THE SOCIAL FUNCTION OF RELIGION
Have you ever thought of it in this way?
THE SOCIAL FUNCTION OF RELIGION
Does religion play in important role – a positive role - in society? On Wikipedia, you’ll find this answer: “Religion and society are interrelated and influence each other. Religion provides various functions for individuals and groups, such as giving meaning and purpose to life, reinforcing social unity and stability, serving as an agent of social control, promoting psychological and physical well-being, and motivating social change1. Religion also shapes the moral ethos of society by teaching virtue and catalyzing moral action2. Religion plays an essential societal role that deserves special consideration2.” So, let’s dissect this.
There is no contest for the first part of this answer. Of course, they influence each other. But when we get to “giving meaning and purpose to life”, let’s think about that. What meaning and what purpose does religion provide? For some people, it determines how one acts and it directs them to some purpose, such as driving them to do things that are helpful to others – but also to do harm to others, such as coercing others to confess (or die).
How about “unity and stability”? Indeed. Religion encourages people to gather into congregations – but it also alienates people of differing and competing beliefs, even driving them into battle. Remember “the Thirty Years War” in Europe in the 17th century, when competing Christian kingdoms warred against each other. By the end of the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648), Catholic France had allied with the Protestant forces against the Catholic Habsburg monarchy. Now, in the U.S. in the 20th century, Christian nationalists would deprive Jews, Muslims and others from full participation in governmental affairs.
As “an agent of social control”, religion has been used to persecute those proposing novel scientific theories, writers with unorthodox ideas, and even humanitarian advocates. Perhaps it restrains people from acting unethically and even from acting unlawfully but, when it is employed as an instrument to organize cohorts of people to vilify, discriminate, or persecute others, it reveals itself as an anti-social body of unscrupulous people.
For many people, religion serves to promote “psychological and physical well-being”. However, it can also cause emotional trauma and distress in other who become depressed, vengeful or even psychotic because of its conflict-inducing emotional crises. And one only has to remember the atrocities committed during the Crusades or the Inquisition or currently the gender “correction” programs to understand the physical and psychological damage induced by religion.
There is no doubt that religion has been a motivating factor for social change – as evidenced with the effort to end slavery, the women’s suffrage movement, the civil rights movement and the program to end LGBTQ discrimination. But, it is now being used to justify the “Christian nationalism” movement in the U.S. which denies the egalitarian mandate represented in the teachings of Jesus.
[3] Thus, it is arguable whether religion has played a positive role in society. It has served as a motivating factor for much that has been socially beneficial. But, it has also been used as a motivation or justification for much that has been cruel and inhumane. Would humanity be better off if it were to abandon all religious pretense and believe and act as agnostic? Probably not. But, the Freedom from Religion Foundation would like to give it a try.