Introduction to Sociology / Religion / Taerim Kim

b) http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Introduction_to_Sociology/Religion


 This article introduces about religion. Before starts to introduce, it stresses that sociologists are not interested in judging religion. There are three definitions of religion. First, there's a perspective that sees religion as sacred. The second perspective is considering religion as a trying to answer an existential question. Third, view religion as collective beliefs.  All three definition also has following problems. In the first perspective, there is a thing which not considered as sacred traditionally. Moving to the second perspective, it excludes a religious person who doesn't question to existential things. At last, the third perspective could or could not include atheists depending on its understanding.
 The most common classification employs to religion is the Church-Sect Typology. It thinks that there is a continuum along religions fall,  and in that there are church, denominations, sects. The church is represented by the Roman Catholic in past. Church has a character that doesn't allow competition between different religions. The denomination such as Baptists existed between the church and the sect. They are made when the church begins to weaken and lose their monopoly. There is also a religious group which formed to against their parent religion and has a tendency to try to return to true religion. That is the sects.
 Sociologists have been suggested an explanation for the continued popularity of religions using several approaches to religion. There are 5 different approaches to religion(E.g. Structural-Functional, Social-Conflict, Social-Constructionist, Religious Pluralism, Social-Psychological.)

http://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Catholic-Priest

 Reading this article, I was interested in Religion and Gender section. according to this paper, most of these days religion can help the women's socialization which makes them submissive and nurturing. And also they even discriminate women against men. For example, in Catholic women can't be a priest. Nevertheless, women are more religious than men. Because of those things, I thought women are naturally less religious than men but it was not like my thought. So I was interested why women are more religious than men, despite the religions are not treated them well. The Church-Sect Typology was very new to me, it was very difficult to understand. However, it made me feel want to know more about that because the church, sects, and denominations are all related and that was an interesting point to me. Viewing religion using social-conflict approach was also interested because it said that religion maintains social inequality but, I have never thought in that way.

 My families are believing Buddhism, and they sometimes suggested me to believe Buddhism. But they never forced me to believe any religion. According to this article, there are lots of things which can affect to your religion. For example, gender, race and even class. I do not believe in god or any religion. But it made me think that if someone who believed in religion is born to another family or country, they might believe in different religion. Do you agree with this idea? If so, what made you think that?