The term society is derived from the Latin word ‘socius’ which means companionship or friendship. Society is an organization which liberates and limits the activities of man, sets up standards for its members to follow and maintain. In defining society, R. M. Maciver said, “society is a system of usage and procedures, of authority and mutual aid, of many groupings and divisions, of controls of human behavior and/or liberty.” August Comte, the father of sociology, saw society “as a social organism possessing a harmony of structure and function.” It is the web of social relationship and necessary condition of every fulfillment of life. There is a strong relationship in man and society because where there is man, there is society. But this relation is quite dynamic and subject to constant changes.
Society is an expression, expression of human attitude or behavior. Social behavior is nothing more than collective behavior of its members. An individual born with a nervous system and a glandular establishment will also grow through the development of emotional expression, physiological drives, and the organization of behavior patterns. Behavior may be of four principal types which are inter-related. These are: emotional, motivational, perceptual, and learning. The basic physiological and neurological aspects of this behavior are in the human individual susceptible of great modification and direction by experience in society and culture.
As a social unit, family has a great role to determine individual behavior. In every society, the members have to be reproduced, biologically maintained, socialized, organized for production and distribution of goods and services, made able to maintain internal and external order, and to find adequate motivation and meaning of their life. For these, family is working as an agency whose activities have been traditionally considered as indispensable to the society. The way, in which parents are supposed to behave to children, children to parents, brother to brother, brother to sister, sister to brother, younger to older, older to younger, and to unknown one is again learned first inside the family and keep alive the social bond and harmony. In what follows, different functions of human society are outlined.
Physiological functions: Every human individual has some minimum requirements for his/her living which is shaped by the physiological requirements of each human organism in relation to its external physical environment. The individual requires food, water, shelter, and clothing. He/she would require protection against injury from other person and animals. Sutherland said that “the biological make up of man and his physical environments provide limits within which survival must be achieved. But they do not determine the normative social order by which survival is achieved.” Usually there are alternative methods by which a human society can provide for the adequate physiological functioning of its members.
Integration of activities and orderly social relations: Human society is moving based on the co-operation of its members. In every society we see that survival requires some division of labour based upon sex, age and specialization. For the most part, the integration of this division of labour is achieved through a general agreement that persons in certain positions are to do certain things in each of a variety of situations or relationships. This division of labour is also the assignment of rights and duties.
Social practice: As a member of a society, every human individual is more or less agreeable to certain normative behavior. It includes the legal and institutional behavior based on the role of labour. It includes all the shared ways of thinking and feeling, of noticing and responding. It also includes the shared attitudes and values, the shared understanding, shared ideas of the proper, the good and the true. This is what is meant by human social order as a normative order.
Replacement of members: Man cannot live forever. He/she must die. But human society is an ongoing process. To continue this social order human procreation is most important through which a society can run. Sometimes new members are obtained from other society through voluntary immigration but it is not a dependable source of recruitment, the primary reliance has always been on the biological reproduction of its own members. In the long run, no society could continue without such reproduction.
Maintenance and continuation of social order: In general, human child is born with the inherited capacity for acquiring the general living of any society. He/she can become a saint or criminal. Within the limit of his own heredited capacity, he can learn any kind of behavior pattern manifested by human beings. This is one of the important factors for human society. The continuation of social system is not determined by any hereditary predispositions to set behavior patterns. It is totally dependent upon children’s learning. Whatever he learns from his surroundings he must behave accordingly.
Socialization: After birth, a child is completely dependent upon his learning experiences. This attitude and behavior pattern of a child is determined through practical observation about society. Sutherland said that “in this helpless state, he, without any choice on his part, begins his development in a particular group of persons who share the behavior ways of a particular society. Their normative behavior patterns become his model for the patterns and organization of his own behavior.” It is our parents and others who are responsible to provide a reasonable social flavor around the children.
Social control: Deviation from normative behavior is not only a possibility at any age, but it is also an ever present tendency. We find that every society makes allowance for a margin of deviation from the ideal norms. But the weakness of social control leads this marginal deviation to a greater crime. To maintain a normative social behaviour ‘social control’ has more importance. The chief reliance for social control is, of course, upon the internalization of the society’s norms. But because norms are learned patterns of behaviour, they require the constant reinforcement to maintain the learning.
Meaning and purpose of society: Human society has a meaning and purpose. It is a way of human socialization. This social process unites the human beings under a relationship which help us to fulfill our fundamental needs. In a society, human beings collectively work as a body and every individual is its parts. The great service of a society is that as a human being we are not sufficient and dependent upon others and the satisfaction in the fulfillment of one’s roles contributes to the maintenance of orderly relations, health, meaning, and even the reproduction of the group.
Communication: Communication is another important prerequisite of an ongoing society. Communication symbolically has meant in the development of man’s intellectual life and to pass his achievements from one generation to another and thus to build up a social heritage, for example, development of language in human society. In today’s world, our daily co-ordination would break without verbal communication. Sutherland said, “if humans were equipped by their biological inheritance with a multitude of ready-made behavior patterns, perhaps simple human social of symbolic communication. But humans are not equipped, they are dependent upon learning. It is through learning that they create their normative social orders, and they very functioning and transmitting of their social system and dependent upon learning. The necessary correlate of such a quality of learned behavior is a high communicative ability of the order we call symbolic communication or language. Without language, not even a simple human society could exist.”
Man is unique among living creatures. As a social being he possesses in a high degree three great abilities:
• Man can think and reason
• Man can communicate with others by means of language
• Man has ability to use tools.
Hunt also said that because of his ability to think, to transmit knowledge by means of language, to use tools man control his natural environment to a far greater degree than another creature.
Though the personality of each individual is largely molded by society, it is clear that society can have no existence apart from the people who make it up. Ralph Linton has said that a society is a group of people who have lived together long enough to get themselves organized and to think of themselves as a social unit. A society consists of people, and the characteristics of every society are gradually shaped and changed, over the succeeding generations, by the people who belong to it.
Though the basis of any society is a group of individuals, equally important to its establishment is the continued existence of this group over a period of time. As Linton said, a crowd gathered browed for a football game is an aggregate but it is not a society. Its members are close together in space, and for the moment are united by a common interest. When this game is over they disperse. They are not together long enough to organize a society. But if the some people were marooned for a year on an uninhabited island, they would be forced to organize themselves into a society. They would develop common ideas and interests, and techniques for living and working together.
Having reviewed the constituents and functions of society, let us turn to religion. Religion is one of the great driving forces in human nature, both individually and socially. It gives occasion for celebrate institutional assembly. It provides a reference for the explanation of many events in human life which seems obscure and demands a meaning. Raymond Firth has said that it (religion) has promoted philosophy through humility, self-examination, and the desire to push back the bounds of knowledge. It has led many men to do much for their fellows by the charity and love it may enjoin.
The word ‘religion’ is an English word derives from Latin re-ligare which means “bond.” Rhys Davids translate the religion as “conscientious frame of mind.” If we consider these two meanings of religion then easily we understand that our meticulousness about life hastens to establish a strong bond or relationship among the human beings.
Religion is an important social factor. It is an ideology. In every religious ideology, belief is the core ideaincluding belief in God or goddesses, or any other Supernatural being or beings. The reflection of this belief is revealed in the practice of religion. Through this belief system religion laid its importance on its followers from both, inner and outer aspect. In this regard, Kimbal Young has said that the inner life of the person does not consist of mere collections of ideas, stereotypes, and attitudes. Rather it is the organizing of these into larger units of belief. Such beliefs constitute the life philosophy of the individual, the pattern of which is determined by his basic motives and interests and by the situations in which his daily life takes place. Religion offers certain standard of conduct for himself and others. He expects certain action from others and is expected to make counter-response.
Though religion is an inevitable part of human life but it is difficult to define it become of its broadened nature. We find many definitions of religion but not a satisfactory one. Henry Johnson quoted that religion varies so widely in doctrine, practice, and organization and religious feelings are so personal and collective and difficult to describe objectively that any definition of religion will necessarily seem inadequate. Malinowski defines religion as an indispensable pragmatic figment without which civilization cannot exist. To define religion J.S. Mackenzie, a British philosopher, wrote that “It may be enough to regard religion as meaning the spirit of devotion to the perfection of human life.” Eric Von Der Luft, associate editor of “The Owl of Minerva,” define religion as “In essence, religion is an attitude, or a sum of attitudes. The various institutions of’ religion grew up only after and as a result of certain attitudes, first felt by the individual, subsequently shared with a group. William James has described religion as the manner of a man’s total reaction upon life.
The range of religion is wide as it is not possible to confine into any definition. In my view, religion is a system; system of life. Religion is a culture. Religion is an attitude. In short, we may define religion as “life.” Religion, as an ideology, covers all the activities of human life. Religion is a process of learning. It teaches its followers how to behave and how to reveal attitude. As a life philosophy it encompasses all the breaths of an individual. It teaches us to be moral. It gives us knowledge about right and wrong, good and evil.
Belief: what is belief? Belief is a feeling. A system may be defined as an organized body of ideas, attitudes, and convictions centered around values or things regarded as important or precious to the group. Belief system provides a larger frame of reference which tends to control the more specific thoughts or actions of individuals. So, it provides stabilizing elements and makes for order and control.
A religion is more or less coherent system of beliefs and practices concerning a supernatural order of beings, forces, places or other entities: a system that for its adherents has implications for their behavior and welfare: implications that the adherents in varying degrees and ways take seriously in their private and collective life.
Rituals: Ritual is particularly important form of religious action. We can identify at least six general characters of rituals.
• Ritual often involves the manipulation of tangible sacred objects, and the action is meaningful with in the frame of reference of the supernatural order.
• The performance is part of the religious system for attaining salvation in some form sometimes its effectiveness is
presumed to depend upon the will of a supernatural being; thus, when people speak of prayer or supplication, they imply that the supernatural being who is
addressed may or may not fulfill the wishes of the petitioner.
• The ritual may be happy, even joyous,but it is not regarded by the faithful as primarily a form of entertainment: it is, as Durkheim says; “part of serious life itself.”
• Being good-directed, ritual is a kind of instrumental action; but it is also
expressional. That is, it is charged with symbolic content expressing, among other things, the attitude of the participants and possibly of onlookers who may regard as co-beneficiaries.
• Any ritual tends to be bound to a practical period over long periods of time.
• Ritual must be interlinked with moral action- that is, with action in conformity with social norms values for their own shake.
What are the social functions of religion? Though the belief of religion is an individual affair but its survival is a collective effort. It is a universal function of human life. From the very beginning of human history till today religion works out as a panacea of human mind. All the living religions mainly deal with the social life of human being. In society religion has the following functions.
Religious experience: this is the basic social function of religion. Prayer, worship and meditation are the summery of religious experience. Through these man expresses his/her awe, reverence, and gratitude to the Almighty. This religious experience helps one to be accountable about his activities. It creates a sense of responsibility. It ennobles the human desire, ideals, and values. It facilitates the development of personality, sociability, and creativeness.
Peace of mind: In every crisis, personal or collective, religion is called in for consolation and peace of mind. It promotes goodness and helps the development of character. It reduces one’s grievances to some extent. It supports to establish values and goals and reinforce the moral. It offers man inspiration, hope, faith and optimistic look.
Social solidarity and unity: Religion upholds and validates the traditional ways of life. A common faith, common value judgment, common sentiments, common worship is significant factors in unifying people. By their participation in religious rituals and worship, people try to identify themselves as having something in common.
Promote welfare: Religion render service to the people and promote their welfare. It appeals to the people to be sympathetic, merciful and co-operative. It arouses among the people the spirit of mutual help and harmony. It promotes culture and provides the means of development of nation.
Values of life: Religion is an effective means of preserving the values of life. Religion defines and redefines the values. Moral, social and spiritual values are greatly supported by religion.
Social control: Religion is one of the forms of informal means of social control. It regulates the activities of people in its own way. It prescribes rules of conduct for its fellow. Religious concepts of life after death and heaven and hell have strong effect on the behavior of the people.
Create accountability: Belief in the Almighty God or in the Supernatural being or beings creates a feeling within a follower that as a creature we are being observed by the creator. Our every activity is noticed by Him. We have to accountable to Him for our every deed. This sense helps us to be cautious about right and wrong; to be sincere about our behavior; inspired us to be moral in our though and action; and formulate us as harmonize social being.
Finally, let us turn to relation between society and religion. The society is an organization consists with the mutual agreement of human being. Religion, as an ideology, is followed by the people. In other words, religion is followed by the society. Religion is not any private property, it’s an attitude; attitude of human activities. As a human being what we reflect in our daily activities to follow a certain attitude is religion. The relation between religion and society is the same as between sun and light. Sun and light are interlinked. Where is sun there is light, in another, where is light there is sun. We may exemplify the relation between religion and society as: religion is a being where man is its body and society is its soul. And the fulfillment of religion comes through out the individual and social practice of man.
In a social life religion reveals in many ways. It influences upon human’s family, social, economic, and political life. We have to remember that, religion comes to us, firstly, individually through its concept of belief in the Almighty God or in Truth. Though this sense of belief acquires individually but it reflects collectively. Belief in Almighty God or Truth creates some quality within a believer which helps one to lead a social life and also influenced the society.
Religion is said to help to satisfy the human need for spiritual fulfillment. This at once raises the question of what spiritual fulfillment is. One description of spiritual fulfillment is the need to feel comfortable with things that are beyond human understanding. Thus the need to believe in a god or gods arises from the inability to understand the origin and purpose of life.
Religion as common social phenomena: Mail Edwards has said the question of the truth of religious world is largely the question of the objectivity of our highest values. As a matter of belief, religion is an individual affair but as a matter of practice it is a social affair. It has been revealed in many way of social life. Religious institutions or sacred places help us to be united. Sociologist Blackmar has said, religion is more social than individual. As a figure of social control, religious influence is clear in our daily life.
Religion, as a promoter of peace, is one of the great sources of morality. It preaches just and talks against evil. It influences the person’s character and helps him to lead a social life. Religious teachings of loyalty, humility, and love helped one to be honored toward others. Proper practice of religion reduces communal conflict. Though today’s religion is misused and abused but the appeal of religious teachings of universal brotherhood strongly exists in our society.
Role of religion as a social cohesive force: religion has two important roles in human society. Firstly, in the limitness of human life it creates aspiration to be unites with the limitless almighty and through which he finds his perfection. Secondly, it unites the human beings in the same belief of God. This belief makes a sense of relationship within them which tends to lead a harmonious life. Religious propaganda for peace is not individual but collective effort as Durkheim has said, religion is the expression of collective consciousness.
Religious festival reunites the people: Another importance of religion is to reunite the members of the society. Religious festivals (e,g,. Eid, Puja, Christmas day) spread a flavour of social unity. Daily rituals of religion create solidarity within its followers. Another feature of religion is that its concept of belief in the unity of God brings together its fellow beings under one leadership.
It is true, that the rapid developments in the field of science have affected the religion to a great extent. Some of the age old religious beliefs have been exploded by the scientific investigations. Science has often shaken the religious faith. The growing secular and the rationalist attitude have posed a challenge for religion. Still, it is understandable that the institution of religion is so deep-rooted and long-lasting that it will continue in the future withstanding the dangers of changes and the ravages of time.
Society is an expression, expression of human attitude or behavior. Social behavior is nothing more than collective behavior of its members. An individual born with a nervous system and a glandular establishment will also grow through the development of emotional expression, physiological drives, and the organization of behavior patterns. Behavior may be of four principal types which are inter-related. These are: emotional, motivational, perceptual, and learning. The basic physiological and neurological aspects of this behavior are in the human individual susceptible of great modification and direction by experience in society and culture.
As a social unit, family has a great role to determine individual behavior. In every society, the members have to be reproduced, biologically maintained, socialized, organized for production and distribution of goods and services, made able to maintain internal and external order, and to find adequate motivation and meaning of their life. For these, family is working as an agency whose activities have been traditionally considered as indispensable to the society. The way, in which parents are supposed to behave to children, children to parents, brother to brother, brother to sister, sister to brother, younger to older, older to younger, and to unknown one is again learned first inside the family and keep alive the social bond and harmony. In what follows, different functions of human society are outlined.
Physiological functions: Every human individual has some minimum requirements for his/her living which is shaped by the physiological requirements of each human organism in relation to its external physical environment. The individual requires food, water, shelter, and clothing. He/she would require protection against injury from other person and animals. Sutherland said that “the biological make up of man and his physical environments provide limits within which survival must be achieved. But they do not determine the normative social order by which survival is achieved.” Usually there are alternative methods by which a human society can provide for the adequate physiological functioning of its members.
Integration of activities and orderly social relations: Human society is moving based on the co-operation of its members. In every society we see that survival requires some division of labour based upon sex, age and specialization. For the most part, the integration of this division of labour is achieved through a general agreement that persons in certain positions are to do certain things in each of a variety of situations or relationships. This division of labour is also the assignment of rights and duties.
Social practice: As a member of a society, every human individual is more or less agreeable to certain normative behavior. It includes the legal and institutional behavior based on the role of labour. It includes all the shared ways of thinking and feeling, of noticing and responding. It also includes the shared attitudes and values, the shared understanding, shared ideas of the proper, the good and the true. This is what is meant by human social order as a normative order.
Replacement of members: Man cannot live forever. He/she must die. But human society is an ongoing process. To continue this social order human procreation is most important through which a society can run. Sometimes new members are obtained from other society through voluntary immigration but it is not a dependable source of recruitment, the primary reliance has always been on the biological reproduction of its own members. In the long run, no society could continue without such reproduction.
Maintenance and continuation of social order: In general, human child is born with the inherited capacity for acquiring the general living of any society. He/she can become a saint or criminal. Within the limit of his own heredited capacity, he can learn any kind of behavior pattern manifested by human beings. This is one of the important factors for human society. The continuation of social system is not determined by any hereditary predispositions to set behavior patterns. It is totally dependent upon children’s learning. Whatever he learns from his surroundings he must behave accordingly.
Socialization: After birth, a child is completely dependent upon his learning experiences. This attitude and behavior pattern of a child is determined through practical observation about society. Sutherland said that “in this helpless state, he, without any choice on his part, begins his development in a particular group of persons who share the behavior ways of a particular society. Their normative behavior patterns become his model for the patterns and organization of his own behavior.” It is our parents and others who are responsible to provide a reasonable social flavor around the children.
Social control: Deviation from normative behavior is not only a possibility at any age, but it is also an ever present tendency. We find that every society makes allowance for a margin of deviation from the ideal norms. But the weakness of social control leads this marginal deviation to a greater crime. To maintain a normative social behaviour ‘social control’ has more importance. The chief reliance for social control is, of course, upon the internalization of the society’s norms. But because norms are learned patterns of behaviour, they require the constant reinforcement to maintain the learning.
Meaning and purpose of society: Human society has a meaning and purpose. It is a way of human socialization. This social process unites the human beings under a relationship which help us to fulfill our fundamental needs. In a society, human beings collectively work as a body and every individual is its parts. The great service of a society is that as a human being we are not sufficient and dependent upon others and the satisfaction in the fulfillment of one’s roles contributes to the maintenance of orderly relations, health, meaning, and even the reproduction of the group.
Communication: Communication is another important prerequisite of an ongoing society. Communication symbolically has meant in the development of man’s intellectual life and to pass his achievements from one generation to another and thus to build up a social heritage, for example, development of language in human society. In today’s world, our daily co-ordination would break without verbal communication. Sutherland said, “if humans were equipped by their biological inheritance with a multitude of ready-made behavior patterns, perhaps simple human social of symbolic communication. But humans are not equipped, they are dependent upon learning. It is through learning that they create their normative social orders, and they very functioning and transmitting of their social system and dependent upon learning. The necessary correlate of such a quality of learned behavior is a high communicative ability of the order we call symbolic communication or language. Without language, not even a simple human society could exist.”
Man is unique among living creatures. As a social being he possesses in a high degree three great abilities:
• Man can think and reason
• Man can communicate with others by means of language
• Man has ability to use tools.
Hunt also said that because of his ability to think, to transmit knowledge by means of language, to use tools man control his natural environment to a far greater degree than another creature.
Though the personality of each individual is largely molded by society, it is clear that society can have no existence apart from the people who make it up. Ralph Linton has said that a society is a group of people who have lived together long enough to get themselves organized and to think of themselves as a social unit. A society consists of people, and the characteristics of every society are gradually shaped and changed, over the succeeding generations, by the people who belong to it.
Though the basis of any society is a group of individuals, equally important to its establishment is the continued existence of this group over a period of time. As Linton said, a crowd gathered browed for a football game is an aggregate but it is not a society. Its members are close together in space, and for the moment are united by a common interest. When this game is over they disperse. They are not together long enough to organize a society. But if the some people were marooned for a year on an uninhabited island, they would be forced to organize themselves into a society. They would develop common ideas and interests, and techniques for living and working together.
Having reviewed the constituents and functions of society, let us turn to religion. Religion is one of the great driving forces in human nature, both individually and socially. It gives occasion for celebrate institutional assembly. It provides a reference for the explanation of many events in human life which seems obscure and demands a meaning. Raymond Firth has said that it (religion) has promoted philosophy through humility, self-examination, and the desire to push back the bounds of knowledge. It has led many men to do much for their fellows by the charity and love it may enjoin.
The word ‘religion’ is an English word derives from Latin re-ligare which means “bond.” Rhys Davids translate the religion as “conscientious frame of mind.” If we consider these two meanings of religion then easily we understand that our meticulousness about life hastens to establish a strong bond or relationship among the human beings.
Religion is an important social factor. It is an ideology. In every religious ideology, belief is the core ideaincluding belief in God or goddesses, or any other Supernatural being or beings. The reflection of this belief is revealed in the practice of religion. Through this belief system religion laid its importance on its followers from both, inner and outer aspect. In this regard, Kimbal Young has said that the inner life of the person does not consist of mere collections of ideas, stereotypes, and attitudes. Rather it is the organizing of these into larger units of belief. Such beliefs constitute the life philosophy of the individual, the pattern of which is determined by his basic motives and interests and by the situations in which his daily life takes place. Religion offers certain standard of conduct for himself and others. He expects certain action from others and is expected to make counter-response.
Though religion is an inevitable part of human life but it is difficult to define it become of its broadened nature. We find many definitions of religion but not a satisfactory one. Henry Johnson quoted that religion varies so widely in doctrine, practice, and organization and religious feelings are so personal and collective and difficult to describe objectively that any definition of religion will necessarily seem inadequate. Malinowski defines religion as an indispensable pragmatic figment without which civilization cannot exist. To define religion J.S. Mackenzie, a British philosopher, wrote that “It may be enough to regard religion as meaning the spirit of devotion to the perfection of human life.” Eric Von Der Luft, associate editor of “The Owl of Minerva,” define religion as “In essence, religion is an attitude, or a sum of attitudes. The various institutions of’ religion grew up only after and as a result of certain attitudes, first felt by the individual, subsequently shared with a group. William James has described religion as the manner of a man’s total reaction upon life.
The range of religion is wide as it is not possible to confine into any definition. In my view, religion is a system; system of life. Religion is a culture. Religion is an attitude. In short, we may define religion as “life.” Religion, as an ideology, covers all the activities of human life. Religion is a process of learning. It teaches its followers how to behave and how to reveal attitude. As a life philosophy it encompasses all the breaths of an individual. It teaches us to be moral. It gives us knowledge about right and wrong, good and evil.
Belief: what is belief? Belief is a feeling. A system may be defined as an organized body of ideas, attitudes, and convictions centered around values or things regarded as important or precious to the group. Belief system provides a larger frame of reference which tends to control the more specific thoughts or actions of individuals. So, it provides stabilizing elements and makes for order and control.
A religion is more or less coherent system of beliefs and practices concerning a supernatural order of beings, forces, places or other entities: a system that for its adherents has implications for their behavior and welfare: implications that the adherents in varying degrees and ways take seriously in their private and collective life.
Rituals: Ritual is particularly important form of religious action. We can identify at least six general characters of rituals.
• Ritual often involves the manipulation of tangible sacred objects, and the action is meaningful with in the frame of reference of the supernatural order.
• The performance is part of the religious system for attaining salvation in some form sometimes its effectiveness is
presumed to depend upon the will of a supernatural being; thus, when people speak of prayer or supplication, they imply that the supernatural being who is
addressed may or may not fulfill the wishes of the petitioner.
• The ritual may be happy, even joyous,but it is not regarded by the faithful as primarily a form of entertainment: it is, as Durkheim says; “part of serious life itself.”
• Being good-directed, ritual is a kind of instrumental action; but it is also
expressional. That is, it is charged with symbolic content expressing, among other things, the attitude of the participants and possibly of onlookers who may regard as co-beneficiaries.
• Any ritual tends to be bound to a practical period over long periods of time.
• Ritual must be interlinked with moral action- that is, with action in conformity with social norms values for their own shake.
What are the social functions of religion? Though the belief of religion is an individual affair but its survival is a collective effort. It is a universal function of human life. From the very beginning of human history till today religion works out as a panacea of human mind. All the living religions mainly deal with the social life of human being. In society religion has the following functions.
Religious experience: this is the basic social function of religion. Prayer, worship and meditation are the summery of religious experience. Through these man expresses his/her awe, reverence, and gratitude to the Almighty. This religious experience helps one to be accountable about his activities. It creates a sense of responsibility. It ennobles the human desire, ideals, and values. It facilitates the development of personality, sociability, and creativeness.
Peace of mind: In every crisis, personal or collective, religion is called in for consolation and peace of mind. It promotes goodness and helps the development of character. It reduces one’s grievances to some extent. It supports to establish values and goals and reinforce the moral. It offers man inspiration, hope, faith and optimistic look.
Social solidarity and unity: Religion upholds and validates the traditional ways of life. A common faith, common value judgment, common sentiments, common worship is significant factors in unifying people. By their participation in religious rituals and worship, people try to identify themselves as having something in common.
Promote welfare: Religion render service to the people and promote their welfare. It appeals to the people to be sympathetic, merciful and co-operative. It arouses among the people the spirit of mutual help and harmony. It promotes culture and provides the means of development of nation.
Values of life: Religion is an effective means of preserving the values of life. Religion defines and redefines the values. Moral, social and spiritual values are greatly supported by religion.
Social control: Religion is one of the forms of informal means of social control. It regulates the activities of people in its own way. It prescribes rules of conduct for its fellow. Religious concepts of life after death and heaven and hell have strong effect on the behavior of the people.
Create accountability: Belief in the Almighty God or in the Supernatural being or beings creates a feeling within a follower that as a creature we are being observed by the creator. Our every activity is noticed by Him. We have to accountable to Him for our every deed. This sense helps us to be cautious about right and wrong; to be sincere about our behavior; inspired us to be moral in our though and action; and formulate us as harmonize social being.
Finally, let us turn to relation between society and religion. The society is an organization consists with the mutual agreement of human being. Religion, as an ideology, is followed by the people. In other words, religion is followed by the society. Religion is not any private property, it’s an attitude; attitude of human activities. As a human being what we reflect in our daily activities to follow a certain attitude is religion. The relation between religion and society is the same as between sun and light. Sun and light are interlinked. Where is sun there is light, in another, where is light there is sun. We may exemplify the relation between religion and society as: religion is a being where man is its body and society is its soul. And the fulfillment of religion comes through out the individual and social practice of man.
In a social life religion reveals in many ways. It influences upon human’s family, social, economic, and political life. We have to remember that, religion comes to us, firstly, individually through its concept of belief in the Almighty God or in Truth. Though this sense of belief acquires individually but it reflects collectively. Belief in Almighty God or Truth creates some quality within a believer which helps one to lead a social life and also influenced the society.
Religion is said to help to satisfy the human need for spiritual fulfillment. This at once raises the question of what spiritual fulfillment is. One description of spiritual fulfillment is the need to feel comfortable with things that are beyond human understanding. Thus the need to believe in a god or gods arises from the inability to understand the origin and purpose of life.
Religion as common social phenomena: Mail Edwards has said the question of the truth of religious world is largely the question of the objectivity of our highest values. As a matter of belief, religion is an individual affair but as a matter of practice it is a social affair. It has been revealed in many way of social life. Religious institutions or sacred places help us to be united. Sociologist Blackmar has said, religion is more social than individual. As a figure of social control, religious influence is clear in our daily life.
Religion, as a promoter of peace, is one of the great sources of morality. It preaches just and talks against evil. It influences the person’s character and helps him to lead a social life. Religious teachings of loyalty, humility, and love helped one to be honored toward others. Proper practice of religion reduces communal conflict. Though today’s religion is misused and abused but the appeal of religious teachings of universal brotherhood strongly exists in our society.
Role of religion as a social cohesive force: religion has two important roles in human society. Firstly, in the limitness of human life it creates aspiration to be unites with the limitless almighty and through which he finds his perfection. Secondly, it unites the human beings in the same belief of God. This belief makes a sense of relationship within them which tends to lead a harmonious life. Religious propaganda for peace is not individual but collective effort as Durkheim has said, religion is the expression of collective consciousness.
Religious festival reunites the people: Another importance of religion is to reunite the members of the society. Religious festivals (e,g,. Eid, Puja, Christmas day) spread a flavour of social unity. Daily rituals of religion create solidarity within its followers. Another feature of religion is that its concept of belief in the unity of God brings together its fellow beings under one leadership.
It is true, that the rapid developments in the field of science have affected the religion to a great extent. Some of the age old religious beliefs have been exploded by the scientific investigations. Science has often shaken the religious faith. The growing secular and the rationalist attitude have posed a challenge for religion. Still, it is understandable that the institution of religion is so deep-rooted and long-lasting that it will continue in the future withstanding the dangers of changes and the ravages of time.
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