religion will exist, and it is pointless to fight it. Religion will disappear on its own only if a fair state is built. And there are a huge number of such examples. As can be seen from the above, at different stages of the history of human society, religion played different roles in all spheres of life. But now I want to ask a slightly different question, namely, what is the importance of religion, and what role does it play in modern society?

The question is not very simple, and in order to try to understand it, we will try to understand what position religion occupies in the modern world. And so, in modern society, the two main forces of our time - science and politics - have a decisive influence on the position of religion. Their relatively rapid development leads to ambiguous consequences for religion: firstly, the traditional attitudes of a religious society are destroyed, but thereby, new opportunities often open up for religion. Secondly, the enormous successes of scientific and technological progress, the increasing mastery of nature and its resources with the help of technology, achieved in the twentieth century on the basis of a colossal increase in scientific knowledge, had a profound impact on religious consciousness. Although, it is worth noting that the expectations typical of the last century for such a near end of religion as a result of the development of science did not come true. Science has not supplanted religion, one must agree that it could not have, even if it wanted to, but for all that, it has caused deep, in some way fundamental changes in religious consciousness - in the understanding of God, the world, man, his place in this world , and indeed the universe as a whole. Today we can say with confidence that science has gone far beyond the boundaries of the world that was at least visually or sensually accessible to humans. This is what gave a new chance for a religious worldview. And here it is necessary, I believe, to say that the gigantic increase in the power of human activity on a scientific and technical basis has confronted modern society, and at the same time religion, with the problem of the consequences of scientific and technological progress and its moral validity. And as a result, the conclusion suggests itself, because neither science nor technology by themselves have yet provided, and I think, will not be able to provide, solutions to modern problems, when humanity is faced with the threat of self-destruction.

Currently, the majority of church hierarchs and ordinary clergy take the position of a new understanding of modern socio-economic and socio-political problems that arise in the process of development and change in modern society; they orient the work of the church towards increasing the moral potential of a person. The Church does not try to return a person to the “former course”, so to speak, to the old canons of morality, but makes attempts to interpret moral and ethical guidelines, adjusting them to modernity, to the worldview of modern man.

Let's imagine for a moment a world in which there is no religion, no temples, no churches, no bells ringing anywhere, no prayers are sung, no sermons are read. And How? Personally, I see in such a world empty darkness, an unfilled abyss without end or edge. After all, even if you think about it for a second, a person began to believe in supernatural forces as soon as he developed thinking and began to try to understand the world and the phenomena around him. And this happened almost 40 thousand years ago. That's a long time, isn't it? I believe that absolutely any person who, without deeply thinking, looks at this problem from the outside, will understand that humanity does not live without faith throughout its entire “conscious history” of existence. And I must say that he will not be able to live. We are faced with an irrefutable fact of history - religion is immortal. Every newborn child is baptized, thereby placing it under the protection of the Almighty, so that he can guide him on the path of life, and after death he is seen off on his last journey according to religious customs. In the most difficult moments of life, a person seeks consolation, and sometimes, not finding it among people, he goes to church, because there he will be accepted and listened to, which, undoubtedly, will, if not completely, but partially bring peace to the soul.

Yes, I think now it’s worth talking about one of the main tasks of religion in society. It is with the help of religion that a person determines for himself the purpose and meaning of life. With the help of faith, he builds his life goals, defines principles, and also on this the believer’s hopes are built to break out of limitations (so to speak, faith in a bright future), to get rid of suffering, loneliness, fear and other problems that burden not only human physical existence itself , but also his soul.

And so, moving on to the conclusion of my short discussion on the role of religion in modern society, I would like to turn to the statement of the Russian religious philosopher S.N. Trubetskoy: “Man was often defined as a two-legged animal, a rational and verbal animal, a political animal. You can also define it as a believing animal... A person believes in a certain meaning of the world and the meaning of existence, in an unconditional goal, the ideal of his being. And when such faith is taken away from him, his existence seems to him meaningless, aimless, random and superfluous.” So, we can say that no matter what events shake the world, destroy the foundations of society to the ground, religion will still live. People come to faith, leave it on their own, or are forcibly removed, but still, sooner or later, they return to it again. And why? Yes, because faith lives in the heart, which means it lives with a person, and it will die only with the last person on Earth.

Essay on the topic “The role of religion in the modern world” updated: December 12, 2017 by: Scientific Articles.Ru

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Department of Economics

religion society science knowledge

Essay on Philosophy

I decided to devote my essay to the issue of the role of religion in society, which is addressed in the statements of such great people as S. Freud, F. Bacon and Voltaire.

Sigmund Freud - Austrian psychologist, neurologist and psychiatrist, was born on May 6, 1856 in the province of Austria. He is considered the founder of the psychoanalytic school. He devoted his life to psychoanalysis, practiced medicine, created many scientific works, and conducted various research in the field of psychology. Sigmund Freud adhered to atheistic views. He was convinced that all religions are just illusions that cannot be proven. The author’s saying in question is taken from Freud’s work “The Future of an Illusion,” where he touches on the topic of the functions of religion and its place in society. Died in England, London, September 23, 1939.

Francis Bacon - English philosopher, born in London on January 22, 1561. Graduated from Gray's Inn School of Law. As a politician, he took an active part in the life of the state, in 1584 he was elected to parliament, and until 1614 he played an important role in debates at sessions of the House of Commons. At the final stage of his life, he delved into the study of science and literary work. F. Bacon positioned science as a means for man to achieve power over nature and improve his life. He called for the study of nature experimentally, which subsequently gave impetus to the development of natural science. His work “New Organon” is famous, which examines the state of the sciences of that time and describes the research method of obtaining true knowledge. Francis Bacon is considered the founder of the empirical movement of English materialism. On April 9, 1626, the politician, scientist and philosopher died in the village of Highgate.

Voltaire, one of the most famous enlightenment philosophers of the 18th century, was born in Paris on November 21, 1694. He preferred literary activities at court to the profession of a lawyer, but due to disagreements with the authorities, he left for England for 3 years, during which he studied the political structure, literature and philosophy of this country. In subsequent years, the philosopher changed a considerable number of places of residence; he found refuge in Lorraine, the Netherlands, Prussia, and Switzerland. Being an eighty-four-year-old man, Voltaire returned to Paris, where he died on May 30, 1778. An outstanding poet, historian, publicist, Voltaire was a zealous opponent of the church, religious superstitions and prejudices. At the same time, he was of the opinion that there was a certain Deity who created the Universe, in whose affairs one should not interfere. Voltaire wrote that society needs the concept of deity, otherwise it is doomed to destruction.

Freud writes: “Religion is a universal obsessive neurosis.” This conclusion is undoubtedly not accidental. The psychoanalyst presents religion as a means of salvation from any external or internal negative influences; it is a kind of protection. According to Sigmund Freud, humanity invented religion in the earliest stages of its development, during the “childhood” of civilization, when the mind was not yet able to cope with all difficulties. The child feels a certain protection from his father, who can protect him from frightening and incomprehensible forces; it is enough to follow any rules or requirements, then the father will praise, or, conversely, condemn him if certain guidelines are not followed. This model is very clear and does not imply a burden of responsibility. In this case, humanity acts in the role of a grown child who returns to his childhood experience, remembers how in childhood the problem of salvation from the negative ambiguities of the world was solved. Freud describes this phenomenon as a neurosis similar to the so-called childhood obsessional syndromes. Likewise, humanity as a whole relies on religion, “invented” when the mind could not cope with problems (in the early stages of development - in “childhood”). That is, religion is a mass, collective neurosis. This is an illusion created by people to make life easier.

Characterizing and analyzing Voltaire’s statement (“If God did not exist, it would be worth inventing him”), one cannot help but note that the enlightenment philosopher was of the opinion that society cannot exist without the presence of some supreme, supernatural, some kind of Deity, as mentioned above. He clearly expresses his point of view in this aphorism. Indeed, if, according to Voltaire's approach, society is doomed to destruction without the concept of a deity, then it is quite logical that it would be in the interests of the people themselves to come up with something that dominates everything. One should not try to prove the existence of God, or try to find out whether the supernatural exists at all. The essence is not in the deity itself, it is not he as a separate category that interests us, his role in society is important, the influence of the existence of the concept of God is too great for the normal life of humanity. That is why we are not trying to find out the truth of the existence of God, we are interested in his role, we are even ready to invent him, moreover, we almost need it. Otherwise, civilization is doomed to destruction.

“Atheism is thin ice: one person will pass, but a whole people will fail” - Francis Bacon considered atheism unacceptable for an entire people, for a crowd. The author of the saying himself is a supporter of a revealed religion, that is, one that is recognized by the state. However, one cannot call him an ardent opponent of atheism. Bacon identifies two “alternatives” to true religion, superstition and atheism. Superstition is a distorted belief in God, a degenerate, selfish religion; it favors the development of fanaticism and immorality. Bacon admits that unbelief is preferable to such faith. Reasonable unbelief is a kind of religion, but such reasonable atheism may be inherent in one person and therefore acceptable, but an entire nation will fall under this thin ice.

These statements are united by one category; they all touch on the topic of religion, to be more precise, the topic of the role and place of religion in society. The authors of aphorisms define what religion is for society and the importance of its existence. I chose this particular category not by chance. I have always been interested in the question of the existence of something supernatural and the institution of the church in society. Since ancient times, all peoples have had their own, albeit different, religious attitudes and beliefs. After all, this is not accidental. Probably, people simply need to believe in the existence of unearthly forces that influence human destiny and life. Why is this so? I think this phenomenon can be explained by a number of reasons. I will talk about this later.

The issue of religion was considered by many philosophers, almost all of them had a certain view on the existence of God, on the peculiarities of people's faith. In particular, the authors of the statements, Francis Bacon, Sigmund Freud and Voltaire, paid attention to this problem in their writings. They all agree that religion is an integral part of existing society. Each of them sees different reasons for this existence. Each explanation is interesting, for example, Sigmund Freud considers the question posed from the point of view of psychoanalysis. Perhaps the specially created illusion of God is not ideal and has no right to exist, but like any neurosis, it is difficult to eradicate. She has already become an integral part of society. And is it even worth fighting against it? Is it really not needed?

Voltaire is convinced that religion has a significant role and is necessary in society, because society simply cannot exist without such a unifying force. The masses, in order not to fall apart and remain in order, must be united by something. Nothing unites and forces people to stick together like a common faith. On the basis of shared beliefs, traditions, norms, laws, a common goal and aspiration are created. Religion is an ideological basis, without which society is no longer society. After all, even by definition, society is not an arbitrary crowd, it is people united by an idea and having a common goal.

Bacon's approach suggests three main ways of interaction between society and religion: true religion (for him this is revealed religion), superstition, distorted faith, and atheism. Indeed, either a person believes in the existence of higher powers, or he denies their existence, then he is an atheist. Francis Bacon believes that atheism is unacceptable for society, because it may be understandable to a reasonable individual, but the masses, as a rule, are not thinking individuals gathered together, they are already a crowd of people. To keep a crowd in order, common beliefs are needed, implying the presence of a higher authority with its rules. And atheism can be perceived as the absence of any rules and complete freedom.

I believe that the connection between society and religion is multifaceted, and a number of reasons determine the existence of this relationship. Religion arose at the dawn of human civilization. People have always believed in something, people need faith, initially polytheism and paganism dominated. Temples were erected in honor of the deities, the wrath of the heavenly inhabitants was feared, and sacrifices were made to them. Even then, fear of the disfavor of the gods and faith in their mercy regulated the behavior and actions of people. The issue of life after death has always been important, as a component of religious beliefs. After all, for an unworthy lifestyle one could suffer eternal punishment outside of this world, in an unearthly life. Thus, the myths of Ancient Greece tell of Sisyphus, who did not obey the gods, for which he paid in the kingdom of Hades, being sentenced to endless fruitless work. Such legends were instructive for living members of society. Thus, a certain semblance of moral rules was created. Often they were listed in a special sacred book: the Gospel, the Koran. The question arises: why was religion invented in the early stages of human development, and how did it happen that it became so important? In my opinion, one of the main reasons was that people who did not have extensive scientific knowledge, who had very limited ideas about the world, full of unusual and inexplicable things for them at that time, sought to give some kind of explanation to the occurring natural phenomena or life events. Unable to know the truth or obtain a reasonable explanation, they referred to the invisible forces that regulate life on Earth. This approach provided certainty, an understanding of what was happening, and created certain patterns and orderliness. Now people could somehow, it seemed to them, influence events. They did this through communication with the gods. By making a sacrifice, doing a good deed, you can appease God, you can hope that he will fulfill the request. Natural disasters, droughts, and natural disasters were explained by the wrath of the highest powers. The low level of development of science and technology made people helpless; how could they protect themselves from such disasters? The concept of God made it possible to hope for his mercy, given as a reward for decent behavior, often for sacrificial offerings and honors in honor of the gods. That is, religion was initially created as an opportunity to explain the unknown; with its help it was possible to indirectly influence events beyond the control of the person of that time. On this issue, my opinion partly coincides with the point of view of Z. Freud on how religion appeared, how it arose. The period of that very “childhood” of civilization was examined, which created for itself a father who monitors the child, using the carrot and stick method to influence his behavior. With control from above, people feel more protected, and this is how neurosis and obsession syndrome manifest themselves.

Subsequently, when society develops, many natural phenomena become understandable to the human mind, people are able to partially control nature, become strong, capable of withstanding many external disasters, religion takes on a slightly different meaning.

Firstly, the one that Freud describes, that is, it is important for society, returning to early memories of the protector taking part of the responsibility upon himself. The presence of the Almighty makes it easier to make choices, which are often the source of evil. When you know what is good and what is bad, this choice is already predetermined, you know in advance what you need to do so that the action is consistent with the will of God, that is, it is “correct.”

Secondly, sacred books become a certain set of moral laws by which society lives. It is like a non-discussable given, which makes it possible to distinguish between evil and good. In general, how can a person understand how to do the right thing from a moral point of view? After all, we all seem to know that doing this is not good, it’s dishonest. And why? Where is the criterion that determines our opinion about the correctness of an action? Having tried to understand this, we will most likely come to the conclusion that there is simply a feeling, this is probably called conscience. She tells us, makes us understand how to do it well, morally, and how not. However, are we really born with such an understanding? Who guarantees that everyone has this very conscience? How then can we explain the actions of some people to whom their behavior seems absolutely normal, while for others it is simply unacceptable and does not agree with the principles of conscience? It is hard to imagine that a person has an innate measure of evil and good. I am of the opinion that an individual's moral ideas are formed. Much depends on upbringing and environment. A person, in the process of his development and formation, especially in childhood, is most often strongly subject to the influence and opinion of people who are authoritative for him. Consequently, the moral rules of a particular member of society are laid down in him from the outside. And religion presupposes the presence of a whole set of such ordered rules. I do not mean that everyone must read the Bible or another set of commandments in order to become a moral person, just that holy books are a source of moral and ethical standards that can be instilled in a child by parents or other people.

Going further, I want to highlight one more meaning of religion in society. The church is a public institution, which is one of the instruments of power. In many cases, it was the power structures that “created” religion. A striking example is Rus', which was baptized by Vladimir the Baptist. It was he who in 988 chose Christianity as the state religion of Kievan Rus. That is, the state needed the presence of one God, the adoption of Christianity had the goal of spiritual unification, which would strengthen the integrity of the country and strengthen the state. The process of choosing a state religion is indicative. Vladimir wavered between Judaism, Islam, Christianity and several other faiths. It is noteworthy that the determining factor was the compatibility of the rules and commandments of a given religion with the traditions of the people and the usual way of life. Thus, to the envoys of the Muslim faith, who tried to persuade the Grand Duke to accept their faith, Vladimir replied that the ban of this religion on the use of wine was unacceptable, because wine is fun for Russians. The question arises, what about true faith, spiritual beliefs? It is absolutely clear that in our case there is an exclusively pragmatic approach, the adoption of Christianity for the sake of unifying the state and strengthening the central government. Rus' is far from the only example of such a connection between religion and society.

There are other examples when in reality religion is presented in a completely different way; the rules it promotes are strikingly different from those prescribed in the holy books and corresponding to moral standards. In the Middle Ages, the practice of atonement for sins was widely used. It was enough just to pay a certain amount, and all sins were forgiven. No, not all. Those for which there was enough money. The so-called indulgence is the atonement of sins. Strange, to say the least, moral principles are formed with this approach. It turns out that money can buy everything, since peace of mind is for sale. Such a proclamation of the primacy of money creates a mercantile society, which will ultimately be fragmented, because everyone will strive to earn more, unconstrained by any restrictions. A person who allows himself everything, who has no internal limitations, cannot be stopped by any laws, only if they cannot intimidate him. And in this kind of society, the law is corrupt. Such a person becomes scary. He lives for himself. A society consisting of selfish individuals is no longer a society.

It is no secret that a situation often arises in which the church begins a struggle for power with representatives of secular government. There are also theocratic states where the church exercises power. The role of religion is changing. These are no longer lofty principles, individual convictions of people who sincerely believe, these are laws that require unquestioning implementation. And this is the role religion plays in society. However, it is difficult to imagine a society without any religion in the broad sense of the word. One can object by citing the example of the USSR, where persecution of church representatives was carried out, and belief in God was considered apolitical. But we should not forget that at that time the party was a kind of god for the people, people practically prayed to their leaders, spoke about them with reverence, and believed in them. How is such a belief worse than the traditional belief in God? An idea is also a religion.

In modern society in developed countries, religion is separated from secular power. Nowadays a person decides for himself whether to believe or not. This is entirely his choice. A variety of faiths coexist on the territory of one country. A large part of the population considers themselves atheists. This state of affairs does not agree with the predictions of Voltaire and Bacon, who believed that society cannot exist without religion and that atheism is unacceptable for large masses. Perhaps what Freud spoke about happened, and humanity finally got rid of neurosis, the syndrome of childhood impressions. It has grown, matured, wiser, and no longer needs invented, illusory protection.

It seems to me that this is not entirely true. A person may not believe in the existence of the supernatural, but religion for him is internal moral beliefs, his conscience, which tells him how to act correctly. These internal attitudes, as I wrote earlier, are instilled in the process of education. The Holy Scriptures, in my opinion, are human wisdom collected over centuries. People's ideas about a righteous lifestyle are reflected in religious books. This entire stock of obvious knowledge and ideas about justice, good and evil is our religion, purified of external attributes and symbols, without an object of faith.

It is also worth considering the point of view, in my opinion, quite rational, that every person is an egoist at heart, everything he does, he does for himself. I admit that this is an exaggeration, but the assumption itself is not absurd. Indeed, often our desires conflict with what our upbringing and conscience dictate. And desires often win. After all, it is quite reasonable to say: “Why is it bad to do this? Who said it was bad? I feel good." So, the role of religion is to combine what is good for a person with the moral “good”, to develop in him an understanding of the good for others, to teach him to value the interests of others, and not to put his own well-being at the center. Convince a person that something is good for him when it does not harm others.

In conclusion, I would like to say that true religion is the basis, the basis for the existence of any healthy society. It can take the form of an idea, a belief in God, or simply moral standards accepted in a given environment. In other words, religion in this understanding is the common intangible values, beliefs, and spiritual unity of the people. At the same time, we should not forget about other functions of religion, such as supporting the government or a way to unite people and strengthen the unity of the people.

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Essay on the topic “Religion in modern society. Is its role important? Functions
religions today."
Prepared by foreign language teacher O.D. Khristoforova.
MAOU Vidnovsky Art and Technical Lyceum,
Moscow region, Vidnoye city, 2017
A person needed support that would give him hope, faith, strength, and also
an explanation of some things he does not understand. He found this strength and support in religion.
Religion is the main thing that helps develop the worldview of a child
little man. The main ideas of religion are based on the moral qualities of a person. But
Is religion still needed in our time of innovation, progress and technology?
I believe that many things can be explained by science. Allow international
Conflicts and global problems are possible without religion. Religion is a limiting factor.
She reproaches a person and makes covenants that cannot be broken (“Do not kill!”, “Do not steal!”).
On the one hand, the worldview of some people is formed without religion, they
understand that moral norms cannot be violated. But, accordingly, some people
religion is needed to avoid making certain mistakes. Perhaps this is one of the protective
functions of religion.
There are more than a hundred different religious movements in the world, they have
the most ancient forms and modern trends, but the main most numerous
world religions are Christianity for almost 1.5 billion people, Islam for about 1.3
billion people, Buddhism, 300 million people.
There are also national and traditional religions with their own directions. They
originated or became particularly widespread in certain countries.
On this basis they distinguish
types of religions: Hinduism
(India);
Confucianism
(China); Taoism (China); Judaism

(Israel); Sikhism (Punjab)
V
India); Shintoism

(Japan); paganism (Indian
tribes,
peoples of the North and
Oceania).

I suggest you review the moral standards of 3 world religions.
1. Christianity.
The main idea of ​​Christianity is salvation. However, Christianity was divided, with species
are: Catholicism, Orthodoxy,
Christianity
Protestantism.
Catholicism.
commandments.
Orthodoxy.
is
V
bodily

The main idea is seven
Creed

Orthodoxy
faith in one God, and also in faith
ascension of Jesus Christ.
Protestantism. The main idea of ​​Protestantism is that the Bible is the only
source of the teachings of Christianity.
2. Islam.
The essence of the doctrine of Islam or Islam, which originated in the 7th century among the Arab
tribes, there is a belief in one God, but in Islam they call him Allah.
3. Buddhism.
The main idea of ​​Buddhism is rebirth. Followers of Buddhism believe in
karma, which consists of the precepts of Buddhism, and also, first of all, from the actions
person. According to the teachings of the Buddha, all life is suffering, which can only be eliminated
if you give up passion, the desire for existence, and then achieve enlightenment.
From all this, accordingly, it can be said that regardless of religion or
creeds recognize certain general moral norms that are punishable in every
religion.
The word “religion” itself comes from the Latin religio (piety, shrine). This
attitude, behavior, actions based on faith in something superior
understanding of man and the supernatural, perhaps the sacred. Thanks to religion,
being also a source of strength, people can hope, believe, and also feel
a piece of a larger whole that can unite completely different people. Probably possible
to say that all religions reflect different aspects of life, our reality, we think and

We are looking for the truth of life, existence, what it consists of. All religions reflect different
aspects of reality, because everything that is true
I believe that religion is undoubtedly important to people, just as it was thousands of years ago. Either way
otherwise, no one has found an appropriate alternative to religion and God, and the existence
no one refuted it either.
People believe and language becomes not only a means of communication, it is a language
a mediator between the past, present, future, custodian of the spiritual heritage
culture, as the rituals and customs of the culture of a particular people. In our lyceum they study
foreign languages: English, German, for some Russian
is a foreign language, we have students from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Kalmykia.
All students treat each other and languages ​​with respect; learning languages ​​allows
study and explore the religions of such countries as Russia, England, Germany, Kalmykia and
other state Despite the differences in religions, in the preached spiritual, moral
values ​​have a lot in common. This makes possible not only a dialogue of cultures, but also a dialogue
religions.

discipline: Spiritual culture

on the topic: Religion and religious faith

Is done by a student

Checked:

Introduction........................................................ ........................................................ ................3

1. Religion................................................... ........................................................ ................4

2. Features of religious faith.................................................... ............................5

3. Diversity of religions.................................................... ........................................7

4. The role of religion in the modern world.................................................... .......................10

Conclusion................................................. ........................................................ ..........14

Bibliography............................................... ........................16

Introduction

One of the oldest forms of spiritual culture is religion. Religious ideas of people originated in ancient times. Like religious rituals and cults, they were very diverse. An important milestone in the history of mankind was the emergence of world religions: Buddhism, Christianity, Islam. At a certain stage in the development of religion, a church arises, within which a spiritual hierarchy takes shape, and priests appear.

Since ancient times, religion has been the bearer of cultural values; it itself is one of the forms of culture. Majestic temples, masterfully executed frescoes and icons, wonderful literary and religious-philosophical works, church rituals, and moral precepts have extremely enriched the cultural fund of humanity. The level of development of spiritual culture is measured by the volume of spiritual values ​​created in society, the scale of their dissemination and the depth of assimilation by people, by each person.

Nowadays, religious activity has acquired a new scope and new forms. The preaching of absolute (eternal and unchangeable) moral values ​​was characteristic of all religions of the world and remains relevant in our age full of evil, because bitterness, decline of morality, growth of crime and violence are all consequences of lack of spirituality. Moral rules not only have not lost their meaning, but have also acquired a new, deep meaning, since they are addressed to the inner, spiritual world of man.

1. Religion

The origin of the word “religion” is associated with the Latin verb relegere - “to treat with respect”; according to another version, it owes its origin to the verb religare - “to bind” (heaven and earth, deity and man). It is much more difficult to define the concept of “religion”. There are a great many such definitions, they depend on the authors’ affiliation with a particular philosophical school or tradition. Thus, Marxist methodology defined religion as a specific form of social consciousness, a perverted, fantastic reflection in the minds of people of the external forces dominating them. A believer will most likely define religion as the relationship between God and man. There are also more neutral definitions: religion is a set of views and ideas, a system of beliefs and rituals that unites people who recognize them into one community. Religion is certain views and ideas of people, corresponding rituals and cults.

Any religion includes several essential elements. Among them: faith (religious feelings, moods, emotions), doctrine (a systematized set of principles, ideas, concepts specially developed for a given religion), religious cult (a set of actions that believers perform for the purpose of worshiping the gods, i.e. rituals, prayers, sermons, etc.). Sufficiently developed religions also have their own organization - the church, which organizes the life of the religious community.

The origin of religion is controversial. The Church teaches that religion appears with man and exists from the beginning. Materialistic teachings view religion as a product of the development of human consciousness. Convinced of his own powerlessness, of his inability to overcome the power of blind necessity in certain spheres of life, primitive man attributed supernatural properties to natural forces. Excavations of ancient sites indicate the presence of primitive religious beliefs among Neanderthals. In addition, primitive man felt himself a part of nature, did not oppose it, although he tried to determine his place in the world around him and adapt to it.

One of the first forms of religion was totemism - the worship of some kind, tribe, animal or plant as its mythical ancestor and protector. Totemism gave way to animism, i.e. belief in spirits and soul or the universal spirituality of nature. In animism, many scientists see not only an independent form of religious ideas, but also the basis for the emergence of modern religions. Among supernatural beings, several particularly powerful ones stand out - gods. Gradually they acquire an anthropomorphic character (the qualities inherent in man and even his appearance are transferred to the gods, although it is argued that it was God who created man in his own image and likeness), the first polytheistic religions take shape (from the words poly - many, theos - god) religions . Later, at a higher stage, monotheistic religions also appear (from the Greek monos - one, united, theos - god). A classic example of polytheism is the ancient Greek and Roman religions, Slavic paganism. Monotheism includes Christianity, Islam and others, although each of them retains traces of polytheism.

2. Features of religious faith

The basis of any religion is belief in the supernatural, i.e. into the inexplicable with the help of laws known to science, contradicting them. Faith, according to the Gospel, is the realization of what is hoped for and the assurance of what is not seen. It is alien to any logic, and therefore it is not afraid of atheists’ justifications that there is no God, and does not need logical confirmation that He exists. The Apostle Paul said: “Let your faith rest not on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.”

What are the characteristics of religious faith? Its first element is faith in the very existence of God as the creator of everything that exists, the manager of all affairs, actions, and thoughts of people. This means that the higher powers that control him are responsible for all a person’s actions? According to modern religious teachings, man is endowed by God with free will, has freedom of choice and, because of this, is responsible for his actions and for the future of his soul.

But on what basis is this faith possible? Based on knowledge of the content of religious myths and Holy books (the Bible, the Koran, etc.) and trust in the testimonies contained therein of those who happened to be convinced of the facts of the existence of God (appearance to the people, revelations, etc.); based on direct evidence of the existence of God (miracles, direct appearances and revelations, etc.)

History shows that there are practically no cases of direct manifestations of higher powers not previously described in myths and Holy books: churches are extremely cautious about any manifestation of a miracle, rightly believing that erroneousness or, worse, dishonesty in describing it will cause disbelief among people and can undermine the authority of churches and creeds. Finally, faith in God is based on some logical and theoretical arguments. For many centuries, theologians of all religions have sought to prove the existence of God. However, the German philosopher I. Kant convincingly showed in his reasoning that it is impossible to logically prove either the existence of God or his absence, all that remains is to believe.

The idea of ​​the existence of God is the central point of religious faith, but does not exhaust it. Thus, religious faith includes:

Standards of morality, standards of morality that are declared to originate from divine revelation; violation of these norms is a sin and, accordingly, is condemned and punished;

Certain legal laws and regulations that are also declared to have either occurred directly as a result of divine revelation, or as the result of the divinely inspired activity of legislators, usually kings and other rulers;

I believe in the divine inspiration of the activities of certain clergy, persons declared saints, saints, blessed, etc.; Thus, in Catholicism it is generally accepted that the head of the Catholic Church - the Pope - is the vicar (representative) of God on earth;

Belief in the saving power for the human soul of those ritual actions that believers perform in accordance with the instructions of the Holy Books, clergy and church leaders (baptism, circumcision of the flesh, prayer, fasting, worship, etc.);

I believe in the divine direction of the activities of churches as associations of people who consider themselves adherents of a particular faith.

3. Diversity of religions

There is a variety of beliefs, sects, and church organizations in the world.

All currently existing religions can be divided into three large groups:

1) primitive tribal beliefs that have survived to this day;

2) national-state religions that form the basis of the religious life of individual nations, for example, Confucianism (China), Judaism (Israel);

3) world religions. There are only three of them: Buddhism, Christianity, Islam. It is world religions that have the greatest influence on the development of modern civilizations.

The characteristics of world religions include:

A) a huge number of followers all over the world;

B) they are cosmopolitan, inter- and supra-ethnic in nature, going beyond the boundaries of nations and states;

C) they are egalitarian (they preach the equality of all people and are addressed to representatives of all social groups);

D) they are distinguished by extraordinary propaganda activity and proselytism (the desire to convert people of another religion).

Buddhism is the earliest world religion in terms of its appearance. It is most widespread in Asia. The central area of ​​Buddhist teaching is morality, the norms of human behavior. Through reflection and contemplation, a person can achieve the truth, find the right path to salvation and, observing the commandments of holy teaching, come to perfection. The elementary commandments, obligatory for everyone, come down to five: do not kill a single living creature, do not take someone else’s property, do not touch someone else’s wife, do not tell lies, do not drink wine. But for those who strive to achieve perfection, these five commandments-prohibitions develop into a whole system of much more strict regulations. The prohibition of killing goes so far as to prohibit the killing of even insects that are barely visible to the eye. The prohibition to take someone else's property is replaced by the requirement to renounce all property in general, etc. One of the most important precepts of Buddhism is love and mercy for all living beings. Moreover, Buddhism prescribes not to make any distinction between them and to treat good and evil, people and animals equally favorably and compassionately. A follower of the Buddha should not pay evil for evil, because otherwise not only are they not destroyed, but, on the contrary, enmity and suffering increase. You can't even protect others from violence and punish murder. A follower of the Buddha must have a calm, patient attitude towards evil, avoiding only participation in it.

Currently, Buddhism plays the most significant socio-political and cultural role in the countries of the Indochina Peninsula. In Burma, Cambodia, and Thailand, it acts as the state religion. In Japan, Buddhism, split into many sects, is intertwined with national Shintoism, forming the so-called new religions. In 1950 the “World Brotherhood of Buddhists” was formed, in 1970 the “Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace” was formed. Contrary to the basic idea of ​​Buddhist doctrine, these organizations actively participate in international politics and in the struggle for peace. A feature of modern Buddhism is that it is increasingly turning from a religion into a kind of philosophical teaching, a kind of moral system.

Christianity is the second oldest world religion. Nowadays it is the most widespread religion on Earth, numbering over 1.4 billion adherents in Europe and America.

Central to Christianity is the idea of ​​human sinfulness as the cause of all his misfortunes and the teaching of deliverance from sins through prayer and repentance. The preaching of patience, humility, forgiveness without offense is limitless. “Love your enemies,” Jesus teaches. “Bless those who curse you, thank those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you.”

Christianity turned out to be better adapted to social changes than other religions. Christian theologians have learned to get along with science, adopting individual scientific theories. The Church actively uses the media to disseminate religious views.

Islam (Muslim) is the latest world religion to emerge. There are about a billion of its adherents on Earth. Islam became most widespread in North Africa, South-West and South Asia. “Islam” translated into Russian means “submission”. Man, according to the Koran, is a weak creature, prone to sin, he is not able to achieve anything in life on his own. He can only rely on the mercy and help of Allah. If a person believes in God and follows the instructions of the Muslim religion, he will deserve eternal life in paradise. Demanding obedience to Allah from believers, Islam prescribes the same obedience to earthly authorities.

A characteristic feature of the Muslim religion is that it vigorously intervenes in all spheres of people's lives. Personal, family, social life of Muslim believers, politics, legal relations, court - everything must obey religious laws. In this regard, they are increasingly talking about the processes of “Islamization” - the spread of this relatively young religion. Movements under Islamic slogans are heterogeneous, but they clearly show the desire to turn the Islamic world into a leading force in the international arena. The process of “Islamization” is very controversial. On the one hand, it reflects the desire of the peoples of developing countries to free themselves from the remnants of colonialism and Western influence, on the other hand, the implementation of Islamic slogans by the hands of extremists can bring untold troubles to humanity.

Thus, despite the differences between world religions, there is much in common in the spiritual and moral values ​​they preach. This makes possible not only a dialogue of cultures, but also a dialogue of religions.

4. The role of religion in the modern world

Religion today has a great influence on the spiritual life of a person, especially on morality. In our country, the influence of religion has increased significantly. On television we often see services taking place in churches, the consecration of buildings, ships, and enterprises. Church music is heard on the radio and in concert halls. Many destroyed churches and monasteries are being restored. Representatives of the clergy sit in the supreme bodies of power. The number of those who have gone through the rite of baptism has increased. Newspapers and magazines appeared, which were the official printed organs of churches. In some schools a new subject has appeared - “The Law of God”. There are educational institutions that train clergy.

The moral rules preached are addressed to the spiritual world of man. With their help, people tired of social catastrophes can look into themselves and once again think about the meaning of their lives. At all times, one of the main factors supporting religiosity was fear and confusion of a person in the face of mortal danger and problems that were insoluble in given conditions. The influence of the church especially increases at turning points in history: when the old ideals of society lose their value, and new ones have not yet had time to take hold, religion comes to the rescue with its eternal moral commandments.

But religion at all stages of the life of society and the religious activity organically connected with it played not only a positive role. In the religious activities of past centuries there was also fanaticism, which denied the very possibility of listening to dissenters or those of different faiths, religious wars aimed at subjugating or destroying people of other faiths, the Inquisition, which was the most severe persecution of those whom church leaders suspected of departing from church teachings, dogmatism, aimed not only against advanced science for its time, but often common sense. Not all religious figures set an example of fulfilling the moral commandments contained in the Holy Books. Currently, there are many charlatans revolving around religion and religious activities, speculating on superstitions. Thus, the historical path of religious activity is ambiguous: it contains both positive and negative sides.

The influence of religion on a person is contradictory: on the one hand, it calls a person to adhere to high moral standards, introduces him to culture, and on the other hand, it preaches (at least many religious communities do this) obedience and humility, refusal of active actions even when they aim at the good of people. In some cases, it contributes to the aggressiveness of believers, their separation and even confrontation.

Spiritual experience is the basis of any religion. The names of the founders of many religions are known, despite the fact that they lived thousands of years ago. Their spiritual experience and the revelations they conveyed are unique not only in their power. They “hit” the target very accurately, that is, they indicate ways to solve problems that are vital not only for a given nation, but also for humanity as a whole.

God and faith have become an integral part of human life. Life acquires meaning and order, follows certain rules and rhythm. The single stream of history has long been divided into two channels: history itself, consisting of a list of conspiracies, seizures of power, wars, uprisings, overthrows, and sacred history, the content of which was the relationship between God and man.

From three circumstances - the divine will, the cultural traditions of a particular people and the peculiarities of thinking of a particular person - the whole diversity of the religious experience of mankind is formed. Faith takes many different forms, and these forms are called religion. Hinduism has thousands of gods, Judaism has one, but both religions are based on faith. And this allows us to assume that the external diversity and diversity of cults, rituals, and philosophies of numerous religious systems are based on some common ideological ideas.

Religious consciousness knows the purpose and meaning of the existence of the world and man in it - within the framework of a specific worldview. The basis of this picture, in turn, is the idea of ​​the existence of two (or more) worlds: the visible world, the spiritual world, the divine world. Each of these worlds has its own history, its own laws, in each of them there are people or other entities, and each has its own symbolic expression.

Conclusion

A person increasingly thinks about the path of life, strives to treat himself consciously, to develop himself, to educate himself, to engage in “self-construction.” The object of this construction is, first of all, the spiritual world of man.

Religion is an integral part of human spiritual culture. For many people, religion plays the role of a worldview, a ready-made system of views, principles of ideals, explaining the structure of the world and determining a person’s place in it. Religious norms are one of the powerful social regulators. Through a whole system of values ​​they regulate a person’s public and personal life. Many millions find consolation, tranquility, and hope in faith. Religion makes it possible to compensate for the shortcomings of imperfect reality, promising the “Kingdom of God”, reconciling with earthly evil. In the face of the inability of science to explain many natural phenomena, religion offers its own answers to painful questions. Religion often contributes to the unification of nations and the formation of united states. But the role of religion should not be idealized. Historical experience shows that religious differences and intolerance are to blame for many conflicts and wars. Not always even deep faith kept a person and society from committing crimes and misdeeds. Often religion and the church imposed bans on certain types of activities, science, art, fettering the creative power of people. Overt social injustice and despotic regimes were sanctified by the authority of the church, which promised true liberation only in another world. Religion called for earthly life to be spent in peace and humility, without resisting evil. The biting and simplified formula of atheists “religion is the opium of the people” is not entirely groundless. Predicting the future of religion is extremely difficult. Multidirectional processes are taking place in society: on the one hand, an increasing number of spheres of human activity are secularized, freed from the influence of religion, on the other hand, the role and authority of the church is growing, because religion occupies an important place in spiritual culture along with art and science , morality, politics and law.

Religion, through the soul, introduces a person to culture and calls for compliance with high moral standards. The revival and education of spiritual culture is the task of every person in the name of the salvation of all mankind.

Bibliography

1. V.M.Khachaturyan. History of world civilizations. – M.: Bustard, 1998.

2. V.S. Ovchinnikov. Spiritual values ​​of modern civilization. - M., 2001. 3. Book of Life. Summary text of the Bible. - Minsk: Lerox, 1993.

4. Religions of the world. Encyclopedia, vol. 6, part 1. – M.: Avanta+, 2006.

5. World history. Encyclopedia, vol. 6, part 1. – M.: Avanta+, 2005.

6. Man and society. Tutorial. – M., 2002.

Good evening, my dear friend!

So, as you understand, I will start, again, with the main thing. What is religion and why is it needed? All definitions of religion boil down to one thing: a belief system based on the worship of someone or something. Religion is also characterized by ritualism, organization (that is, unification into religious communities, the simplest example is the church), influence on the culture and worldview of certain people. Every religion has some kind of moral standards that a person must adhere to. Religion is truly all-encompassing, no matter what beliefs exist in the world. However, my personal understanding of religion includes another important detail. Religion is a way to control humanity. I believe you may have heard this statement somewhere before. Yes, some people really think so, but how many of them can prove it, justify it? After all, now, alas, a person often says something that remains incomprehensible to him. I don’t like to do this, and therefore I want to explain to you why I hold such a categorical opinion about religion. Again, there will be a small but very important excursion into history.

Let's talk about the emergence of religion. The first beliefs appeared with the first people. Many books, and quite rightly, claim that our ancestors, due to lack of knowledge, could not explain the simplest natural phenomena, such as, for example, rain, snow, tree growth, and the birth of a person. Therefore, it is quite logical that, in search of truth, they attributed everything to some supernatural forces of nature. At the same time, they understood that their life, food and opportunities depended on many natural processes. Thus, these two thoughts, combined in the head of an ancient man, gave a simple logical chain: in order for me to live, I must worship everything that allows me to do this. With this thought, a person automatically made himself a slave. But, at the same time, he began to protect nature. Actually, this is how paganism appeared, one of the kindest, in my opinion, religions on the planet. However, already in it there are tendencies to limit human thoughts, and this period is only the beginning of our civilization. What happens next is worse. Humanity, evolving, acquiring new knowledge, begins to organize itself into more or less large groups: communities, clans, tribes. And naturally, the first control appears. In each such group, its leaders begin to rise, people who are treated with more respect than everyone else. It is then that the lust for power and the thirst to rule appear. The people who dominate these social groups begin to want to control their fellow tribesmen. The most resourceful of them connect religion to this. They understand that people won’t just follow you, you need a weapon that will have the maximum influence on their minds, you need to put pressure on the most important things. In the conditions of that time, religion was such a weapon. People really depended heavily on it, being unenlightened and ignorant of much about the world. Therefore, power seekers begin to drag it in to please themselves. At the same time, the first theories appeared that, for example, if you do not make a sacrifice to the gods, you will be cursed. Judge for yourself, this is an ordinary means of making money. They brought food and clothes to the priest, but instead he fed people with hopes that now everything would be fine with them. It is not for nothing that some of the richest people in those days were clergymen. It was this kind of situation that launched the most powerful machine to its fullest, which later became a global means of managing nations and even a huge commercial organization.

Now let's fast forward to a later time, when religion became a fully developed system. Here the situation is frankly getting worse, I think you yourself know why. I can give you thousands of examples. Let's say let's consider the Crusades. I think you are able to appreciate how much blood was shed during all the crusades, and for what, my friend? In order to convince one nation that the guy in heaven they believe in is wrong, and they need to believe in another guy. Killing for the sake of true faith - some will say. Killings for the sake of new territories - that's what I say. Isn’t it clear that religion is just a cover, a designation for an allegedly noble mission to bring truth to the world? Oh my God, of course not. First of all, religious communities, feudal lords and knights profited from the Crusades. In many sources, there are much more descriptions of looted wealth than descriptions of joyful and noble thoughts that overwhelm a warrior who brought the correct faith into the world. In my opinion, this is an excellent example to prove that religion is a powerful way of governing and conducting politics. There have always been religious warriors and continue to this day, but why, my friend? Because it is very easy to flood people’s minds with a pretentious idea, make puppets out of them and control them at will. Among examples of the managerial role of religion, I can also give you the Reconquista, which is essentially similar to the Crusades. What can we say, all the religious wars of the world are an example of the subtle and cunning control of peoples through religion. Religion is slavery.

A little earlier, I mentioned that religion is also a commercial organization. And this is actually true. Let's turn to history again. Remember the 16th – 17th centuries, when the Catholic Church split into Protestants, Lutherans, Calvinists, and so on. If you delve deeper, you will find that the schism occurred largely due to the abuse of their powers by Catholic clergy. The so-called trade in indulgences took place. At that time, people’s minds were still enclosed in religious frameworks (they began to free themselves from them only during the Renaissance), and therefore very, very many tried during their lifetime to free themselves from the sins they had committed. A person who had sinned came to church, confessed, and, as a sign that his sins had been forgiven, received a special paper - an indulgence. Of course, the priests, who were already a privileged class, tried not to miss out on theirs. They began to sell indulgences, and in the end those who had a lot of money became the most innocent. The feudal lords who donated land to the church went to Paradise out of turn. So what do we see? That's right, my friend. It was at that moment that commercial religion began to operate in full force. No one was interested in your faith, they only wanted your money. It’s strange that the almighty Jesus, whose existence they still try to convince me of, hasn’t done anything about it. Well, those who were against the commercialization of religion broke away and formed Protestantism and other branches of Catholicism. Alas, in the modern world, religion has not ceased to be commerce. Firstly, many sects have appeared now. And everyone knows that their main goal is to intoxicate people in order to get more money and other benefits from them. Here, it seems to me, no explanation is required. Secondly, I want to give a specific example. Perhaps you once heard about such a person as Dimitri Enteo. This young man is engaged in religious agitation of extreme Orthodox citizens of Russia, regularly organizes rallies and rushes around the central squares of Moscow with numerous posters calling for people to believe and eradicate, as he believes, demonism in Rus'. The only thing I can say about all this is that if you need money, you will be ready to do even such things. I won’t specify who his employer is, but I think he pays him well, since Mr. Enteo is still in business. A much more striking example is the Patriarch of the Russian Federation Kirill (in the world Gundyaev). Not so long ago, a year or two ago, the press covered the fact that our highly respected patriarch wears a watch worth several million dollars, drives an expensive car and has an apartment in the center of Moscow. There is no doubt about the authenticity of these facts; if you want, I can provide you with plenty of evidence. Here again religion plays a commercial role. The higher your church rank, the more you can afford. Why am I doing all this? For me, a real priest, a real believer is one who completely devotes himself to God, he does not think about conveniences and pleasures, this person lives in work and asceticism, but he is morally, ethically pure. I am trying to lead you, my friend, to my second perception of religion. Whatever I say, some things from the same Bible (although its authenticity has long been refuted) make it possible to raise a morally healthy person. And this is precisely what makes me happy about religion and allows me not to have a purely negative opinion about it.

I hope you're not too tired. Let's talk about how religion influences a person's morality. Let's take as a basis the well-known seven divine commandments. Among them are such as “Thou shalt not kill” and “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” In my opinion, murder is one of the most serious negative actions of a person (unless, of course, it was in the process of self-defense or a similar situation). And this commandment is the best way to limit a person where he really should be limited. It's the same with adultery. This is just one example. By the way, it’s quite funny that people in the same Crusades killed others in order to instill in them a religion with the commandment “Thou shalt not kill.” This is what I call religious blindness, when a person, in essence, believes, but does not know what, and is ready to do everything for the sake of what he himself does not understand. This trend is observed mainly in Islam, since the laws of this religion are incredibly strict and very often cruel, and Muslim children are raised to be very religious from the very beginning. They should not accept anything other than Islam and stand for it in any situation. Islamists carry out terrorist attacks because of their faith, but very few of them understand why all this is being done. Basically, there is no deep understanding of faith, and this is where all the problems begin. But, thank God, that in every religion and nation there are people for whom religion is a means of self-education and moral improvement, and not commerce and management. I was lucky to know such a person. By religion he is an Orthodox Christian. This man is infinitely kind, and his philosophical discussions about religion and the paradoxical nature of the Bible are incredibly wise. If everyone viewed religion the way he did, our society would be ideal. Once he gave me a simple example. In Orthodoxy it is customary to fast. During fasting, a person limits himself in nutrition, and thus trains willpower. This is where all the depth, all the basic religious meaning lies. But, alas, often people simply don’t get around to it. They start shouting about God, reproaching everyone who doesn’t believe, but they themselves are so blind and so ignorant of their own religion that it becomes both funny and sad. It’s funny and sad for me to look at these proliferating extreme Orthodox parties led by people like Enteo, at these patriarchs and popes who talk about morality and purity of thinking, while they themselves use iPads and drive expensive cars. It’s funny and sad for me to listen to all these “Allah is one,” “Jesus is our god,” “Yarilo is our patron.” I believe that true faith is in a person's heart, and he will not shout about it, because he will not doubt it. Religion is a dangerous thing. But if applied and considered correctly, it can become your best friend. Alas, in the conditions of our time, when people need money, weapons and as much power as possible, religion, for the most part, is a weapon of destruction and oppression.

This concludes my essay, my dear friend. I am waiting for your questions, feedback, only sincere ones. If you really have something to say, don’t be silent. Have a great week!