Religious behaviour

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Religious behaviours are behaviours motivated by religious beliefs. Religious actions are also called 'ritual' and religious avoidances are called taboos or ritual prohibitions.

Contents

Religious beliefs can inform ordinary aspects of life including eating, clothing and marriage, as well as deliberately religious acts such as worship, prayer, sacrifices etc. As there are over 4,000 religions in the world, [1] there is a wide variety of behaviour.

Actions

Religious behaviours may take on several aspects; [2]

The most general religious action is prayer. It can be done quietly by a person all alone, [4] but people can also pray in groups using songs. Sacrifice is also a widely spread religious action (usually time, money or food). [5] Prayer and sacrifice, as well as reading scriptures and attending a meeting at a religious building, [6] often form the basis of other, more complicated religious actions like pilgrimage, processions, or consulting an oracle. Many rituals are connected to a certain purpose, like initiation, ritual purification and preparation for an important happening or task. Among these are also the so-called rituals of transition, which occur at important moments of the human life cycle, like birth, adulthood/marriage, sickness and death. [7] A special religious action is spirit possession and religious ecstasy. Religious specialists, such as priests, vicars, rabbis, imams and pandits are involved in many religious actions.

Avoidances

A religious avoidance is when a person desists from something or from some action for religious reasons. It can be food or drink that one does not touch because of one's religion for some time (fast). This abstinence can also be for a longer time. Some people do not have sex (celibacy); others avoid contact with blood, or dead animals. Well known examples are: Jews and Muslims do not eat pork; the celibacy of Catholic priests; the purity rules of Hinduism and Judaism; the Word of Wisdom (which teaches to avoid alcohol, coffee, tea, etc.) of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. [8]

These avoidances, or 'taboos', are often about;

Religious avoidances are often not easily recognisable as (part of) religious behaviour. When asked, the believers often do not motivate this kind of behaviour explicitly as religious but say the avoidance for health reasons, ethical reasons, or because it is hygienic.

Academic study

Religious behaviour is seldom studied for itself. When it is given attention at all, it is usually studied as an illustration of the religious images, like in comparative religion and cultural anthropology, or as part of the study of man in the social sciences.

Studies can look at both beliefs and actions; for example, studies in the UK looked at people’s attitude to God and the afterlife, as well as actions such as worship attendance and prayer. [10] [11] Other surveys may look at similar actions. [12] [13]

Religious behaviour is part of a larger area of human behaviour; as such, studies and opinions are always changing.

Controversies

Negative behaviours

Studies have uncovered a negative relationship between religious beliefs and behaviours such as suicide, drug abuse, alcoholism, violence and risky behaviours. [14]

Persecution

Opposition to religious behaviour can lead to Religious Persecution, where certain individuals and groups are seen as 'separate' and unwelcome due to their beliefs or actions. [15] [16] [17]

Behaviour in sacred spaces

Christian

There are a number of etiquette rules which would include showing up about five or 10 minutes early to allow some time of prayer and "to be ready to participate in the Mass." [18] Other suggestions may include when to stand, sit or kneel, the use of candles or touching of icons. [19]

Jean-Baptiste Massillon gives a lengthy sermon on the Bible verse, "And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold doves." (Matthew 21:12) stating that "of all crimes, in effect, by which the greatness of God is insulted, I see almost none more deserving of his chastisements than the profanations of his temples; and they are so much the more criminal, as the dispositions required of us by religion, when assisting there, ought to be more holy." [20]

Hindu

There are a number of etiquette rules when attending a temple, including removal of shoes, bowing and bringing an offering. [21]

Muslim

There are a number of etiquette rules when attending a mosque, including wearing clean clothes and carrying out ablutions. [22]

Sikh

There are a number of etiquette rules for the gurdwara, including wearing clean clothes and using head coverings. [23]

Judaism

There are a number of etiquette rules for the synagogue, including seating arrangements and wearing head coverings. [24]

See also

Related Research Articles

The Five Pillars of Islam are fundamental practices in Islam, considered to be obligatory acts of worship for all Muslims. They are summarized in the hadith of Gabriel. The Sunni and Shia agree on the basic details of the performance and practice of these acts, but the Shia do not refer to them by the same name. They are: Muslim creed, prayer, charity to the poor, fasting in the month of Ramadan, and the pilgrimage to Mecca for those who are able.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prayer</span> Invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with a deity

Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deified ancestor. More generally, prayer can also have the purpose of thanksgiving or praise, and in comparative religion is closely associated with more abstract forms of meditation and with charms or spells.

Religious conversion is the adoption of a set of beliefs identified with one particular religious denomination to the exclusion of others. Thus "religious conversion" would describe the abandoning of adherence to one denomination and affiliating with another. This might be from one to another denomination within the same religion, for example, from Protestant Christianity to Roman Catholicism or from Sunnī Islam to Shīʿa Islam. In some cases, religious conversion "marks a transformation of religious identity and is symbolized by special rituals".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temple</span> Structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities

A temple is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temple" in English, while those of other religions are not, even though they fulfill very similar functions. The religions for which the terms are used include the great majority of ancient religions that are now extinct, such as the Ancient Egyptian religion and the Ancient Greek religion. Among religions still active: Hinduism, Buddhism(whose temples are called Vihar), Sikhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, the Baha'i Faith, Taoism, Shinto, Confucianism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religiosity</span> Degree of religious commitment or involvement

The Oxford English Dictionary defines religiosity as: "Religiousness; religious feeling or belief. [...] Affected or excessive religiousness". Different scholars have seen this concept as broadly about religious orientations and degrees of involvement or commitment. Religiosity is measured at the levels of individuals or groups but scholars differ as to what behaviors would constitute religiosity. Sociologists of religion have observed that an individual's experience, beliefs, sense of belonging, and general behavior often are not congruent with their religious behavior, since there is much diversity in how one can be religious or not. Problems arise in measuring religiosity. For instance, measures of variables such as church attendance produce different results when different methods are used, such as traditional surveys as opposed to time-use surveys.

Psychology of religion consists of the application of psychological methods and interpretive frameworks to the diverse contents of religious traditions as well as to both religious and irreligious individuals. The various methods and frameworks can be summarized according to the classic distinction between the natural-scientific and human-scientific approaches. The first cluster amounts to objective, quantitative, and preferably experimental procedures for testing hypotheses about causal connections among the objects of one's study. In contrast, the human-scientific approach accesses the human world of experience using qualitative, phenomenological, and interpretive methods. This approach aims to discern meaningful, rather than causal, connections among the phenomena one seeks to understand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Place of worship</span> Specially designed structure for use in

A place of worship is a specially designed structure or space where individuals or a group of people such as a congregation come to perform acts of devotion, veneration, or religious study. A building constructed or used for this purpose is sometimes called a house of worship. Temples, churches, mosques, and synagogues are examples of structures created for worship. A monastery may serve both to house those belonging to religious orders and as a place of worship for visitors. Natural or topographical features may also serve as places of worship, and are considered holy or sacrosanct in some religions; the rituals associated with the Ganges river are an example in Hinduism.

In the study of religion, orthopraxy is correct conduct, both ethical and liturgical, as opposed to faith or grace. Orthopraxy is in contrast with orthodoxy, which emphasizes correct belief. The word is a neoclassical compound—ὀρθοπραξία meaning 'right practice'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Friday prayer</span> Islamic ritual and confirmed obligatory act

In Islam, Friday prayer, or Congregational prayer is a community prayer service held once a week on Fridays. All Muslim men are expected to participate at a mosque with certain exceptions due to distance and situation. Women and children can also participate but do not fall under the same obligation that men do. The service consists of several parts including ritual washing, chants, recitation of scripture and prayer, and sermons.

The study of religiosity and intelligence explores the link between religiosity and intelligence or educational level. Religiosity and intelligence are both complex topics that include diverse variables, and the interactions among those variables are not always well understood. For instance, intelligence is often defined differently by different researchers; also, all scores from intelligence tests are only estimates of intelligence, because one cannot achieve concrete measurements of intelligence due to the concept’s abstract nature. Religiosity is also complex, in that it involves wide variations of interactions of religious beliefs, practices, behaviors, and affiliations, across a diverse array of cultures.

Religion in Hong Kong is characterised by a multi-faith diversity of beliefs and practices.

Cultural Muslims, also known as nominal Muslims, non-practicing Muslims or non-observing Muslims, are people who identify as Muslims but are not religious and do not practice the faith. They may be a non-observing, secular or irreligious individuals who still identify with Islam due to family backgrounds, personal experiences, ethnic and national heritage, or the social and cultural environment in which they grew up. However, this concept is not always met with acceptance in conservative Islamic communities.

Bibliolatry is the worship of a book, idolatrous homage to a book, or the deifying of a book. It is a form of idolatry. The sacred texts of some religions disallow icon worship, but over time the texts themselves are treated as sacred the way idols are, and believers may end up effectively worshipping the book. Bibliolatry extends claims of inerrancy—hence perfection—to the texts, precluding theological innovation, evolving development, or progress. Bibliolatry can lead to revivalism, disallows re-probation, and can lead to persecution of unpopular doctrines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religion in England</span>

Religion in England is characterised by a variety of beliefs and practices that has historically been dominated by Christianity. Christianity remains the largest religion, though as of the 2021 census, there is an increasing variety of beliefs and a large part of the population is irreligious. The Church of England is the nation's established state church, whose supreme governor is the monarch. Other Christian traditions in England include Roman Catholicism, Methodism, Presbyterianism, Mormonism, and the Baptists. After Christianity, the religions with the most adherents are Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Judaism, Buddhism, modern paganism, and the Bahá'í Faith. There are also organisations promoting irreligion, including humanism and atheism. According to the 2021 census, Shamanism is the fastest growing religion in England.

Religious abuse is abuse administered through religion, including harassment or humiliation that may result in psychological trauma. Religious abuse may also include the misuse of religion for selfish, secular, or ideological ends, such as the abuse of a clerical position.

The Basic Law, in accordance with tradition, declares that Islam is the state religion and that Shari'a is the source of legislation. It also prohibits discrimination based on religion and provides for the freedom to practice religious rites as long as doing so does not disrupt public order. The government generally respected this right, but within defined parameters that placed limitations on the right in practice. While the government continued to protect the free practice of religion in general, it formalized previously unwritten prohibitions on religious gatherings in locations other than government-approved houses of worship, and on non-Islamic institutions issuing publications within their communities, without prior approval from the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs (MERA). There were no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice.

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Doctrine is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the essence of teachings in a given branch of knowledge or in a belief system. The etymological Greek analogue is "catechism".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Idolatry in Sikhism</span> View of idolatry in Sikhism

Sikhism prohibits idolatry, in accordance with mainstream Khalsa norms and the teachings of the Sikh Gurus, a position that has been accepted as orthodox.

Animal faith is the study of animal behaviours that suggest proto-religious faith. It is commonly believed that religion and faith are unique to humans, largely due to the typical dictionary definition of the word religion requiring belief in a deity, which has not been observed in any animals. However, by using a "non-anthropocentric and non-anthropomorphic prototype definition" of religion, such as the one developed by James Harrod in his 2011 work "A Trans-Species Definition of Religion," scientists can study animal religious practices and behaviors.

References

  1. ↑ Visual Capitalist website, Visualizing the World’s Most Popular Religions, article published June 20, 2022
  2. ↑ Science Direct website, Psychology of Religion section, Religiosity, by Darren E. Sherkat, published in the International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences (Second Edition), 2015
  3. ↑ Diversity Style Guide website, Religious Titles
  4. ↑ BBC website, Bitesize Guides; Prayer
  5. ↑ BBC website, Bitesize Guides; The Five Pillars of Islam
  6. ↑ BBC website, Bitesize Guides; The Gurdwara and the Scriptures
  7. ↑ National Health Service website, Religious And Cultural Beliefs (2009)
  8. ↑ "Word of Wisdom". www.churchofjesuschrist.org. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  9. ↑ UK Government website, Faith at the End Life (2016)
  10. ↑ King’s College London website, Belief, faith and religion: shifting attitudes in the UK May 2023
  11. ↑ Guardian website, Christianity as default is gone: the rise of a non-Christian Europe, article by Harriet Sherwood, dated March 21, 2018
  12. ↑ British Religion in Numbers website, Figures
  13. ↑ University of Oregon website, Religion influences behavior - both good and bad, by Matt Cooper, dated July 14, 2013
  14. ↑ Mojahed, A. (2014). "Religiosity and Preventing Risky Behaviors". International Journal of High Risk Behaviors & Addiction. 3 (3): e22844. doi:10.5812/ijhrba.22844. PMC   4286922 . PMID   25593894.
  15. ↑ Pew Research website, Harassment of religious groups continues to be reported in more than 90% of countries, November 10, 2020
  16. ↑ GIS Reports Online website, The Global Crisis of Religious Persecution, August 25, 2023
  17. ↑ Atlantic Council website, Faith leaders highlight Russian religious persecution in occupied Ukraine, by Shelby Magid and Mercedes Sapuppo, article dated November 2, 2023
  18. ↑ Fr. William Saunders. "Appropriate Behavior in Church". www.catholiceducation.org.
  19. ↑ Christ the Savior Orthodox Church website, Church Etiquette
  20. ↑ Massillon, Jean-Baptiste (1879). "Sermon XXI: Respect in the temples of God"  . Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon. Thomas Tegg & Sons.
  21. ↑ Simple Hinduism website, How to visit a Hindu temple
  22. ↑ Masjid Mosque Al-Islam website, Rules for the Masjid (Mosque)
  23. ↑ Discover Sikhism website, Gurdwara Etiquette and Protocol
  24. ↑ Jewish FAQ website, Synagogues, Shuls and Temples
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