Cultural Variation

and Social
Differences (Religion)
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, you should be able
to:
 explainreligion as a form of cultural
variation,
 describe
the diversity of religions in the
world and in the Philippines, and
 analyzeissues regarding religion in the
world and in the Philippines.
 How is cultural variation explained in
terms of religion?
 What are the existing religions in the
world and in the Philippines?
 What are the issues surrounding
differences in religion?
 Religion as a Cultural Variation
 We live in a world with varying and diverse cultures.
 Cultural
variation or differences take many forms within
and among societies, one of which is religion.
 Religioncan be defined as a set of practices and
behaviors that relate to a group of people's belief in a
god or a group of gods.
 Sociologists studying religion consider it a part of
society's culture.
 Inmost cases, religion not only affects a person's belief,
but one's way of life.
 Variety of Religion
 There are many religions around the world.
 Among the major religions in the world
are Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Taoism,
and Buddhism.
 Each of these religions has its own set of beliefs and
practices that must be followed by its believers.
 In a society, several religions may exist, and since
religion affects an individual’s way of life, we can
observe cultural variations in the form of different
religions.
 Religion in the Philippines
 The Philippines is a secular country, which means that the
government does not prescribe a specific set of activities or
laws based on religion. A citizen's right to choose his or her
own religion is protected by the Philippine Constitution.
 In the Philippines, the majority of the population are
Christians, with a certain portion of the population practicing
Islam, particularly in the southern part of the country.
 Buddhism, Taoism, and Hinduism are also practiced by a
small number of inhabitants in the archipelago.
 Different religions are being practiced in Philippine society
today. This variation in religion is a product of the evolution of
Philippine society across time.
Understanding Cultural Variation in the
Form of Religion
 Cultural variations do exist as exemplified through
different religions in the world, more so in
Philippine society.
 For example, Christians and Muslims believe in
one God, Hindus believe in many gods, and
Buddhists do not.
 The sets of practices and beliefs of a particular
religion influence the behavior of its followers and
their interaction with other members of society.
Issues Surrounding Differences in
Religion
 Because people have different religions, issues and
conflicts between religious groups or denominations
cannot be prevented.
Problems or Conflicts
 Since
differences in religion do not only mean
worshipping different gods, conflicts sometimes arise
between believers.
 Some believers of a particular religion feel like they are
being marginalized, while some feel like those following
other religions are taking advantage of their number.
 Itmay be easy to be swayed by religious
differences and start a conflict. A believer or
follower of a particular religion may offend a
follower of another religion if he or she imposes
his or her religious beliefs or practices.
 In history, bloody wars happened because of
religious differences, and unfortunately, conflicts
continue until now due to varying religions.
Solutions or Actions
 Toprevent conflicts, the Philippine government,
for example, started recognizing some of the
special days celebrated by different religions.
 Employees are not required to work during Holy
Week, when Catholics commemorate the
suffering and death of Jesus Christ.
 Thestart and end of the Ramadan are also
considered holidays, just like when the Chinese
celebrate the start of their new year.
 This way, the government allows followers
of different religions to attend to their
religious obligations without work getting
in the way.
 To those conflicts brought about by
differences in religion, the key word is
respect. This entails a conscious effort to
acquire cultural knowledge and
understand which this course is mainly
about.