Topic: Religion in SocietyAim: What general functions

does religion play in a society?

• Do Now: On a scale of 1-10 (1 being the least and 10 the most), how large a role does religion play in your life? Why?

“Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opium of the people.”

Karl Marx, German economist & Communist political philosopher (1818 - 1883)

What does this quote mean to you?

Sociological Definition of Religion:

• Beliefs that some things are sacred (set apart from the ‘profane’

• Practices (rituals) centering around the things considered sacred

• A moral community (church) resulting from the group’s beliefs and practices

Discussion Questions:1. What are some world religions and their

respective beliefs?2. What are some functions of religions in

society (what do they do for a society)?

3. In what areas of secular (non-religious) life can we see religious influences?

4. How much does culture play a part in a person’s religion? Are some cultures/societies more religious than others?

The Ka’ba stands at the center of the Great Mosque (al-Haran al Sharif) in Makkah.

The Golden Temple in Amritsar

The Golden Temple (Darbar Sahib) in Amritsar, India is the holiest structure for Sikhism.

The Temple Mount, Jerusalem

Temple Mount contains sites holy to both Jews and Muslims, including the Western Wall of the Second Temple, al-Aqsa Mosque, and the

Dome of the Rock.

Function of religions:

• Why do you think that religion is a universal institution, similar to the family and having some sense of economic system and political order?

Sociological Functions of Religion:

1. Questions on ultimate meaning of life2. Emotional comfort3. Social solidarity4. Guidelines for behavior5. Social control6. Adaptation (new

countries/environments)

Functional Equivalents of Religion:

•Can you think of some examples of things that fulfill the same functions of religion we just discussed but are not actually religions?

Culture and Religion:

•Secularization of culture: culture which used to be heavily influenced by religion but no longer is.

•The United States is a prime example

•Despite this increased secularization, describe areas in which you still see the influence of religion in our society…

Topic: Religious CultsAim: How do religions go from cults to churches?

• Do Now: Define the term ‘cult’ as best you can

Cults:

•A new religion whose teachings are in opposition to the dominant culture

•All religions began as cults

Characteristics of Cults:• Charismatic leader. These leaders are believed to have special abilities and/or qualities.

• Cults are met with societal rejection

• Members claim to have the only ‘truth’

• Demand intense commitment from followers

• Most cults fade into obscurity some, however succeed and make history (Heaven’s Gate, e.g.)

The Manson Family:• Led by charismatic leader Charles Manson, a juvenile delinquent who sodomized other boys while in detention, Family followers believed in Helter Skelter, a massive retaliation by the black race against, in their own words, whitey. They also shared Manson’s belief that the Beatles White Album was sending them messages about how to participate in Helter Skelter. Songs like Piggies, from that album, inspired drug-addled murderers like Charles Watson and Patricia Krenwinkel to go into the Hollywood Hills and commit the gruesome murders of successful, rich members of the upper classes.

Psychological techniques of persuasion

• Unconditional positive regard– “love bombing,”group hugs, etc.

• Meditation, chanting, and other mind-numbing techniques

• Peer group pressure– Pressure to conform, be part of the group

• Verbal abuse

• Confession• Fear, guilt appeals• Sacrifice; personal,

financial• Loyalty tests• Demonizing (doubts

are the Devil at work)

Physical techniques of persuasion

• Physical isolation

• Sleep deprivation• Fasting• Control of the person’s time (rigorous schedule, no free time)

• Loss of privacy• Constant praying or witnessing of beliefs to the group

• Repetitive motion (chanting, dancing)

• Hallucinations (via hyperventilation, hallucinogens, chanting, etc.)

• Body manipulation• Extreme dress codes• Loyalty tests

Ho No Hana:

• Ho No Hana Sanpogyo (Ho No Hana Sanpogyo) is a Japanese sect often called the "foot reading cult." It was called this because its founder, Hogen Fukunaga, claimed he could diagnose illness by examining people's feet. He founded the group in 1987 after an alleged spiritual event where he claimed to have realized he was the reincarnation of Jesus Christ and the Buddha. The group at one time claimed 30,000 members. However, Fukunaga charged $900 for the foot readings and a suspicion arose that he used the money to benefit himself. He was accused of swindling money from housewives and had to pay over a million dollars in damages. Now, Ho No Hana changed it's name to "Yorokobi Kazoku no Wa.”

Sun Myung Moon:• Better known by the mocking nickname, Moonies, the disciples of Sun Myung Moon believe that Moon himself is the divine being, or Messiah. His status as the second coming of Christ allows him to live in royal fashion, supported by his many followers all over the world. It is believed that the cult lures in young people and separates them from their loved ones by making them feel a part of a new and more loving family. Moon expects to be treated as God, because he believes he is God, or so he has led his many followers to believe.

Members of the DavidiansBranch Davidians are an offshoot of the Seventh Day Adventist Church believing in the “Second Coming” of Jesus Christ and the end of the world in a fiery apocalypseRachel Jones- first wife at 14yrs. Her father Perry Jones gave his blessing to David for her hand in marriage. Michelle Jones- 3rd wife at 12yrs old. Very quiet and reserved. Had a 2yr old daughter with David, Serenity.Paul Fatta- grew up in a normal environment. Born and raised in Hawaii to a very wealthy family. Very bright man.Jaime Castillo—Born in Texas. Grew up on welfare. Moved from suburb to suburb. Very difficult childhood. Played in a band. Experimented with drugs. Livingstone Fagan—most devoted member. Known to be very stuffy and serious. There is a diversity of nationalities and racesBesides Americans, there were blacks, Asians, Mexicans, and AustraliansThere were the rich and poor people along with educated peopleThose with childhoods ranging from normal to difficult childhoods

Religious ‘Sects’:• Larger than a cult but still tension between dominant culture

• Emphasis personal salvation and emotional expression of relationship with God

• Use evangelism- the active recruitment of new members.

• Not all cults become sects

Church:

• Large, highly organized religious group

• Less emphasis on personal conversion

• Highly bureaucratized• Most members come from within community, rather the outside the church

Part 1 (4 mins), parts 8 & 9

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7IxGGfpSWk

Aim: How are religious groups organized

throughout the world?

•Do Now: List some of the major world belief systems and what their major beliefs are…

Religion and Social Class:

• Religion in U.S. is stratified by social class

• Some religions ‘top heavy’ (Episcopalians/Jews) and some ‘bottom heavy’ (Baptists/Evangelicals)

• About 40% of Americans belong to denomination different from the one they were raised in. People who change their social class more likely to change their denomination

Race, Ethnicity, and Religion:

•Islam = •Judaism = •Hinduism = •Confucianism =•Roman Catholics (in U.S.) = •Greek Orthodox = •Protestant (Baptists specifically) =

Race, Ethnicity, and Religion:

• Islam = Middle East• Judaism = Jews• Hinduism = India• Confucianism = China• Roman Catholics (in U.S.) = Irish/Hispanic

• Greek Orthodox = Greek • Protestant (Baptists specifically) = Black Americans

World Population by Religion:

Fig. 6-1a: Over two thirds of the world’s population adhere to Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, or Buddhism. Christianity is the single largest world religion.

Statue of Buddha Hong Kong, China

Christian Branches in the U.S.

Fig. 6-3: Distribution of Christians in the U.S. Shaded areas are counties with more than 50% of church membership concentrated in Roman Catholicism or one of the Protestant denominations.

Universalizing Religion: is a religion that attempts to operate on a global scale and to appeal to all people wherever they reside

Ethnic religion: primarily attracts one group of people living in one place. Most universalizing religions are divided into branches, denominations, and sects.

Can you list some of each type?

• “I definitely would prefer to believe God created me than that I’m 50th cousin to a silverback ape! What’s wrong with wanting our children to hear about all the holes in the theory of evolution” – Lark Myers, parent who agrees with Dover high school to offer ‘Intelligent Desgin’ as alternative to evolution

• I believe it is wrong to introduce non-scientific ‘explanations’ of the origins of life into the science curriculum. This policy was not endorsed by Dover High School science dept…” – Tammy Kitzmiller, parent who filed lawsuit against the school board

• The Scopes Trial —formally known as The State of Tennessee v. Scopes and informally known as the ‘Scopes Monkey Trial’—was an American legal case in 1925 in which a high school biology teacher John Scopes was accused of violating the state's Butler Act that made it unlawful to teach evolution

Race & Churches:

• As “White Flight” took place in the early 20th century, churches followed members to the suburbs

• Abandoned urban churches taken over by minority congregation that appeals to working class

• Many urban churches struggle to stay open and engage in community outreach to attract members

Mosque at Ground Zero: 13 mins

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFTrMgNfmjs

Aim: How Does Christian Fundamentalism Manifest in

the United States?

Do Now: Why do you think that Christians, more than any other religious group, have so many types of denominations?

• What makes someone a member of a certain religious organization?

• To what extent does that individual remain a member of a religion if they deviate from basic tenants/teachings?

Fundamentalist Christian Churches:

• Teach that the Bible is literally true and that salvation comes through a personal relationship with Jesus

• Denounce sex in the media, abortion, premarital sex, cohabitation, sex education, and drug use

Secularization of Religion:

• Sects, in opposition to the dominant culture, stress the evils of that culture (sex, drugs, etc) and the purity of their own teachings. Stress ‘otherworldliness’

• As sects gain more respectable status over time, no longer experience alimentation, and pleasures of culture appear less threatening

• This process called the secularization of religion - shifting focus from spiritual matters to affairs of this world

Secularism and Fundamentalism in the

U.S.•Secularization: the decline in the significance of religion in daily life

•Fundamentalism: traditional religious doctrine that is conservative, is typically opposed to modernity, and rejects ‘worldly pleasures’ in favor of otherworldly spirituality

The Electronic Church:• The ‘televangelist’ movement - preachers reach millions of viewers and raise millions of dollars

• Worships gather in the thousands in sizes that rival concert arenas

• Many local ministries see televangelists as competitors who only care about making money off the public

Joel Osteen 60 Minutes (9 mins)

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zv8FwssTGCg