Role of Religion in Government, Family and Businesses (Sarah Olivarez-Cruz)

BY SARAH O. CRUZ

Role of Religion in Government, Family and

Business

Concept of Religion

Marx considered religion as an ideology that rationalizes the inequalities of wealth and power found in society.

Concept of Religion

Durkheim saw religion as a major cohesive force serving such functions as social unity, as religious institutions ensure that people meet regularly to affirm common beliefs and values.

Concept of Religion

Weber considered religion as serving a major role in promoting social change and illustrates how religion has been instrumental in the development of Western capitalism. [Giddens, Duneier & Appalbaum, 2003]

Concept of Religion

Sociologists define religion as a cultural system of commonly shared beliefs and rituals that offers a sense of definitive meaning and purpose by creating an idea of reality that is sacred, all-encompassing, and supernatural. [Giddens, Duneier & Appalbaum, 2003]

The Role of Religion in Present Society

Religion has helped societies in maintaining social harmony and well as aided authorities in social control by directing citizens towards rightful behavior.

The Role of Religion in the Philippine Society

It is the host of experiences, rituals, ceremonies, and adjurations that provide continuity in life, cohesion in the community and moral purpose for existence.

Role of Religion in the Philippine Society

Significant part of various festivals and national celebrations are part of the Filipinos’ religious traditions and customs. Fiestas or local feasts take place to give honor to saints; one-week Lenten season observation; and the Christmas holiday is just few of its well-celebrated, spiritual practices

Role of Religion In Families

Through relationships of dependency and control

Religion still continues to influence and guide people through times of crisis, helping them to face the challenges of living and even in facing death.

Role of Religion In Families

Family values and principles are greatly influenced by the religious beliefs of the family

Role of Religion in Business

John Bittleston in his article titled “Religion and Business” states that any human activity, and that includes business, carried out under the guidelines of a major religion will work better than if it was not, as the essence of business is trust.


Daniel Lapin, author of the Ten Commandments of Business Success, claims that capitalism is utterly dependent on the Judeo-Christian tradition. No capital market has ever grown indigenously outside of Christendom.” Lapin’s business success programs heavily draws on the insights of religious tradition to improve business performance. [Gahr, 1997]


The slogan emblazoned on U.S. coins, "'In God We Trust,' is considered to highlights the unbreakable bond between faith and money.


The National Federation of Independent Business:

43 percent identified themselves as evangelical or born-again Christian and their church attendance averaged two times per month


Among leaders of the nation's top 100 businesses, 65 percent attend church or synagogue regularly - compared to 40 percent of the general population. [Gahr, 1997]


Edwin M. Epstein analyzes that during the past decade, many individuals have sought to find meaning in their work as it relates to their religion and spirituality. He enlists seven indicators supporting this view, including the rise of prayers or religious study groups in work settings, the alignment of corporate values with religious values, and the expanding courses and literature on topics such as Management and Spirituality. [Epstein, 2002]


Business benefits associated with supporting employees' religious practices include:

- Enrich job satisfaction and employee morale - Recruit and retain good employees - Boost productivity - Enhance employee loyalty - Ease employee stress - Reduce turnover - Ability to access new markets- Avoid legal challenges and law suits involving charges of discrimination and harassment.


Christian ideals can be found in businesses all over the world. Some examples from my hometown include Christian coffee shops, Christian Music stores, and Christian clothing stores. However, sometimes Christian artifacts are hidden within a business.


In addition to Christian based businesses, other religions are present in other types of businesses. For example, so called Jewish Delis are very profitable and successful in the eastern United States.

ISSUES ON RELIGION IN THE PHILIPPINES

Bishops told: Return unused PCSO cash, too

Catholic bishops who are returning service vehicles donated by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) must return the balance of the donation used to purchase the vehicles, Sen. Franklin Drilon said.


PCSO funds cannot be used for religionThe Catholic Bishops'

Conference of the Philippines issued an apology to the public after seven of its bishops were accused of using donations from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to buy luxury vehicles….

http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story.asp?storyid=%7Be53b0ba6-559c-465f-a57a-bf6165560d2f%7D


OPUS DEI INVADES PHILIPPINE SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL

It would seem that the Opus Dei, the Roman Catholic group known for its deep orthodoxy, has become a powerful presence at the country’s premier science high school. Almost one-fourth of the 80 faculty members at the main campus of the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) are believed to be members of the religious organization, causing alarm among some alumni and teachers.


Reproductive Health and Pregnancy Intention

Roman Catholicism shapes social norms and permeates union and childbearing decisions in the Philippines. To explore the contextual influences on reproductive decision-making, in-depth data were collected from young adults in Cebu City in 2007-08. Young adults, particularly women, seemed ill-equipped to negotiate safe sexual encounters. Contraceptive myths were pervasive in our sample and few reported modern contraceptive use. Pregnancies that were not planned were often attributed to divine intervention and usually precipitated the cohabitation or marriage of the young couple. Despite the perception that abortion was sinful, several participants acknowledged attempting to terminate a pregnancy. Failed abortion attempts were attributed to fate or the ‘will’ of the unborn child, rather than the use of an ineffective method. Findings from this study indicate the importance of understanding how religious influences may impede the provision and uptake of reproductive health services for young adults in the Philippines.

Conclusion

God and religion has always been the refuge to man in times of crises. While religion offers the direction for rightful behavior in both public and private spheres, it also protect from vulnerabilities. As the media reports and other studies reveal, religion continues to be a major force and influence in the present society, as it influences governmental, business and family values and decisions.