9 - Functions of Religion in the Society

Ever wondered why people, like me, follows religion or/and a certain beliefs? I wondered and I came up with an answer. For me, my beliefs are my basis of what's right and wrong. It becomes my guide on how I decide and make a choice. It taught me the values in life and it kinda gave me a purpose in which I'm holding on to.

But probably, my answers aren't enough for some people. So, I did a research and I found an article entitled "What is the importance of religion?". It was written by Mr. Ajay Bhatt. In the article, Bhatt said that religion provides people, men and women, solution to the question of ultimate meaning. Also, he stated that religion is a personal thing but it has still has a social aspect and roles to play.According to Bhatt's article, religion has six (6) universal functions.

Two of these functions are:

Individual Sufferings

1. RELIGION EXPLAINS INDIVIDUAL SUFFERING

"Man does not live by knowledge alone. He is an emotional creature. Religion serves to the emotions of man in times of his sufferings and disappointment. On God religion puts faith and entertains the belief that some unseen power moves in mysterious ways to make even his loss meaningful. In this way religion gives release from sorrow and release from fear. It helps man to bear his frustration and integrate his personality."

I believe that every man and women has their own struggles and problems. They experience suffering as they go through these tough situations. And it makes an individual wonder why they're experiencing it. Why only them? Out of billions of people on earth, why they, themselves, are the only ones who's experiencing it. They think that they got it hard. This is where religion comes in. Religion explains individual's suffering. Surprisingly, these explanations provided by religion or by beliefs fits perfectly with the problems and sometimes it does make perfect sense. 

Basis of our Ethics

2. RELIGION IS THE AGENCY OF SOCIAL CONTROL

"Religion provides a model for living. It upholds certain ideals and values. The believer imbibes these ideals and values in his life. Religion can help youth generation to become moral, disciplined and socialized citizens of society."

As we all know, our moral, right conduct and discipline mostly come from the teachings of the church. We have been taught these things since we were kids. Thus, these values are already instilled in our minds. Looking at it in another perspective, this seems like a means of control. Control to maintain peace and communal harmony. 

Truly, religion plays an important role in our society. It upholds and  strengthen our values, morals and ethical codes. Sometimes, it also what keeps someone sane. If nothing else can explain a situation or problem, people run and look for answers in the teachings of religion. All in all, religion is not that bad at all.