135-147. 477-480. : National Institute for Healthcare Research, 1994). Those with high self-esteem think of God primarily as loving, while those with low self-esteem think of God primarily as punitive. Long missing from the discord has been empirical evidence. 589-600; David B. Larson, Kim A. Sherrill, John S. Lyons, Fred C. Craigie, S. B. Thielman, M. A. Greenwold, and Susan S. Larson, "Dimensions and Valences of Measures of Religious Commitment Found in the American Journal of Psychiatry and the Archives of General Psychiatry: 1978 through 1989," American Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. Indeed, Alcoholics Anonymous, the major organization combating alcoholism in America, has known for over half a century that the most effective element in its program is its religious or spiritual component. [27] Howard M. Bahr and Bruce A. Chadwick, "religion and family in Middletown, USA," Journal of marriage and the family, Vol. It has long been known that intensity of religious practice is closely related to adolescent virginity and sexual restraint and control. [139] Larson and Larson, "The Forgotten Factor in Physical and Mental Health.". (ADM) 80-939, 1980. While the social works of mercy carried out by religious congregations will be needed more and more to repair the damage from the breakdown of the family, only a religious institution can give a religious orientation to those who are searching for answers to the mysteries of human life: love and suffering in birth, marriage, family life, and death. Legislators should seek constitutionally appropriate ways to explore the impact of religious practice on society and, where appropriate, recognize its role. Congress should pass a resolution affirming that data on religious practice are important to the nation, to policymakers, and to the research needed to inform the public debate. You are free to use it to write your own assignment, however you must reference it properly. [90] Robert H. Coombs, David K. Wellisch, and Fawzy I. Fawzy, "Drinking Patterns and Problems among Female Children and Adolescents: A Comparison of Abstainers, Past Users and Current Users," American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Vol. This essentially is what has happened in the vast areas of social science research financed by the federal government that is among the work covered in this study. It strengthens individuals, families, communities, and society as a whole. One group member, in discussing the effects the US had on the Islamic religion, said that "it created a wrath in Islam beliefs which then created terrorism towards the United States, hence the World Trade Center bombing in 1993, the Twin Towers in 2001, and even the bombing in Brooklyn just a year or two ago." 478-506, esp. The regular practice of religion also encourages such beneficial effects on mental health as less depression (a modern epidemic), more self-esteem, and greater family and marital happiness. 811-822. It violates nobody's freedom of religion for Congress to know the level and intensity of religious practice in America. As another researcher of the same period concludes, "We may have underestimated this 'silent majority' and it is only fair to give them equal time. The role of religion in society today continues to be very significant. As for trying to sum up religion as a definition is ineluctable and from Karl Marx's point of view, it causes conflict. Religion is one aspect of human life that has been very important. Finally, while some large-scale studies have found a correlation between religiosity and happiness . The most popular argument against religion in society is the fact that religion leads to war and violence which then in turn results in poverty, Get Access. 432-443. For example, there is ample evidence that: The overall impact of religious practice is illustrated dramatically in the three most comprehensive systematic reviews of the field. 369-376. [19] David O. Moberg, "The Development of Social Indicators of Spiritual Well-Being for Quality of Life Research," in Spiritual Well-Being: Sociological Perspectives, ed. Positive effects of religion: Religion often helps people believe that their lives have a purpose. "[3] Today, he adds, "it is generally accepted that more than half the American people still attend a place of worship over a weekend, an index of religious practice unequaled anywhere in the world, certainly in a great and populous nation. They must use the ability of inner-city churches, especially black churches, to help low-income African-Americans escape from the degrading culture of inner-city poverty. Ernest Barker (New York: Oxford University Press, 1958), Book VIII, "Political Ideal and Educational Principles," Chapters 1, 2, and 3, "The Highest Goal," pp. Congress and the President can help to accomplish this by acting decisively in at least six specific areas: America needs a major national debate on the true role of religion in a free and pluralistic society. Aided by this sense and these principles, an individual can avoid the unnecessary suffering that stems from bad choices and attain the benefits that flow from good choices followed steadily through life. [34] Twenty years ago it was first noted that very religious women achieve greater satisfaction in sexual intercourse with their husbands than do moderately religious or non-religious women. They further concluded that healthy family dynamics and practices are themselves caused to a powerful degree by the presence or absence of religious beliefs and practices. Good Essays. 39ff. [22], In 1991, David Larson, adjunct professor at the Northwestern and Duke University Schools of Medicine and president of the National Institute of Healthcare Research, completed a systematic review of studies on religious commitment and personal well-being. 24 (1983), pp. It is important to understand bad conditions dont just happen. Religion has had positive and negative effects on society. 136-155. Unless one understands this he wont be able to defend himself or reach out into the society with effectiveness. Intrinsic practice is God-oriented and based on beliefs which transcend the person's own existence. 215-232. If we move further by a historical scale, we should mention the impact of religion in medieval society, where it was predominantly negative. [50] David B. Larson, H. G. Koenig, B. H. Kaplan, R. S. Greenberg, E. Logue, and H. A. Tyroler, "The Impact of religion on Men's Blood Pressure," Journal of religion and Health, Vol. In. Mass education and the powerful sensitization of the human values take place when we have these events. [47] Research on mortality patterns among the poor confirmed a decade later that those who went to church regularly lived longer. Social Institution establishes norms and rules that people follow. Federal policies encourage many other institutions: the marketplace, education, medicine, science, and the arts. It has brought human beings together and also separated them. 283-295. Those who attended religious services regularly were less depressed and less distressed by life events than those who did not. 29 (1986), pp. [9] Each of these systematic reviews indicated more than 80 percent benefit, and none indicated more than 10 percent harm. Many Controversial issues are argued in the name of religion. 6 (December 1987), pp. Various countries develop constitutions observing the various religions and cultures. Togetherness: Religion encourages the spirit of togetherness in the society. They must emphasize the need for religious formation. Sweet, and Andrew Cherlin, "The Role of Cohabitation in Declining Rates of marriage," NSFH Working Paper No. 1. StudyCorgi. Some have been very good at promoting ethics and togetherness as a key to bringing humanity and the world together. Your sense of community occurs by reason of mutual experience with others. Outcomes for the two sets of patients differed significantly: Those prayed for ha d noticeably fewer post-operative congestive heart failures, fewer cardiopulmonary arrests, less pneumonia, and less need for antibiotics. "The Impact of Religion in Society." [55] K. F. Ferraro and C. M. Albrecht-Jensen, "Does religion Influence Adult Health?" 105 (1980), pp. They saw themselves as active agents of divine providence. More and more, our culture seems to take the position that believing deeply in the tenets of one's faith represents a kind of mystical irrationality, something that thoughtful, public-spirited American citizens would do better to avoid. Assess the impact of religion on Caribbean society and culture. 22 (1953), pp. "[141], Despite the attitude of many professionals, Gallup surveys continue to indicate that one-third of the American people regard religious commitment as the most important dimension in their lives. This paper will seek to . 49 (1987), pp. [112] The same holds true in international comparisons. 416 Words. The widespread practice of religious beliefs is one of America's greatest national resources. [94] Almost three decades before these findings, Orville Walters, then a research fellow at the Menninger School of Psychiatry in Topeka, Kansas, found that alcoholics who came from religious backgrounds tended to have mothers who were highly religious but fathers who were more non-religious. It reduces the incidence of social pathologies, such as out-of-wedlock births, crime, delinquency, drug and alcohol addiction, health problems, anxieties, and prejudices. Congress should commission research on the relationship between regular church attendance and social issues. [48] Since then, other studies have reinforced this general finding. Some religions have very tough rules but when the society brings them together they lessen them hence making the world a friendly place. It therefore plays a role in shaping the role of the humans to each other and for the livelihoods. It stands for accurate and accountable reporting and publishes information available in no other publication. Is the decline of religious influence part of what is happening to us? When a person follows the path of religion, he realizes that there is the presence of a supreme power which is above what human has and has built till now. . As a result people know when they do mistakes and how they will address each. 723-727. Within this group, the highest concentration of pessimists is found among students with the lowest attendance at church. Analyzing the Effects of the Great Awakening on Colonial Society. Burlington: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2003. G. E. Rekers (Ventura, Cal. [49] For instance, J. S. House, C. Robins, and H. L. Metzner, "The Association of Social Relationships and Activities with Mortality: Prospective Evidence from the Tecumseh Community Health Study," American Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. Gordon Allport, his successor at Harvard in the late 1960s, concluded: "I feel equally sure that mental health is facilitated by an intrinsic, but not an extrinsic, religious orientation. In this impact of religion on society essay sample, youll find an answer to this and other questions about impact of religion on society. Phenomenological and Experiential Approaches to Religious Education, Nature of Christianity: Political Resistance Versus Cultural Assimilation, Impact of Religion on Society: Essay Introduction, Impact of Religion on Society: Essay Main Body, Impact of Religion on Society: Essay Conclusion. However, there are specific people in specific religions who choose to stand by the tough rules which sometimes become extreme that they do not support human life. 362-374. Points of view concerning religion are the most controversial that can be imagined and religion is always in the center of heated argument. Yet this is unsuccessful as morality, integrity and self-respect not already inherent in the individual, cannot be enforced with any great success. America has always been a religious country. ", [64] Donahue, "Aggregate Religiousness and Teenage Fertility Revisited: Reanalyses of Data from the Guttmacher Institute.". With his recent guidance to school administrators on prayer in school, President Clinton has opened the national discussion. [130] By contrast, a 1980 study indicated that extrinsically religious students were more dogmatic and authoritarian, less responsible and less motivated, had less internal locus of control, and had a lower grade point average. For instance, both male and female Texas high-schoolers found that religious beliefs gave meaning to their lives and reduced the incidence of depression among them.[115]. 173-184, and Hasin, Endicott, and Lewis, "Alcohol and Drug Abuse in Patients With Affective Syndromes." Science itself was borrowed from ancient religious studies in India and Egypt. Furthermore, it is available to all, and at no cost. "The Impact of Religion in Society." [133] From a purely social science standpoint, the intrinsic form of religion is thus good and desirable, and the extrinsic form is harmful. There must be more reason and more emotional motivation to be moral, etc., than threat of human discipline. They are more optimistic about their futures; They have better relationships with their parents; They are more likely to dismiss racism as an obstacle to reaching their goals; They are more likely to have serious and realistic goals for their futures; They are more likely to see the world as a friendly place in which they can achieve, rather than as a hostile world with powerful forces arrayed against them; and. The young adolescent who turns away from religion at this stage may well lose his anchoring in the community and is at greater risk for a host of problems that can subvert his personal happiness for a lifetime. Review of Religious Research, Vol. [117] Among college students, for instance, the practice of religion was shown in 1969 to have a positive effect on mental health;[118] students involved with campus ministries were much healthier and made much less use of mental health services. "[140] McNamara continues: "In [the] typical social science analysis, the demands of the inner life are neglected and personal agency and autonomy exercised in the choice to examine one's own life and put it in order according to an internalized ethic of repentance is not acknowledged.