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Jake Wilson
Ms. Thomas
UWRT 1103
29 November 2015
How Religion Affects Society
For as long as humans have been roaming the earth, they have had beliefs and values.
These have defined every event and every story ever told and has also given them meaning.
Meaning is all humans search for, using their unique beliefs and values to do so. As humans
progressed through history and began to become more organized, religion, which is collection of
beliefs and values in a group a people, took shape. People lived and still live today based on their
religion. Everyone knows about religion and has different viewpoints on it. Each human being
has their own beliefs and values, even people who arent necessarily religious. Today, religion
is still one of the most talked about and debated about topics and likely will be for the rest of
human time. No one will settle for some elses beliefs which what makes it so unique and even
dangerous. Throughout this paper, I hope to explore how religion affects different societies
around the world, as well as explain its major purpose.
Going back in history, religion was the focal point of society, religion was society and in
some places, it still is today. The oldest religion in the world is Hinduism, which has
approximately 1.2 billion followers and only the third largest religion, began in Egypt around
4000 BCE. The next two largest would be Islam and then Christianity. The first human
civilizations were created around 3500 BC, so it can be assumed that religion, Hinduism in this
case, is a key factor in this development in the Middle East. As more and more civilizations were

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built, new religions were formed all across the world. As time went on, all these religions and
their beliefs began to vary more and more until the inevitability of conflict came to light between
these different religions. As everyone knows, history is defined by conflict; and the first human
versus human major conflicts were over territory. But as these religious conflicts grew, they
became some of the most iconic and important ones in history. Everyone knows that the victor of
conflicts and wars writes history books, but under these circumstances the victors religion
became dominant and bystanders had no choice to convert. Of course, as time went on, these
bystanders would eventually stand up and create a civil war. This idea, of course, is a very well
known theme throughout human history.
In my opinion, religion plays the largest role throughout society. In the article, Why
Religion Matters: The Impact of Religious Practice on Social Stability, Patrick F. Fagan,
director of the Marriage and Religion Research Institute, discusses the topic of religion and how
it affects everyday life is brought is to life. Religion has always been a focal point of society. The
society, religion, and place of discussion are revolved around Christianity in America. America is
one of the most populous of worshipping people in the world. It is believed that the first settlers
of Christianity saw themselves as, agents of divine providence. It can be inferred that this
mentality and motivation to spread beliefs was a key factor in making Christianity what it is
today. Prayer is something that Americans do more than going to church. Composite surveys
were taken to show percentages of prayers in different groups of American people. 94% blacks,
84% whites, 91% women, and 85% of men all stated that they pray on a regular basis (Fagan 1).
As the numbers might seem inflated, the simplicity of prayer, its discretion, and its importance to
even the most unsuspecting people must be taken into account. Fagan believes that religion
should and all of its positive consequences, should be taken into account by policymakers and

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looked at as an alternative towards all of societys problems today. Fagan goes on to make note
of religion and how it is key benefactor in creating a positive environment in previously negative
ones. For example he states, how church attendance is the most important predictor of martial
stability and happiness and can provide substantially to the formation of personal and moral
criteria and moral judgment (Fagan 1). Fagan sees religion has being a positive for mental as
well as physical health. In the three most comprehensive systematic reviews of the field there is
at least 80% satisfaction and positive benefits for those in religious practice. Even with these
high numbers the effects of unhealthy religious practice are used to downplay the generally
positive influence of religion, which distorts the positive social consequences of religion to
policymakers. In addition, Fagan argues that the strength of the family unit is intertwined with
the practice of religion. Churchgoers are more likely to be married, less likely to be divorced or
single, and more likely to manifest high levels of satisfaction in marriage (Fagan 1). I also agree
with this statement because church can be a common place to come together and work on any
issues or problems that couples are facing. Hubbard, however, has a different take on religion
and how it affects society. In the article Religious Influence in Society, L. Ron Hubbard,
philosopher of scientology, decides to go further by examining the role of religion in society and
why it is commonly attacked. Hubbard first describes the West and how an early 20th century
philosopher talked of the inevitable decline of it. However, this philosopher failed to predict
was that the West would export its culture to the rest of the world and thus grip the entire word in
its death throes (Hubbard 1). We are all involved in the decline today and it is of an upmost
importance. What is at stake is the ideals that we cherish and whether or not new abhorrent sets
of values will take over. For today is a watershed of history and our actions today will be the
ones that determine whether where the world goes next, either up or continue to slide into some

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new dark age. Bad conditions dont just happen and the cultural decay we see around us isnt
haphazard. It was caused. Societies have the capability to survive for thousands of years unless it
is attacked from within or without by hostile forces. It has been known throughout history that
religion is the most critical point of attack on a culture since religion is the foundation of society.
Religion is a sense and most of the time, the first sense of community for many people. It is a
mutual experience with others that makes it so strong. Hubbard further explains that when that
gets destroyed, the people associated either become desperate to save it or shatter at the knees.
Probably the most critical point of attack on a culture is its religious experience. Where one can
destroy or undermine religious institutions then the entire fabric of the society can be quickly
subverted or brought to ruin (Hubbard 1). I, along with Hubbard, know how important a sense
of community is, especially to humans. And it makes perfect sense to think that religion really is
the first exposure of this for a majority of people and that it has such a strong effect.
Along with society, religion also plays a large role by changing cultures around the world.
Throughout a video titled, How Religion Contributes to Culture Change, Christine Scarince,
editor of Study.com, discusses how religion causes the culture to change. First, Scarince
explains, Religious practices shape, and are shaped by, the culture around them. In this video,
the power of religion is put on display. Scarince also discusses that the fact that friends or family
members help to expose religion. Hearing about global conflicts connected to or directly related
to religion. In addition, I believe that religion affects more than people. The three key points
about religion that are being discussed include the spread of Christianity through the Roman
Empire, the impact of Islam in Middle Age Europe, and the role of religion in the founding of the
United States.

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Christianity was new religion in the Roman Empire and viewed as threating to the leadership.
It was used to blame for the negatives of the empire and the people who practiced Christianity
were persecuted to death. When a Roman emperor by the name of Constantine professed to
Christian beliefs, Christianity went on to influence the Roman Empire in a big way. The
influence of the leader Constantine and his interest in Christianity went on to impact the
spirituality of the empire.
In the second half of the first millennium of the Common Era, Islam influence was growing
vastly. Islam and its intense beliefs about the disciplines earned itself a spot in a politics
throughout regions of Arabia, North Africa, and into parts of Europe and Asia, such as Spain and
India. This influence has led to the conflict between Sunni and Shia forces today in the Middle
East. As with Christianity, Islam incorporated some traditions from other religions (Scarince 1).
Without a doubt, the power of religion is evident in this video; it is able to display how
religion by itself can change an entire culture and society. In the beginning of the video, they
discuss ideas about how people come about religion and how it can be the vocal point of major
conflicts. In all three examples, all cultures are changing at the ends of religion it is because
either a leader is displaying interest in religion or the majority of people are. It is hard to think
about large events in the past that were not caused directly are least connected to religion or
criticized through the eyes of religion afterwards.
Along with culture change, religion also plays a large role in gender identities and
inequalities. In How Religion and Society Contribute to Gender Inequality, Schwab Bakombo,
teaching assistant at the University of Toronto, explores how religion affects gender roles in
todays society. Bakombo believes that the struggle for gender equality in religion is still an
issue despite the progress that has been made in bridging the divide (Bakombo 1). In addition,

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he argues that these social constructs [are] deeply rooted in history (Bakombo 1). After
studying this issue for several years, Bakombo discovered that religion and culture present some
limitations (Bakombo 2). As a result of living in Canada, the author has noticed that the idea of
gay marriage is more widely accepted in the Canadian society, rather than other societies where
religion plays a greater role. Furthermore, Bokombo discovered that specific gender roles are
less prominent in Canada compared to other countries with strong religious beliefs. With most
religions defining strict gender roles, it is not surprising that these roles have not been redefined
in many societies. Bakombo also discusses how religion affects gender identities within todays
society. He defines gender identity being a concept devised by men because religion and culture
are closely associated (Bokomo 2). Since religion affects both gender roles and identities, we
are able to see these effects within different cultures. For example, Bakombo explains that his
culture expects the woman of the household to be the caretaker of the home. These gender roles
are even defined within the biblical Wife of Noble Characters story in Proverbs 31. Overall, I
believe these religious cultures have heavily contributed to gender roles and identities in society.
Since these gender issues have going on for such a long period of time, Bakombo believes that it
will take quite a while for these stereotypes to disappear, especially since The definition and
attribution of gender roles differ from culture to culture (Bakombo 1). Until these religions
eventually decide to reshape traditional customs, we will continue to have gender gaps in society.
Throughout history, religion and science have never coincided. However, Coyne
introduces the idea of accommodationism as a solution to this problem. Throughout the article,
Science, Religion, and Society: The Problem of Evolution in America, Jerry A. Coyne, head of
Ecology and Evolution at the University of Chicago, explores the different issues relating to the
acceptance of evolution in society. Coyne first considers the fact that religion plays a large role in

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Americans not wanting to accept evolution. He adds, Many Americans who seem to accept
evolution in principle nevertheless claim that God somehow intervened in or guided the
evolution of Homo sapiens, thereby exempting us from the naturalistic evolution accepted by
scientists (Coyne 2654). Coyne, however, attempts to resolve this issue with two strategies.
First, convince religious people that neither evolution nor science poses threats to their faith
(Coyne 2658). This strategy is known as accommodationism. The idea of accommodationism
addresses science and religion in two separate aspects of human understanding. The second
strategy of gaining more acceptance of evolution in society is decreasing the importance of
religion. Almost all indicators have shown that religion in America is dropping. As a result, the
idea of evolution is becoming more accepted in society.
Finally, and most personal to me, religion also affects how children are brought up into
society. Throughout the article, Study: Religion is Good for Kids, Melinda Wenner, freelance
science writer based in Brooklyn, New York, explains how teaching children religion from a
young age is actually very beneficial. It is noted that children with religious parents are simply
better behaved than ones without. Studies were taken with young children and they examined on
well they interacted with their peers and showed self-control. The researchers correlated this with
how often the childrens parents said they attended worship services, talked about religion with
their child and argued about religion in the home. It was evidently found that when both parents
were attending regular religious services and talked with their kids about religion, those specific
children were found with the highest level of social skills and approaches to learning than kids
with non-religious parents. On the contrary, parents who argue or normal basis about religion had
children who were more likely to have problems. Wenner adds, Religion can hurt if faith is a
source of conflict or tension in the family (Wenner 1). To conclude Wenners findings, John

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Bartkowski, a Mississippi State University sociologist, notes the three key factors that make
religion a positive thing for developing children. The first was that religious networks provide
social support to parents, which can improve parenting skills. For when children hear parental
messages reinforced by other adults they may, take more to heart the messages that they get in
the home. The second factor is all the positive values and norms that children are constantly
exposed to. The final would be how religious organizations imbue parenting with sacred
meaning and significance. In addition, the study found that, The kids whose parents regularly
attended religious services especially when both parents did so frequently and talked with
their kids about religion were rated by both parents and teachers as having better self-control,
social skills, and approaches to learning than kids with non-religious parents (Wenner 2). As
you grow up you learn about how devoted people are to their religion and how they live their life
around it. I was raised in a religion and put into church before had any idea of what it was all
about, which most likely happens to the majority of kids today. Kids today are fed knowledge
which contradicts what other kids are told. So once they are adults they are completely sold on
their beliefs and theirs only, so when someone who was taught something different disagrees, a
conflict arises. This is seen all the time today, arguments and debates over things with nothing to
do with religion, and the only reason there is an argument is because the two sides dont share
the same beliefs and values and have a different viewpoint on the topic. Because of this, I know
how big of a role religion plays in todays diverse society. I have also come to the conclusion
after reading this that the most important thing that should be taught to children is all the values
that go along with religion.
Overall, religion helps to facilitate society and set boundaries. It gives meaning and
reason to how people think and live each day. Ive known the importance of religion and how

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much it really affects society as a whole because its everywhere, in every culture and society.
Some of the largest events take place in the name of religion and without it; many people would
question where they came from, or even how to live their life. Religion is like a drivers
handbook, or an owners manual; it gives people directions to follow in hopes of succeeding in
the end.

Works Cited

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Bakombo, Schwab. "Inquire Blog: How Religion and Society Contribute to Gender Inequality."
Inquire Blog: How Religion and Society Contribute to Gender Inequality. N.p., n.d. Web.
08 Nov. 2015.
Coyne, Jerry A. "Science, Religion, and Society: The Problem of Evolution In America."
Evolution: 2654-663. Print.
Hubbard,L.Ron."PublishedbytheChurchofScientologyInternational."ReligiousInfluence
InSociety.N.p.,n.d.Web.08Nov.2015.
Scarince,Christine."HowReligionContributestoCulturalChange."Study.N.p.,n.d.Web.08
Nov.2015.
Wenner,Melinda."Study:ReligionIsGoodforKids."LiveScience.TechMediaNetwork,11
Jan.2008.Web.08Nov.2015.
"Why Religion Matters: The Impact of Religious Practice on Social Stability." The Heritage
Foundation. Web. 1 Nov. 2015.