Religion can be described as a system of beliefs and practices. People feel insecure since the life they once lived is being contested as well as changed simultaneously with the globalization of politics and economics. Thus, for an individual to uphold a sense of psychological well-being as well as eliminate existential anxiety, people turn top scripture teachings and accounts that offer a version on how they can be bound to meaningful world that dramatically changes every day.
The linkage between religion and globalization is a kind of new potentials and more challenges. Whereas religion benefits from transportation and communication technologies, the source of globalization’s utmost resistance by acting as a harbor for individuals standing in opposition to its power (Ben-Nun Bloom, Arikan and Sommer, 2014). Since globalization enhances daily interaction, religion goes into a sphere of conflict where religions are further self-conscious of themselves as being world religions. Thus, the association between religion and globalization is multifaceted, including new possibilities and more challenges.
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The essay will explain how globalization affects greater religious tolerance in the fields of economics, society and politics. In addition, it will explain how globalization disturbs traditional communities to cause marginalization which brings people mental stress and eventually creating a counterattack of religious parochialism. Further, even though globalization allows for identities, cultures and religions in direct connection, the essay will as well explain how globalization brings religions to a sphere of conflicts that emphasizes their particular identities. Lastly, through the application of the three model persons and their application in religious ethics in their human rights work, the essay will offer some proposals on how both religious and humanity can apply available religious ethics as a means to overlook religious as well as cultural diversity (Ben-Nun Bloom et al. 2014).
Globalization Causes More Religious Tolerance
Globalization is responsible for pluralism culture, therefore, religions with coinciding though distinctive principles and interests communicate with one another. The leading religious traditions in the world such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Judaism tech values including equality, peace, freedom, human dignity and solidarity. Particularly, religions uphold the Golden Rule, that is, “ what you do not wish done to yourself, do not do to others .”Thus, through religious values, globalization causes high religious tolerance in the areas of economics, politics and society (Haynes, 2016). In the area of politics, globalization has created forums of global politics that mainstream ethnic, cultural and religious diversities which are ideologies that at one point were viewed as separating the world based on a large number of international organizations and regional organizations. When discussing a range of problems including health problems, peace and security issues, environment and poverty, the organizations have common commitments as those of religious traditions. The common commitments are human dignity, peace, human equality and conflict resolution where they actively participate in mediation, diplomacy and negotiation (Ben-Nun Bloom et al. 2014).
Further, religious communities including the Roman Catholic Church, the Jewish Diaspora and the World Council of Churches as well participate in the international affairs. The organizations have themselves been participating in inter-religious dialogue. For example, the World’s Religions Parliament of 1993 was conveyed during Chicago World Exhibit in 1983 and brought together different faith traditions of the world from the indigenous African religions. It includes Christianity, Islam and Judaism, to any faith that would uphold civil dialogue by common encounter. The different faiths were to apply their similar values as well as discuss affairs of the world (Haynes, 2016).
With regards to economics, as economies of the chief nations across the world grows, so do their religions in terms of finance, thus financing for religion to spread their belief. For instance, even though it may appear as an old method, missionary work, more so on the basis of globalization, is resilient in a majority of third world nations where representatives of religions convert the natives. Eventually, the key religions currently have scattered throughout the world, Christianity changing to south and Black Islam changing to Asian as well as Buddhist changing to White and Western. Still maintaining their former territory where their shrines are, religions are satisfying their broad aim of spreading their beliefs to persons across the world (Ben-Nun Bloom et al . 2014).
Lastly, religions have immensely gained from technological development. For instance, there are websites for information and explanations regarding diverse religions to any individual irrespective of their geographical location. In addition, the websites offer chances to interact with others across the world and discuss, thus allowing for the spread of religious ideas. Televisions as well have religious channels that offer religious teachings alongside practices making the bound onto the information increase as it brings religious teachings into homes while monitoring a global setting (Ben-Nun Bloom et al. 2014).
In summary, globalization has brought the one time isolated religions to have regular as well as unavoidable interaction. Eventually, globalization clarifies that since there is similarity on religions, none of them is correct as they can be changed. Though, the subsequent exempts highlight that the same process that causes greater religious tolerance is responsible for a criticism of parochialism in religions.
Globalization Creating Criticism of Parochialism in Religion
Since globalization is regarded as the “ the first truly world revolution ,” “ all revolutions disrupt the traditions and customs of people ” in other words, “ people’s very security, safety, and identity .” Therefore, whereas globalization affects traditional communities, results to economic marginalization as well as bringing mental stress, people feel the undesirable repercussions of globalization. With the power of religion to convey a demonstration of security and stability alongside simple answers, through beliefs and stories, as opposed to political programs, economic plans and legal regulations, people turn to religion.
To begin with, globalization disrupts traditional communities and reintroduces the larger, neutral organizations. Whereas globalization forms a global village, it increasingly changes what people traditionally understood themselves based on nationality, immigration and citizenship. A case in point, Members of European Union, does not identify their members by their nation of origin through by their greater title which is European citizens. Furthermore, such organizations have set international standards on all members, causing people to believe that they are unfairly represented. Eventually, they view that the organization has disrupted their protective sheath that has protected them previously. Thus majority discover comfort in religion (Haynes, 2016).
In providing people with a sense of belonging, groups of religions assist individuals to discover themselves in the contemporary time. For example, leaders of religions, point to the loss of the modern society ethical values as well as high corruption by preaching, “ The only answer to the current ‘decay’ is a return to traditional values and religious norms .” Therefore, religion offers the people with the feeling of being part and parcel of a group that demonstrate their interests while allowing them to reclaim their traditional sense (Ben-Nun Bloom et al. 2014).
In addition, globalization results to economic marginalization. For instance, as transnational businesses highly take over the responsibility of the state’s engagement in the economic segment, the government loses its prominence as a provider of welfare. Further, increasing the gap between people who have gained from the international market more so from the West and individuals who have been sidelined including the global south, globalization is viewed as Western imperialism or Americanization. A case in point, globalization is encouraged individuals to purchase American products and services which eventually neglects the deep-rooted shared values (Ben-Nun Bloom et al. 2014).
Through the formation of individual’s need for welfare, and acting as cultural defence contrary to globalization, religion is instrumental in playing a social role while gaining further recognition from the marginalized, specifically individuals in third world nations. For example, religious organizations including World Vision International, Catholic Relief Services as well as Islamic Relief Worldwide, assist in serving the disadvantaged in the fields of healthcare, environmental issues, the HIV/AIDs issues and poverty alleviation. Even in creating a promising hope and prosperity of economic relief, the organizations have huge followers since they do not have broad transnational bureaucracies as well as chains of command. The organization offers the power of collective identity as well as the depth of ethical obligations (Haynes, 2016).
Lastly, globalization results in mental stress. Even though globalization inspires crisscrossing of borders, it as well leaves the people with the anxiety of losing their work or status and related privileges. Since globalization also favors material wealth as the focus of life as opposed to inner peace, persons aim at achieving material possession including car, house, and game among others. When people attain the material wealth, they find themselves as empty inside, thus they discover that inner peace cannot be attained through material wealth.
To the persons, religion offers them the path to inner peace as well as the sense of individual fulfillment. For instance, people who have a feeling of insecurity in the globalized world or business and individual life will pray to Almighty to seek spiritual support. Further, the persons discover that getting engaged in their communities as well as organizing themselves together in social movements for a desired cause results to more satisfaction compared to material wealth (Haynes, 2016).
In summary, under the fast changes of the globalizing world, to reclaim the sense of certainty, majority of people turn to religion for clarity of what is unfolding throughout the world. Religions, therefore, offer the ideology of home with its powerful identity as a means to security and unity in times of crises.
There are pieces of inter-religious dialogue to achieve religious multiplicity as well as avoid violence though the issue may be of globalization’s intended or unintended repercussions of making religions further conscious of themselves as world religions. Besides, unwanted repercussions of disrupting traditional com munities, resulting to economic marginalization, and eventual mental stress all emphasize religious, cultural features and identities. Therefore, the association of globalization and religion has brought fresh potentials though also fueling challenges.
References
Ben-Nun Bloom, P., Arikan, G., &Sommer, U. (2014).Globalization, threat and religious freedom. Political Studies , 62 (2), 273-291.
Haynes, J. (Ed.). (2016). Religion, Globalization and Political Culture in the Third World . Springer.
