Role of Religion in Society

Role of Religion in Society

Four major roles that religion plays in society are:

• Religious – supporting people in their religious way of life

• Social – providing a service or support to people or groups within society

• Political – promoting, explaining, and supporting the beliefs and values of a religion within society

• Cultural – using art, music, literature to give expression to how people find meaning and purpose in their life.

Multiple Choice

What are the four roles religion plays in society?

• Faith, Action, Productivity and Love

• Courage, Faith, Excellence and Love

• Religious, Social, Cultural and Political

• Political, Cultural, Superficial and Postal

The Expression of Religion in Culture

Culture

Religion by its very nature is involved in many aspects of life.

Religions, because of their activities and how they express themselves, also contribute to and shape the culture of society.

This participation often shapes the culture of particular societies.

Members of a particular religion, may seek to express their religious convictions, hopes and desires through various artistic and cultural expressions.

Culture

Any form of music, art, drama that reflects upon or uses elements drawn from a religion contributes to and shapes the culture of a society. Those who have travelled overseas will have noticed how religion can have a huge influence on local culture.

Multiple Select

How is religion expressed culturally in society?

• Through popular media such as TV and radio

• Through art, Drama and song

• Through advertisements offering support, welfare and encouragement

• Through the celebrations of a variety of festivals and religious events.

The Expression of Religion through the Religious

Religious

• One of the purposes of the Catholic religion is to promote, support and develop within each person their ability to listen to, be in touch with, and respond to their questions of the human heart.

• As people seek, sense and think about God they are provided with opportunities to develop their experience of God. Such opportunities can occur for people when they:

Religious

• pray

• think about God

• join groups to find spiritual experiences

• ponder on the creation of the universe

• wonder about their future after death

• return to places where they feel God is present

• show concern for how the Creator sees them

Religious

• try to work out how God wants them to

• behave in daily life situations

• feel dissatisfied with material things

• look for more from life than success

• desire freedom from giving in to personal confusion, negative self-image, control by peer pressure and weakness of choice

• try to treat others as the Creator intends

• try to discover what the Creator reveals about the meaning of life, reason for personal existence, life after death and right and wrong.

Multiple Select

How does Religion play a role in Australian Society?

• Catholicism promotes, supports and develops within each person their ability to listen to and respond to their questions of the human heart.

• When people seek, sense and think about God they are provided with opportunities to develop their experience of God.

• Try to treat others as the Creator intends

• Lollipops

The Expression of Religion through Politics

Political

Religious groups, through their leaders and members are part of society. Individually and collectively they can be interested in the discussions and decisions made about how society is to be organised and run.

In Australia, religious leaders and members of a particular religion will sometimes actively participate in political debates.

Their participation may be because they wish to promote or defend important religious beliefs or practices, the rights of people that belong to the religion, or the rights of others in society.

Examples of religious political roles in Australia:

Australian Christian Lobby

Australian Christians

Christian Democratic Party

Secular Party Of Australia

Multiple Choice

How does religion play a role in the political life of Australia?

• actively participate in political debates to promote or defend important religious beliefs or practices

• promote or defend the rights of people that belong to the religion,

• promote or defend the rights of others in society.

• All of the responses to the left

The Expression of Religion through Society

Social Element of Religion

• Religions play an important role in the social fabric of Australian Society

• The Catholic religion offers Australian society education through schools and Universities;

• Care for the elderly through Aged Care,

• Care for the sick and disadvantaged through Hospitals and Welfare services

• These services are provided by organisations run directly by the Church, organisations affiliated to the Church or by individuals

Catholic Social Organisations

• Catholic Health Australia

• Catholic Education of Western Australia

• Catholic Archdiocese of Perth

• Catholic Social Services Australia

Multiple Select

How does the Catholic Religion support Australian Society

• Through running schools and Universities

• Through supporting the poor and needy through Welfare services

• Through providing support in the medical field