Religious Institution:

Religious Institution:

Religion as an Institution:

Religious institution means the way of working system prevalent in our society from ancient age to till, that conducts religious activities, behaviors, relationships and faith, their adoption and exchanges. It is ancient as well as universal. Currently developed moralities, laws, social perspectives, political developments, economic development etc are significantly affected by religion. Various religions have existed in the world and these religions have guided, controlled human activities in societies. Religion has also become the reliable means of social organization. However, according to Marxist perspective, religion is the institution developed by certain classes for exploiting the remaining people in each society. Nevertheless, not all the social thinkers, analyst, philosophers are ready to agree with this analysis. Sociologist like Emile Durkheim has regarded religion as an integrative power in human society.

Definition of religion:

Religious teachers, social analyst and philosophers have defined religion in their own way. However, the conclusion of all religion is same: faith on supernatural power, social unity and control, faith on nature, worshipping, praying, devotion etc.

“Religion is the belief in spiritual beings” – Taylor.

According to Durkheim,”Religion is the unified system of belief and practice relative to sacred things”. Likewise, Malinowski says,” Religion is the mode of action as well as system of belief, and a sociological phenomena as well as a personal experience”. For J M Yinger, “Religion then, can be defined as a system of belief and practice by means of which a group of people struggle with these ultimate problems of human life”.

Characteristics of Religion:

1. Belief in supernatural power.
2. Sense of sacred and profane.
3. Sense of salvation.
4. Social control and direction.
5. Various religious thoughts.
6. Religious action.
7. Religious symbol.
8. Important social institution.
9. Religious taboos.
10. Religious worship, prayer and conciliation.
11. Spiritual Values.

Religion as a belief system:

Religion is a belief system, where any kind of objects are defined symbolically and worshiped faithfully. Actually, the belief on invisible power is religion. Thus, religion lives upon faith or the foundation for religion is trust, which can be found in the people with any religious background. From ancient time, people had beliefs upon religion. August Comte has said that religion and belief evolved from polytheism to monotheism along with the evolution to the society. Similarly, E B Tylor says that the human started believing animism at first then on polytheism and then monotheism. In this way, activities under each religion are associated with belief to some extent. Religion consists of belief like hell, heaven, sacred, profane, etc. Likewise, while applying religion in their economic, social, political and cultural life, people used to act as per the belief in that religion. Thus, religion can be taken as a system of belief, which is affected by traditional belief than scientific. People perform their social and cultural duties believing on rebirth. Due to such belief on rebirth, the help, donation and contribution to others is done in the society. Socialization as per such belief exists in society. Though quarrels, disputes, exploitations, disparities, appear in the name of religion these cannot be defined or interpreted as ideals of religion.

Religion as a factor of Generating Integration

Religion promotes social unity and belief in the  society. People of each class are unified by religion. It develops the functional perspective to each other. According to functionalist, religion has an important role in fulfilling the functional prerequisites in society. It also plays an important role in fulfilling the basic requirement in society.

Functional belief that certain kind of society unity, uniformality in social values and mutual cooperation is essential for the continuation of a society system. Religion always plays an important role I controlling the dysfunctions and maintaining social unit.

Various scholars have analyzed on the functional contribution of religion. Among them Emile Durkheim, Max Weber and Talcott person are most important. In “The Elementary Form Of Social Life”, Durkheim has stated that society is divided on the basis of sacred and profane. Religion for him is such an integrated system of beliefs and behaviors which contributes particularly in developing a sacred society. Functionalists belief that the religion is important in the replacement of the worthy activities in the society. According to the Durkheim, social life is impossible without the social values, moral beliefs, collective conscience, and dutifulness, which are only found in religion. He has discussed religion as a means of social unity in this way:

1. Means of social control.
2. Means of systematizing social life.
3. Power and ideas for guiding human activities can be achieved through religion.

Malinowski has interpreted religion as a means of social unity in this way:

1. Marinating social unity.
2. Custom, way of application or way of using custom.
3. Guiding element of social life.
4. Element that lessen social life.
5. Develops mental satisfaction

With the help of religion, negative states, social evils and mental deviations can be controlled.

Persons also considered religion as an important  part of cultural system. According to his, religion beliefs motivate people in conducting moral activities. He has described religion on the following basis:

1. Means that maintain social unity.
2. Important part of cultural system.
3. Means of avoiding tensions.
4. Means of marinating social stability.
5. Means of social adjustment.

Religion as a factor of Generating Conflict:

Religion not only maintains the social unity but also creates sometime conflict due to the existing differences, oppressions, and inequalities within it. Marxist analysis based on idea that religion creates conflict in the society. As Marx says, “Religion is the sign of the oppressed creature, the sentiment of heartless world and the soul of soulless condition. It is the opium of people”. According to Marxist perspective, religion is the means for ruling people to suppress the people. It exploits people making fake arguments and creating the imaginative world neglecting the human presence. It entangles people into the web of difficulties, hopelessness, exploitation, etc, muttering the abstract pleasure, peace and prosperity.

Engels has said that religion is not other than the false portraits of external powers in human mind, which dominates the daily human lives. In such portraits even the worldly powers transforms into unworldly forms. Marxist has blamed religion for distributing the role of change and progress. It is particularly the feudal and capitalist powers that take assistance of religion to continue the society without changing the society.

The role of religion, for Marxist is the major factor of opposition in social development cycle. Marxist perceives religion as a means of promoting conflict than maintaining unity in the society. Racial discrimination, caste discrimination, gender discrimination, development of imaginary concepts like heaven and hell, fatalistic thinking etc, which have been into existence even at the presence are the outcome of religion. Thus, racial wars, religious wars, gender movements etc are the result of religion. Religion promotes the domination of elite classes and ill-conscience within human beings.

 Secularization:

Secularization is such a process where a society is freed from domination of a single religion and where each and every religious and communities are treated and honored equally. This process in sociology and anthropology is related to cultural relativism, where each and every religion and communities are provided equal respects. The process of recognizing or emphasizing each and every religion equally by the state is called secularization. If only one religion is emphasized, the development of people adopting other religion is never possible. Social justice never prevails there. Spiritual bruises are likely to appear and racial unity is also weakened.

After the people’s movement of 2062/63 B S, Nepal which has long been called Hindu kingdom is also declared a secular state. This has conveyed a message that each and every religion is equal. This kind of culture strengthens religious unity, discourse and cooperation.

The desire in involvement in any of the religion, culture, and social system is the intrinsic rights of an individual. On the other, if the state consider much the specific religion, social dissatisfactions, misunderstandings, conflicts may arise, which sometimes hinder the national integrity. In non discriminated society neither state nor non state institutions can treat unequally to specific caste, religion and culture. Each people must have right to live and enjoy their religion; culture in this modern civilized society.

Significant of religion at household level:

Religion has an important role at family level. It has both direct and indirect relationship in household and family level activities. Each and all activities are affected by religion as religion and culture are interrelated with each other. A person in the family learns about the culture, values, beliefs, duties etc through religion. Religion has a direct impact in socialization process of an individual. Likewise household rituals like death rituals, birth rituals, festivals, exhibitions, fares, worshiping ceremonies, fasting etc are also affected by religion. Hence, household activities cannot be understood excluding them from religion.

Significant of religion at community:

Religion has also an effect in community. The significant of religion at community level can be described in this way:

1. Religion exists as a means of social unity.
2. Specific religion determines the specific cultural assumptions and systems.
3. Religion controls the possible misconducts in society.
4. Religion is the secondary means for moral built-up.
5. Social and cultural rituals based on religion provide unity, mobility, and ecstasy in society.
6. Religion has an important role in socialization process and development of personality of an individual.

Economic, social, political and cultural activities of a community are affected by religion. Since, a community depends upon internal relationships, if anybody acts against the religion that is boycotted by the society. If anybody tries to hinder others such activities are controlled by the society on the basis of religion.

Social significance of Religion at state level institution:

In traditional societies religion was the main base of ruling system. King was given prime emphasis in Hindu religion. Still in Bhutan, monarchy has been existed in the name of religion. But at the present, ruling a state in the name of religion is hardly seen. None of the presidents, prime ministers, ministers, or any other leaders appointed by the people is governed by religion. Generally, religious influences are common in countries with unitary ruling system. But, it has less influence in decentralized democratic and inclusive state structure.