According to a 2016 study by the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation, religion contributes to about &1.2 trillion dollars of yearly socio economic value to the U.S economy. Apparently, $418 billion comes from religious congregations (Smith, 2012). Institutions as health systems, charities and universities contribute $303 billion while faith based and faith-inspired businesses contribute $437 billion. This essay reviews how religion and religious holidays have promoted several businesses to increase their productivity and profitability.
How Stores Profit From Religion
Religion contributes to the prosperity of the stores because congregations do much more than just visit places of worship. Annually, the worshippers spend approximately $84 billion on their church operations. For instance, for those who have travelled long distances to come to the Catholic Church in Rome, they pay stores to bring them food and water. Besides, Grzymala (2012) states that Christians promote store sales by paying for goods and services like sound systems, maintenance and utilities and flowers for decoration of the church. Furthermore, because of religion, religion related businesses have come up to add to $438 billion to the U.S economy. Such institutions include Halal and Kosher food industries, religious media networks like the EWTN which profits from conducting religious advertisements and activities, and the Christian Broadcast Network .
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How Card Companies Profit From Religion
Card companies use religious words to convey happiness and sadness depending on various occasions. With this, they profit extensively from religion (Smith, 2012). They invent inspirational Thank You cards to help people share and express their faith, express appreciation to friends, family and the clergy. Additionally, card companies make heartfelt sympathy cards with Christian inscriptions, joyful Easter and Christmas cards, which feature Bible verses and uplifting greetings. The companies consider the needs of all their customers when making their cards to attain more profitability.
Toy Manufacturers
Toy manufacturers like Hasbro, Nintendo and Spin Master profit from religious holidays like Christmas and Easter holidays as they fill their stores with new innovative toys that are appealing to children. According to Best et al., 2013, these toy makers make good profits since parents make numerous purchases for their children as well as make donations for the needy children in society as a sign of charity during the religious holidays. During these religious holidays, toy makers account for more than a third of annual revenues since they price the toys highly.
Money Used at Christmas
Christians associate Christmas with the birth of Christ. On this day, most faithful emulate the way of Christ by spending money on shopping, charity and by sharing with other people. They shop for food items; gifts and toys. Besides, they spend a lot of money on the shopping centers, which make numerous profits as a result (Kinnvall, 2004). Besides, for some Christians, Christmas is a time for joining friends and family and they spend a lot of money on travelling and purchasing gifts for them. Nevertheless, some this religious holiday provides an opportunity for some people to unwind and they travel to leisure destinations. There, they spend a significant amount of money on booking hotels, travelling to watch animals and for some entertainment in swimming or boat riding. Furthermore, some Christians go on holiday vacations to spend time with their families in different countries. Business people with hotels, supermarkets, air travel and water agencies profit extensively with religion and religious holidays.
Money Spent on Easter
Christians celebrate Easter holidays in remembrance of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. People celebrate this holiday in different ways. Apparently, 60 percent spend money on visiting their relatives and friends. Besides, they buy them gifts as a sign of appreciation. According to Kinnvall (2004), 58 percent of people prefer buying food and cooking a holiday meal for their families. They also buy drinks to share in the joy of Easter. Smith (2012) states that 17 Percent of people prefer eating out in restaurants while others order for fast food from restaurants like McDonalds. Additionally, most Catholic Christians travel to the Rome to celebrate Easter with other Christians and the pope. They cater for their travel expenses as well as meals and boarding fee. The major profiteers of religious holidays like Easter are stores, automobiles, air companies and hotels.
Money Spent on Halloween
Halloween is a western custom without direct reference to the bible. However, it has biblical principles relating directly to its celebration. Halloween refers to the evening before All Saints Day celebrated on November 1, Best et al., 2013. Other people celebrate it on 31 October and the night is full of pumpkin, ghosts and death. During the Halloween, Christians spend money on purchasing costumes, paintings and apples, which they gave away to other people.
Religion and Politics
The relationship between religion and politics is relevant in political philosophy. There is an important aspect of religion and peoples allegiance. Similarly, religious beliefs and practices support politics in several ways (Smith, 2012). Nonetheless, politicians have developed a certain interest in minority groups and their entitlements as well as political rights. One of the concerns given to these minority groups directly relates to their religious affiliations other than wealth, gender or ethnicity. Therefore, it is inevitable that religious aspects will conflict with political aspects. This essay reviews how politicians use religion for their political interests and those of their subordinates.
Establishment and Separation of the Church and the State
Since the age of the Protestant Reformation, European societies were at loggerheads regarding determining the role of the church and the state. Similarly, since the Enlightenment, religion has acted in support of or opposed the role of politics, science, law, and economics. Additionally, the two ideologies have had a history of disagreement and reciprocal collaboration, Best et al., 2013.Religion can play a major role in the nationalistic leadership ideals. The two domains are similar in that people make decisions basing on certain reflections. According to Elliot, a contemporary philosopher, democratic societies rejected the influence of the church to their own disadvantage. This is because the church provides politicians with ethical wisdom that only emanates from religion. The philosopher was of the opinion that once politicians deviated from the church or from religion, they would collapse into dictatorship or become socially and culturally fragmented. There are times when decisions of the two domains can overlap, diverge or contribute to conflict.
Today, political systems need religious support as a sign of social cohesion in ensuring that citizens view themselves as connected to each other so they will cooperate politically to achieve collective political decisions (Gryzmala, 2012). This cohesion depends on cultural conformity with respect to adherence of religion. Therefore, the government and politicians must display religious symbols in government buildings and offices. Besides, in public holidays or in government meetings, politicians must associate with religious leaders by allowing them to offer prayers and chant some religious words before commencing their programs.
Politicians Resort to Religion in Crisis
According to Political scientist David O’Connell, many at times, crisis often portrays religion in politicians and not political convenience as otherwise thought. Apparently, politicians resort to religion when public opinions about them are falling (Kinnvall,2004).Similarly, this situation happens with the threatening of a presidency and when the fate of a country lies on the resolution of a problem. This is when politicians hold on to their Christian faith.
The Case of Jimmy Carter
Politicians use religion to win votes and create political positions for themselves. A case in example is Jimmy Carter who was a peanut farmer and Sunday school teacher who vied for presidency in the U.S. In his quest for the top position, he relied on his religious beliefs and convictions to make voters believe that he was a man of good character therefore would be able to lead the world super power. Nonetheless, the Nixon administrative had corruption scandals, Americans had faith in a religious president, and Jimmy Carter would qualify for this position because of his spiritual biography (Gryzymala, 2012). The betrayal after the Watergate scandal made American citizens yearn for stronger ethical values in the White House.
The Case of President Obama
Politicians use religion as guiding principles in their executive decisions. For instance, while announcing the executive stance regarding undocumented immigrants, president Obama quoted the bible in the book of Leviticus 19:34. He announced that the scripture states that people shall not oppress a stranger because they were once strangers. In this case, president Obama made his decision guided by the Christian moral ethics, Best et al., 2013. Therefore, politicians use religion to make vital decisions in their administration when faced with challenging situations.
The Case of President Lincoln
Politicians use religion as consolation during hard times to restore faith in their people. For instance, President Abraham Lincoln referred to the gracious favor of the Almighty God in the Emancipation Proclamation. At this time of his political career, Lincoln forecasted the abolition of slave trade and reconciliation between the South and North as not just compassionate politics but God’s will (Smith, 2012). Up to today, Lincoln’s address is among the most important inaugurals in the history of the American presidency and the most religious. This is because it was his explanation of why God had permitted tragedy of the war to occur in America.
The Case of Roy Moore
Politicians use the perception of religious persecution to further their political careers. Roy Moore is the current Alabama U.S. senator commonly known as the ten-commandment judge. According to Kinnvall (2004), Moore, is popular for defying a federal court order to remove a monument of the Ten Commandments he had erected in the entrance path of the Alabama Supreme court. Because of this, he became prominent to an extent that he became a Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate.
The Case of President Donald Trump
Politicians use religious terms to enhance their political intentions and gain further popularity. For instance, President Donald Trump was bragging in St.Louis about how he had brought back “Merry Christmas” to the White House by printing it on the White House holiday cards.
In conclusion, politics and commercialism use religion for their own benefits in America. Politicians preach in the name of God to woe voters and supporters to assist them in qualifying for their desired political seats. Similarly, they use religion in times of crisis to motivate their compatriots not to give up because there is a divine being that is bigger than all difficult situations. Similarly, businesses benefit extensively from religion through religious holidays like Christmas, Halloween and Easter holidays. Nonetheless, religion is what keeps people going and the nation moving because its domains together with those of politics work hand in hand to enhance the successful well being of every person.
References
Best, L. N., Attwood, C. G., da Silva, C., & Lamberth, S. J. (2013). Chondrichthyan occurrence and abundance trends in False Bay, South Africa, spanning a century of catch and survey records. African Zoology, 48 (2), 201-227.
Kinnvall, C. (2004). Globalization and religious nationalism: Self, identity, and the search for ontological security. Political psychology , 25 (5), 741-767.
Grzymala-Busse, A. (2012). Why comparative politics should take religion (more) seriously. Annual Review of Political Science, 15, 421-442.
Smith, L. M. (2012). How to write heartfelt letters to treasure: For special occasions and occasions made special . All My Best.
