Religion Contributing To Society Development in China, India, and Mediterranean Regions
Religion is one of the most critical pillars of civilization in the modern history 1 . The ancient civilization in the Indian, Mediterranean and Chinese society adopted the theme of religion in its development. There are a lot of similarities and differences between the three regions. Chinese had no native religion, but Buddhism was later imported which facilitated its society development and civilization. Religion affected social manifestation and philosophical beliefs in the Chinese culture. It took over a century for religion to be incorporated into the Chinese culture. The views of the Chinese traditions and imported religion have increased understanding of the Chinese society. Buddhism has contributed a lot to Chinese culture in language, literature, art, and also science. The teachings of Buddhism have promoted harmony in the Chinese society for over 500 years. The religion has also tried to govern the business relationships in the society. Buddhism principles like loyalty and endurance have helped build the Chinese society, particularly in the business world. The Chinese society is family based for generations as a result of the influence of the Buddhist religion. The society is built on the pillars of harmony and tolerance. Chinese leaving abroad still maintain the same values from their religion.
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The Indian society and its civilization have also been facilitated by religion too. Religious customs have for centuries shaped the Indian society. India is a country that has various religions including Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam and all have contributed to the development of the society hence improving civilization 2 . Religion for centuries has helped in the advancement of moral qualities like the security of kids and cared for guardians. The society believes in procreation. Religion in India has also helped social control. Religion has empowered the behavior of the society into becoming civilized individuals. It has also contributed to the premise of the law. This has led to the enactment of the Hindu Marriage Act. According to the Hindu religion, the husband is supposed to take care of the spouse and the kids 3 . This standard has remained for thousands of years into the current civilization. Religion has however impacted the society negatively as there is resistance to social changes. Religion goes beyond the social structures and affects the politics of the Indian society. Religion is a controlling force in the disposition of the people in the Indian society. India is among the few countries where multi-religious groups have lived harmoniously for decades. The present society in India is however somewhat chaotic compared to the earlier ages of civilization.
The last region is the Mediterranean where ancient civilization has been brought about by the remarkable historic events mainly in the theme of religion. It has helped in the development of the society. Exchange of ideas through religious integration facilitated the development of the Mediterranean society. Islam, Christians, and Jews contributed to the social development in this region. The lands surrounding the sea provide the basis for beliefs in the modern western society 4 . The society was hence built on various religious cultures from the Egyptians tales to Christianity. The Roman society, the Egyptian, Mesopotamia feared a supreme being. This subsequently led to an institutional authority responsible for the societies’ system. The society has allowed for integration between the religion and political authority. The society could not separate these two as both were for the prosperity of the community. There are some similarities between the Chinese and the Mediterranean in that the societal values are built on the religion; the obedience of the Supreme Being and tolerance. However, the Mediterranean region has religion and politics intertwined compared to China and India where religion does not play a critical role in the society’s authority.
Bibliography
Brook, Timothy, and B. Michael Frolic. 2015. Civil Society in China . Routledge, 2015.
Norenzayan, Ara, Azim F. Shariff, Will M. Gervais, Aiyana K. Willard, Rita A. McNamara, Edward Slingerland, and Joseph Henrich. 2016. "The Cultural Evolution of Prosocial Religions". Behavioral and Brain Sciences 39. Doi: 10.1017/s0140525x14001356
1 (Brook and Frolic 2015)
2 (Norenzayan et al. 2016)
3 (Norenzayan et al. 2016)
4 (Norenzayan et al. 2016)
