Religion And Its Impact On Society - 951 Words

Religion to me is a set of beliefs and practices that can determine actions in everyday life by determining morals and deciding what is right and wrong in each society. This is a general idea that I believe has guided societies for centuries and has shaped today’s cultures. As we study cultures around the world, we can find significant influential factors dating back to a prominent religion that shaped the ideals of culture telling the people what is deemed acceptable practice and behavior and what is unacceptable behavior. Religion has shaped so much more than worshipers. Religious beliefs are one reason the Europeans migrated over from Europe. The founding fathers put religion greatly into the building of this great nation and the†¦show more content†¦Being religious does not always mean the same thing to other parts of the world as we associate with in America. Countries in Southeast Asia (Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam etc.) practice religion in a very different way than we do. They erected temples to honor their gods; they may have certain rituals they perform because that is the religious tradition. China has no religion due to the political leadership they are under. Many people from China or Japan have never heard of a god, much less his role. To them, religious rituals have no connection based on the same definitions we give it. However, they believe greatly that their ancestors are watching over them. They honor them – that can be considered a type of religion. One argument that I have found interesting is the nature vs. nurture debate. I believe it to fit both parameters. Early human civilizations would have looked for explanations to life and the basic questions of why, what, how etc. Religion answers these questions through rituals and behaviors. Sacred texts are an important aspect to answering such questions. Many religions (especially the world religions) have some version of sacred text that they believe in. The Muslim have the Quran, Christian faiths have the bible, and Latter-Day Saints (LDS) have the Book of Mormon as another testament of Christ along with the bible. These