Is Religion In Decline As A Major Institution Religion Essay

Is Religion In Decline As A Major Institution Religion Essay This paper will critically analyse and debate the question is religion in decline as a major social institution? I will be focusing my paper primarily on the United Kingdom (UK) but will touch on other Western countries. To begin, this paper will look at the definitions of religion as this in its self is surrounded by debate, and then it will go on to look at what is meant by secularisation. The main body of the paper will look at various perspectives, both for and against the idea that religion is in decline within the UK using not only the well documented thoughts of Sociologists but also using data that has been collated through various methods, such as the Census and British Social Attitudes Survey (BSA). Religion could also be thought of in various other situations, such as in football for example, a group of people come together in a belief of something. They perform rituals and sing the praises of what could be described as their common god their football team. However, for the purpose of this paper we will assume religion to be of the most commonly perceived form ie the belief and praying to god -regardless of the gods title ie God Allah etc. When we speak of the decline of religion in society we often hear the word secularisation being mentioned, Bryan Wilson (Religion in Secular Society, 1966), describes secularisation as the process whereby religious thinking, practices and institutions is becoming less prominent in society and its institutions less important and influential in the lives of individuals. Whilst Peter Berger in The Social Reality of Religion, 1969 puts an argument forward that it is The process by which sectors of society and culture are removed from the domination of religious institutions and symbols Wilson also stated that those who defined religion in substantive terms are more likely to be in agreement of the secularisation thesis, this is due to the fact that they can show that religious beliefs has declined as people accept other more rational explanations of the world due to factors such as post-modernity, the Industrial Revolution bringing about a greater understanding of the sciences and techn ology has also brought about a decline in the beliefs of a god within the minds of UK citizens, especially Christian UK citizens. Many Sociologists are in agreement that changes in society will directly impact on changes in religion. Going a step further, some sociologists have claimed that the continuing advancement of science will eventually mean a further weakening, or even complete disappearance of religion within our society. Berger (1967) states that with the rapid growth of technologies, media and sciences comes a decline of religion and a questioning of its place in society. He goes on to state that religion, in the past, has held the answers to our unanswerable questions and gave meaning to lives. Now that our questions are now answered by science and technology then the church and religion is no longer needed. This process is also referred to as the Rational Choice Theory (RTC) of Religion . Another supporter of the secularisation theory is Bruce (1995) whom argues that by measuring the size of the clergy is a direct indicator of the popularity of religion. At the start of the 1900s, there were over 45,000 clerics in Britain, this had declined to just over 34,000 100 years later in 2000. The clergy had decreased by almost twenty five percent, despite the fact that the population had all but doubled in size (Bruce 1995). Bruce also states that another pointer to secularisation is the rising divorce rate, coupled with fewer religious marriage ceremonies. In 1995 Bruce stated that 30 years ago church weddings used to make up 75% of all marriage ceremonies, but now this figure has fallen to less than half . When you add this statistic with the facts that there is an ever increasing divorce rate, cohabitation is becoming commonplace and the percentage of children being born outside of a marriage is at am all time high; it has to be seen that religion and its moral value sys tem exert little influence today (Bruce 1995). Durkheim stated A religion is a unified system of beliefs and practicesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦which unite into one single moral community called a Church, all those who adhere to them (Durkheim 1915: 62). He emphasised that religion brought people together, they shared a common belief and commitment to the same sacred symbol. It must be pointed out that Durkheim states that it is the coming together and bonding that is important not the reason of their togetherness. Durkheim argues that religion holds an essential social function There can be no society which does not feel the need of upholding and reaffirming at regular intervals the collective sentiments and collective ideas which make its unity and its personality (1915, 474-475) Although Durkheim was speaking here regarding religion we can see this happening in other ways in society, going back to the football match you could relate this statement back to the Emirates stadium, Anfield, Old Trafford and indeed any of the 100s of football grounds around the UK on any given Saturday between August and May! Webers The Protestant Ethic The Spirit of Capitalism shows us how Calvinists in the 16th and 17th century looked upon a persons success within business and savings was an indication that they were destined for salvation. We can relate this to the early beginnings of capitalism and a persons responsibility and prospects, with time the emphasis of religious beliefs was eroded as capitalism prospered. With this new society came increasing rationalisation, this lead to disenchantment and inevitably along with that came a decrease in religious belief systems and church attendance Anthon y Giddens (1997) wrote The three classical sociological theorists, Marx, Durkheim and Weber [all] thought that the significance of religion would decrease in modern times. Each believed that religion is in a fundamental sense an illusion. The advocates of different faiths may be wholly persuaded of the validity of the beliefs they hold and the rituals in which they participate, yet the very diversity of religions and their obvious connections to different types of society, the three thinkers held, make these claims inherently implausible. If we are to examine secularisation it is common sense to evaluate church attendance. According to the 1851 British Census just over 40% of the population attended church. By 1950 this had dipped to 20% and in 2000 we saw just 7.5 % of people stating that they attended church. Looking towards the future we could look at Sunday school attendance. Attendance had also dropped to an all time low in 1900 55% of children attended Sunday School in the year 2000 this figure plummeted below 4% this surely shows that religion is in decline, and at a very swift rate. The UK Census Data (2001) shows that 71.6% claim to be Christian, 2.7% Muslim, 1.0% Hindu, 0.6% Sikh, 0.5% Jewish, 0.3% Buddhist and 23.2% either have no religion or did not state one. However, if we compare the Census 2001 data with data available from Social Trends 30 (2000) cited in Moore (2001) suggest that while Christianity seems to be in decline other religions are not. Within the UK Islam had increased 380% from 130,000 people stating it as their religion in 1970 to 495,000. The UK has also seen a massive increase in Sikhism by 250% from 1970 to 1990. It must be pointed out that although undoubtedly these religions are on the increase by 100s of percent that the total number of individuals that say they are practising these religions is still quite a small percentage of the UK population. It also should be pointed out that although the Census data is usually accurate it is now almost 10 years old, and could be seen as outdated information. . An opposing view of secularisation argues that religious practices and participation have, in the past, been greatly overestimated and exaggerated. Martin (1967), has questioned the validity and reliability of past religious statistics. He argues that the demographic content is not valid and questions methods used for the collation of this data. Martin states that peoples religious belief systems and belonging to religious groups cannot be measured from statistics regarding religious practice. He goes on to state that although people may be religious they are choosing to express their belief in alternative ways. Martin also argued that some people attended Church for what the church can do for them in a non-religious capacity, for social motive, as opposed to holding strong religious beliefs. This mindset resulted in attendance of church numbers being inflated , Martin questions whether or not to interpret declining attendance to places of worship as evidence that points towards a lo ss of religious faith within society. Demaroth and Hammond (1969), also agree with this viewpoint and state that We should avoid the quick assumption that Church members are always highly religious in their personal beliefs and activities, or that Church non-members are otherwise non-religious.. Robert Bellah puts forward the argument that it is wrong to perceive that just because people do no longer attend church is vast numbers that region itself is in decline. Bellah states that people do not need to be a part of a large religious organisation in order to be religious, they can simply practice their beliefs in their own homes and lives and it is this that makes them religious, not the fact that they attend a church building. Luckmann (1967) calls this practice the Invisible Religion Luckmann states that when society goes through periods of vast change and development it is also expected that religious practices and systems will also evolve, and new forms shall emerge. It is fair to say that both Bellah and Luckmann agree that religion is simply transforming rather than declining. They argue that whilst group and public meetings of religion are in decline that personal practice is as strong as ever, but cannot be scientifically measured. A similar argument is put forward by Grace Davie (1995) she is in agreement with Bellah in that secularisation needs to be separated from belief and belonging. She argues the theory that in the UK religion is belief without belonging people believe, but feel they do not belong to the church, so they practice their religion in the privacy of their own homes. To conclude, it must be said that religion is in decline as a major social institution within the UK when referring to the Christian religions specifically Roman Catholics, Protestants and Methodists. These religious institutions have seen a rapid fall in church attendance- regardless of if people are practicing in their own homes or not. Within the UK religion, specifically Christianity, has seen a decrease, or disengagement, of power issues such as abortion and divorce used to be influenced greatly by the church today people do not look to the church for guidance on such issues but look more towards personal circumstance in order to reach decisions. With this in mind it can only be concluded that the major institution that we know as the church now holds less power, less cohesion and less importance within the UK today with traditions of religion and prayer being replaced by new technologies and a wish for an individual to succeed in personal issues such as employment, status and w ealth. The opposite could be argued for other religions such as Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism, although it could also be argued that these religions are only on the increase due to immigration into the UK in the past 10 years. I found very little factual data that could show a large number of UK born citizens joining such religions so it is my belief that the growth of these religions is primarily due to the fact that the beliefs and practices of these religions have been brought into the UK rather than developed within the UK. Ref Journal: Tony Fahey Studies: An Irish Quarterly Review, Vol. 83, No. 332 (Winter, 1994), pp. 367-375 (article consists of 9 pages) Published by: Irish Province of the Society of Jesus Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30091534 Growth and Decline of Churchly Religion Ref Journal ; Malaise in the Sociology of Religion: A Prescription Richard K. Fenn Sociological Analysis, Vol. 46, No. 4 (Winter, 1985), pp. 401-414 (article consists of 14 pages) Published by: Oxford University Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3711156 Davie, G (1994) Religion in Britain since 1945. England,Blackwell Publishing Giddens,.A (2001) Sociology Introductory Readings , revised edition.: England, polity Hamilton, M (2001): The Sociology of Religion : England: Routlegde Luckmann, T (1963) The Invisible Religion: The Problem With Religion in Modern Society : England, Macmillan. British Social Attitudes Survey (BSA), viewed 08 April 2010, BOOK Bruce, S 1995, Religion in Modern Britain, Oxford, Oxford University Press. Census. Religion in Britain: Office for National Statistics, viewed 16 April 2010, www.curriculum-press.co.uk sociology fact sheet one viewed 28 March 2010.

The Creatures Quest for Love-Frankenstein

In the fourteenth chapter of Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein the creature is telling Victor what he has learned from watching the people who live in the cottages. He tells him that they were once very influential citizens of Paris. The father was a Turk who was falsely accused of a crime and Felix risks everything to save him from spending his life in prison for a crime he did not commit. Felix meets the Turks daughter Safie and falls in love with her. Safie was very happy to marry Felix because it would take her out of a place where women could not be independent.Felix’s plan was discovered and they were all banished from France and all of their wealth was taken from them. They found themselves settling in a cottage in Germany. After watching the cottagers for so long the creature has learned acceptance and love even when there is a price to pay for it and wishes only for Victor to give him that same type of acceptance. After Victor’s mother died he was obsessed with finding the spark of life. He dug up graves and took pieces of human body parts and put them together to form his own creation. After bringing it to life he is disgusted by what he sees.The creature turns out to be a hideous creation. Victor runs out of his apartment leaving the creature alone and the creature retreats to the forest at which time he discovers the family living there. The creature tells Victor of his struggles since he was created. He tells him about the rejection he as experienced while he wondered the lands. He tells Victor that people do not welcome him as he thought they might. He comes across a family living in the forest. After watching the family the creature learns that he is not like everyone else. He is different and wonders where he fits in.He wonders if he should be with the humans or the animals, he says in Chapter 13, â€Å"I was not even of the same nature as man, where do I belong in the scheme of life, with men or among the animals? † He also knew that he had a creator and that creator was Victor. He wanted answers from Victor. The creature finds Victors jacket in the woods and gets his notes from the jacket pockets. In the notes the creature finds out exactly how he was created. This new information is sickening to the creature. The creature continues watching the family in the cottages.He is intrigued with the way the family reacts to Safie returning with servants and money. He understands that Safie takes care of all of them in a loving way. He starts to notice the roll of women. He then starts to wonder why he has no woman. He then kills Victor’s brother to show him that he is serious in his request for a mate. He tells Victor that he will kill him too if he does not make him a woman. The creature felt that if he had a mate then he would have the love and acceptance that he longed for and that maybe he would be more like the humans; normal. Victor does not create the creature a mate.He realizes that there cou ld be two of the monsters on the lose murdering and doing hideous things. He also envisions what could happen if they were to have children. With this in mind he destroys her in front of the creature. The creature vows to get revenge on Victor for depriving him of the love he longs for. He tells Victor that he will be with him on his wedding night and Victor assumes that the creature is promising that he will kill Victor. Victor marries Elizabeth and all the while wondering when the creature will make good onh is promise. The creature does and kills Elizabeth instead of Victor.The creature wants to make Victor feel the loneliness that he feels so he takes his mate. Victor tries to shoot the creature but misses and the creature escapes. After this Victor finally tells his story, but by this time all of the damage is done. Victor now wants revenge. He has lost everyone he loved and the one thing that is to blame for it is still on the lose. Victor never would accept the creature or ex tend any hint of love or care for him. The creature thought the reason was that he was so disgustingly ugly and he hated Victor for creating him that way.He hated it so much that he wreaked havoc on Victor by killing everyone he loved. All of this could have been avoided had Victor just accepted the creature. The creature finally realizes that his looks are so bad that no one will ever have anything to do with him, much less love him. But he keeps looking for acceptance and tries to reason with Victor to make him understand how the creature longs for a relationship. The two actually have something in common. They both search for happiness and love and both end up with neither.

What Everybody Dislikes About College Admission Essay and Why

What Everybody Dislikes About College Admission Essay and Why College Admission Essay: No Longer a Mystery The next step is to become acquainted with the particular requirements for admission. Once you get the college admission assignment, remember that it should unquestionably be about you, but nevertheless, it should also be involving and academically accurate. It is very important to relate your interests to the discipline of study you're aspiring to. Most colleges have specific essays which they will ask you to write, so knowing the topics beforehand and selecting a particular subject that fulfills your areas of expertise is vital. Being aware of what to expect after you graduate can help you choose which program to apply for and permit you to target your statement or essay in a manner that will present your commitment. Tons of people never learn to compose essays, and they miss out on opportunities as an outcome. Now you can get genuine college essay online, one that is going to fit your financial plan and get your work done also. Should you need college essay help, there are lots of things you can do in order to direct you in writing your college admission essay. Lots of people treat the admission essay for a burden and would like to do away with it as quickly as possible. You're able to easily buy unique college essays and don't neglect to tell friends and family about it. With their aid, you can make confident of delivering a perfect admission essay. Admission officers are interested in someone to add to what Their University is. Some colleges permit the students to do some creative writing, where the student may write about whatever interests him or something which could earn a superior story. Students lead busy lives and frequently forget about an approaching deadline. Today, most college students find it difficult to compose an essay on a particular topic. The Most Popular College Admission Essay In summary, learning how to compose essays properly is something which you cannot avoid. The more concise you're, the more you will be able to seize your reader's interest. The crucial thing is to avoid exaggerating when it regards the vocabulary. Fortunately, you've come to the proper place to discover the greatest remedy to every single academic writing problem that you're currently facing with your essay. The single most essential part of your essay preparation could be simply making certain you truly understand the question or essay prompt. After making sure you've mentioned all your ideas, it is easy to spice up the essay with an amazing introduction and conclusion. Get your creative juices flowing by brainstorming all the potential ideas you can imagine to handle your essay question. Get your creative juices flowing by brainstorming all the potential ideas you can imagine to handle your college essay question. So for those who have an essay assigned that you require help with, you can purchase essay online cheap from us. When you're finished writing, you will need to make sure your essay still adheres to the prompt. You can receive your essay done in under 4 hours, and it'll be of premium quality. Your essay is a special reflection of who you are as an individual. What Is So Fascinating About College Admission Essay? Getting into college is a tough job. Being in college might be a tiny struggle for some. Before enrolling into a college be sure you have found exactly what you want. If you need a career in only two decades, a community college is ideal.

What Is the Definition of Synthetic Cubism

Synthetic Cubism is a period in the Cubism art movement that lasted from 1912 until 1914. Led by two famous Cubist painters, it became a popular style of artwork that includes characteristics like simple shapes, bright colors, and little to no depth. It was also the birth of collage  art in which real objects were incorporated into the paintings. What Defines Synthetic Cubism Synthetic Cubism grew out of Analytic Cubism. It was developed by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque and then copied by the Salon Cubists.  Many art historians consider  Picassos Guitar series  to be the ideal example of the transition between the two periods of Cubism. Picasso and Braque discovered that through the repetition of analytic signs their work became more generalized, geometrically simplified, and flatter. This took what they were doing in the Analytic Cubism period to a new level because it discarded the idea  of three dimensions in their work. At first glance, the most noticeable change from Analytic Cubism is the color palette. In the previous period, the colors were very muted, and many earth tones dominated the paintings. In Synthetic Cubism, bold colors ruled. Lively reds, greens, blues, and yellows gave great emphasis to this newer work. Within their experiments, the artists employed a variety of techniques to achieve their goals. They regularly used a passage, which is when overlapping planes share a single color. Rather than paint flat depictions of paper, they incorporated real pieces of paper, and real scores of music replaced drawn musical notation. The artists could also be found to utilize everything from fragments of newspapers and playing cards to cigarette packs and advertisements in their work. These were either real or painted and interacted on the flat plane of the canvas as the artists tried to achieve a total interpenetration of life and art. Collage and Synthetic Cubism The invention of collage, which integrated signs and fragments of real things, is one aspect of Synthetic Cubism. Picassos first collage, Still Life with Chair Caning, was created in May of 1912 (Musà ©e Picasso, Paris). Braques first papier collà © (pasted paper), Fruit Dish with Glass,  was created in September of that same year(Boston Museum of Fine Arts). Synthetic Cubism lasted well into the post-World War I period. The Spanish painter Juan Gris was a contemporary of Picasso and Brague who is also well-known for this style of work. It also influenced later 20th-century artists such as Jacob Lawrence, Romare Bearden, and Hans Hoffman, among many others. Synthetic Cubisms integration of high and low art (art made by an artist combined with art made for commercial purposes, such as packaging) can be considered the first Pop Art. Coining the Term Synthetic Cubism The word synthesis about Cubism can be found in Daniel-Henri Kahnweilers book The Rise of Cubism (Der Weg zum Kubismus), published in 1920. Kahnweiler, who was Picasso and Braques art dealer, wrote his book while in exile from France during World War I. He did not invent the term Synthetic Cubism. The terms Analytic Cubism and Synthetic Cubism were popularized by Alfred H. Barr, Jr. (1902 to 1981) in his books on Cubism and Picasso. Barr was the first director of the Museum of Modern Art, New York and likely took his queue for the formal phrases from Kahnweiler.