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Religion influences the culture of society, but the culture encompasses much more than Just religion. Some relate culture to the shared language, traditions and beliefs that set different groups of people apart. It can refer to literature, music, art, food, and holidays. Many people have diverse notions of what culture is and what it entails, but a suitable overall explanation is that culture is the way a society is shaped by all aspects of life. Islam and Christianity are two very distinctive religions that show how religion and culture coincide.
Christianity is one of the world’s most practiced elisions. In ancient times It challenged everything about culture and society, changing the status of women, slaves, and kings. Much later, It became the foundation for the modern democracy in America: one can undoubtedly see how Christianity has influenced the culture of the country as a whole. America’s national motto, “In God We Trust”, is found on different forms of US currency. Every president thus far has been Christian, which is no coincidence.
Whether it is through laws or action, America has established what is morally right and wrong In society in alignment to The Bible. The Gospel of Matthew quotes the Ten Commandments saying, “You shall not murder” and explains further that “anyone who Is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment”. If one does commit such an act there is punishment and they “will be in danger of the fire of hell”. Murder is illegal and taken very seriously in America Just like it is taken in Christianity.
It is a severe offense and results in extreme consequences, being prison or sometimes death. It is also commonly accepted that fighting and hostility between siblings or other people Is morally wrong and should be avoided. Realistically, fighting with loved ones Is difficult to avoid and Inevitable, but typically leaves people regretful knowing they’ve done wrong. The Bible also reads, “Thou shall not commit adultery’, adultery may happen more frequently today, but it is understood as an act of wrongdoing and is critically frowned upon by society.
If a divorce is the result, the court will not be in favor of the unfaithful spouse when it comes to matters such as the division of assets. Aside from the many laws and actions, there are many other evident ways Charlatanry Influences culture In America and all around the world. Christmas and Easter are two;o of the biggest holidays celebrated with various traditions of Christianity. People that aren’t Christian or even religious find themselves celebrating the birth and death of Jesus, whether they know it or not, during the holidays because it’s a vibrant part of their culture.
Growing up in conservative areas of America, one may automatically be exposed to Christianity finding that most people around them are practitioners. It Is recognizably part of the culture In the area. Belief in God and Christianity is a way of life. America is a remarkably diverse entry; although Christianity may be one of the most prominent religions, there are several additional ones that influence culture as well and even more throughout the remainder of the world. Instead of growing up in a conservative area in America, what if the same person was born and raised in China?
They would experience a considerably different culture and way of life, perhaps influenced by another religion such as Buddhism, or no religion at all. A practitioner of Christianity is expected to share the word of God and their faith; they are to have a disposition for Christ. God knows what practitioners are capable of offering Him. They recognize that “God did not abandon man after he fell into sin, but promised him a Redeemer, who was to satisfy for man’s sin and reopen to him the gates of heaven” and that “Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the Redeemer of mankind” (The Baltimore Catechism).
A substantial practitioner of Christianity was Paul of Tarsus, originally named Saul. He was traveling the road to Damascus to investigate Christianity and possibly arrest people apart of it when he encountered a message from God that would forever change him. He subsequently made a 25-year career of spreading Christianity and changed his name to Paul. His interpretation mostly shapes Christianity up until today. Many practicing Christians today carry out their duty to spread their faith, but many do not.
Throughout time Christianity as adapted to the modern world, but more recently the spreading of the religion has decelerated. In society, Christians have become more spiritually distant from non-Christians. Simple occurrences including not engaging in conversation about Christianity with others or failing to invite people o go to church exemplify why dispersion has slowed. Some prefer to blend in with society and keep their beliefs to themselves. These situations exhibit how culture can influence religion. Islam is a widely practiced religion that originated in the Middle East.
The earliest forms of Islam were primarily Arab. Now, Muslims live in various countries around the world. Islam is an aspect of culture that has an inordinate amount of influence in the areas where the religion is prevalent. Islamic culture refers to the customs and traditions that Muslims have adopted in their respective Mounties including the clothing they wear, foods they eat, wedding traditions and other components of life. Two of the primary influences that helped shape Islam are Christianity and Judaism, but these did not contribute much to the culture that emerged.
Customs, traditions and virtues of the Islamic culture were incorporated from Arabian Polytheism as well as the name for the Islamic God, Allah. All of the practices developed around the religion of Islam have created a unique culture. Muslims are practitioners of Islam and are expected to follow The Five Pillars of Islam, the foundation for Muslim life. The pillars are constituent of culture for they shape how one should live on a daily basis. The first pillar, The Creed, recognizes there is no God but God, God alone is to be the focus of worship and praise and Mohammad is God’s messenger.
Muslims have an obligation to pray five times a day, called Salad; this is the second pillar. Salad includes preparation, postures, rituals, traditions, specific openings and readings. This contributes to culture because it becomes a lifestyle. The third pillar is The Alms to The Poor, involving an annual payment of a fortieth of one’s income. A chief principle of Islam is everything belongs to God, and method of self-purification requiring one to fast for a month. This period helps one to remember the poor who are starving and to remember the many blessings one has.
The last pillar is The Hajj], an obligation only for those who are physically and financially able to make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime. Islamic culture is existent in many of the countries in The Middle East. “The form of government of Iran is that of an Islamic Republic” (Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, General Principles). If a country government is centered on a religion, almost every aspect of that religion will be relevant to the culture of the area. Most of the Middle East has Islamic culture because the governments are Islamic.
Many notice how certain Muslims cover their entire body when going out in public. The Hajji is the practice of Islam women veiling themselves. There is a passage that says women should dress modestly and also should men. Islam recognizes that men are weak, if a woman cared she could dress more modest so that men are not tempted or distracted. This became tradition and custom and is considered to be voluntary. The practice in America is becoming more popular one of the reasons being to show liberation of women, they are more than pieces of flesh and deserve respect.
An inordinate amount of culture is reflected in the custom of the Hajji. Marriage in Islam is considered to be of the highest importance. It is a vital part of a Muslims life. Marriage is so imperative in the religion that it is acknowledged to be one half of one’s faith. Allah stated in the Quern, “And wed the single among you”. The fact that Allah himself announced this demonstrates to Muslims the significance of marriage and further encourages them to participate in he act. Marriage is included in all cultures, but in Islam the concept differs from most other general perceptions.
Polygamy may be considered ordinary in a marriage for a man depending on where he lives. In America it is not accepted but in the Middle East it is practiced. Christianity and Islam are tremendously diverse religions that have shown how religion and culture correspond. America demonstrates how religion influences culture by laws and actions aligned with The Bible. The celebration of religious holidays and traditions by most of the population, including on-Christians, validates how immense an impact the religion has on the culture of the country.
The practitioners of Christianity help extend the word of The Bible to others, resulting in the spread of a culture. Islam exemplifies how a religion can have its own culture and the different practices of the religion are what shape it. Practitioners of Islam are expected to live by The Five Pillars of Islam to form the foundation of Muslim life. Both religions influence culture in dissimilar yet significant ways revealing that while a religion retains the same beliefs and ideas, culture is constantly evolving around it.