Religion is considered a group phenomenon because of certain aspects that should be understood in sociological terms. In many societies, including western cultures, emphasis is always placed on beliefs, even though other aspects of religion are also important. In this case, religion is considered as a group phenomenon because it entails educating children on what constitutes the belief system.
For instance, children are always exposed to literature that exposes them to catechism, which is the testimonial that any believer should consent. In other communities, children are expected to study the scripture in a certain stage of his or her life, which would help such a child in giving a sermon. Islam and Judaism are some of the religions that encourage their children to learn the fundamentals of the belief system.
Christianity and Judaism insist on academic and formal belief system whereby children need to undertake religious courses to equip them with the basics of belief system.
Other aspects of religion that makes it a group phenomenon include customs, religious experiences, and the sense of community. These facets do not refer to the individual religion, but instead they refer to the manner in which religious groups restructure themselves in society as far as focusing on shared meaning is concerned.
Religion is a group phenomenon in the sense that it has an indispensable cognitive feature. In other words, it shapes the knowledge and the skills of the believer in a number of ways. Sociologists observe that the skills and the knowledge gained through religious customs organize personal opinions into a certain system, which serve as the basis of action.
For instance, if an individual beliefs that some form of influential wicked spirits surrounds him or her, he or she would generate evidence regarding the presence of these spirits and would consequently adopt some measures to protect him or herself. In particular, an individual would resort to prayer, which would be conducted in accordance to the religious customs.
In western societies, beliefs are treated as mere opinions that do not have substantial effect on the third party. In such societies, people rely on empirical evidence that can be tested scientifically. Empirical evidence is referred to as scientific knowledge. In this regard, the existence of evil spirits is only real to an individual who believes in the faith. This belief shapes an individual’s experiences and actions.
Therefore, an individual who believes that spirits cause sickness and the other individual who believes that germs cause diseases are similar in the sense that they both base their arguments on a certain body of knowledge.
Religion is also viewed as a group phenomenon because of the rituals, which consist of figurative actions that distinguish spiritual meanings. A ritual is a ratification of the spiritual meaning while beliefs signify the cognitive characteristic of religion. It should be understood that the two are intertwined because they both offer a detailed meaning of religion.
Rituals are mainly employed to denote the unity of the group because it brings members of a certain group together. Scholars observe that rituals play a critical role in religious convictions because they help members in remembering some of the shared meanings.
Moreover, a ritual revitalizes the consciousness of the individual, which has a significant effect to the group, as well as the individual. For an individual, he or she is able to identify him or herself with a group while the group benefits because its commitment and sense of harmony is renewed.
Religion is always considered a group phenomenon because it generates some religious experiences that signify subjective engagement with the sacrosanct. Such experiences are usually confidential and personal, but people tend to share them with other group members through expression of beliefs and rituals.
Through religious experiences, an individual would definitely belong to a religious community, which is a community of memory. Religious community refers to a group that shares collective memories regarding certain beliefs.
How does one become religious?
People become religious in different ways, but most people find themselves subscribing to a belief system through birth and socialization. In fact, socialization is the main contributing factor to people’s religiousness. In some religions, such as Islam and Judaism, children are expected to adopt the religious culture through birth. They are introduced to the basics of religious beliefs at the family level.
An established education system is always established, which introduces children to religious beliefs and principles. In the Islamic religion, it is mandatory for children to study Islamic laws, which are derived from religion. Other factors that compel individuals to be religious include the fear of the uncertainty, need for validation, the desire for orderliness, and the need to belong.
People in the world have never explained the real cause of death. In this regard, people feel that they are safe when they belong to a certain religion. Moreover, people believe that religious organizations provide answers to numerous problems affecting humanity. In fact, religious organizations comfort those with problems. Regarding orderliness, it is generally believed that religion helps an individual to accomplish his or her missions peacefully.