Department of Education

Bureau of Learning Delivery

Teaching and Learning Division

Grade Levels: Grade 11

Specialized Subject: Introduction to World Religions and Belief
Systems
Semester: First Semester (WEEK 3)

LEARNING COMPETENCY:

Analyze the influences of religion to culture and society.

 Positive and Negative Effects of Religion

Religion has become a very important aspect in the development of

civilizations and cultures. In fact, most ancient societies based their word views on
religion, and it has proven to be beneficial to the attainment and maintenance of
social stability an cohesiveness. However, as time went by religion has also become
the basis of conflicts between societies, even within societies. While religion has
promoted social solidarity among societies, it has also been the reason behind the
outbreak of particular wars in history.

This module will discuss the positive and negative effects of religion, as well
as examples of historical events caused primarily by religion.

At the end of the module, you should be able to:

3.1. Identify the positive and negative effects of religions

HUMSS_WRB12-I/IIIc-3.1
3.2. Provide evidence that religion brought about an event in history
HUMSS_WRB12-I/IIIc-3.2
3.3. Justify that religion can have positive or negative effects on society
HUMSS_WRB12-I/IIIc-3.3

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Direction: Complete the concept map.

Religion

Positive Negativ
effect e
effect

Task 1: Cite one element or characteristic of a religion that can cause both
positive and negative effects on family or society.

Element or
Characteristic of a Positive Effect Negative Effect
Religion

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Task 2: Answer the following questions:
1. Can you think of other cases of religious conflicts aside from the ones mentioned?
2. Do you agree that sometimes religious conflicts are being used for political
reason?
3. In your own opinion, can religious conflicts be avoided? If yes, how?
4. Do you think religious groups should have a say in political affairs? Why or why
not?

While religion has served purposes beneficial to society in general, some

people blame religion as the reason for the occurrence of atrocities and conflicts in
different parts of the in different parts of the world and in different periods on history.

POSITIVE EFFECT

Religion promotes social harmony

Religion believes in supernatural beings and powers. It practices a set of
rituals and ceremonious rites of passage and rites of intensification. It also holds
religious specialists such as priests, priestess and shamans in high esteem. These
characteristics help advance social harmony by assimilating and stabilizing cultures
and nations. It provides divine authority to ethical and moral principles which also
help promote unity among people.

Religion provides moral values

Religion encourages moral values. It provides a systematic model of the
universe, which in effect determines organized human behaviour. By providing moral
values, one is able to distinguish right from wrong, good from evil. Therefore, it
provides a system of reward and punishment that administer and standardize
people’s behaviour in society.

Religion reduces fear of the unknown

Religion developed man’s need to have a sense of origin and destination; to
discover where they came from and where they are bound to when they die. Religion
provides answers for the phenomena and questions that science or reason cannot
explain.
Religion gives positive goals in life
People were inspired by the stories of different prophets from their own
religious affiliations, like that of Moses, Siddhartha Gautama, and Muhammad.
These people showed how ordinary people like them were given important missions
in life, and how they struggled to carry out their respective missions.

Religion gives people a sense of belonging

Religion provides people with personal identity as part of a group with similar
world views, beliefs, values, practices, and lifestyles. It provides communities with

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prospects to recognize and offer vital action and service to provide the needs of the
larger community.

Religion provides social change

Since religion is a source of moral values, it can be very effective in lobbying
and campaigning for certain social issues using its own moral teachings as the basis
of argument. Religion has potential to institute social change, especially in the issues
concerning poverty, reproductive health, gender equality and religious discrimination.

NEGATIVE EFFECT

Religion affirms social hierarchy

Some religions affirm social hierarchy often favouring men and as a result,
perpetuate the notions of class or gender discrimination and oppression.

Religion triggers conflicts and fights

Religion also has some aspects which make it susceptible to be a source of
conflict and war. History witnessed numerous lives sacrificed and lost in the name of
religion. Wars have been fought in the name of religion and this phenomenon
continues up to the present time.

Religion causes discrimination

Religious fanaticism can lead to feelings of hatred, which could lead to racism,
and eventually violence. Throughout history, religion has been used by colonizers to
justify their forcible occupation of territories. It can be a source of discrimination or
the prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things especially on the
basis of race, religion, age or sex.

Religion as an economic tool for exploiting the masses

According to Karl Marx, “religion is the opium of the people”. This is in relation
to his critical approach to religion in which he proposed that the bourgeoisie keeps
the proletariat in control through religion. According to him, it maintains social
inequality by propagating a worldview that justifies oppression.

Religion impedes scientific success and development

Throughout history, religion has proven to impede scientific development. Some of
the moral teachings of other religions are deemed by secular communities to be
detrimental to development. For example, some religion express their disapproval
against reproductive health programs that aim to empower couples in responsible
family planning through education and access to legal and medically safe birth
control.

Religion obstructs the use of reason

Many question the suitability of religious doctrine to the needs of the present
and future generations. Ancient religious beliefs and practices which have proven to
be inhuman should be replaced with sensible one. One example is the belief that
suicide bombing is a manifestation of religion over reason.

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 Religion can be described as a double-edged sword; it can have both positive
and negative effects on society. Some of its positive effects include: promotes social
solidarity; provides moral values; reduces fear of the unknown; gives positive goals
in life; gives people a sense of belonging; provides social change. Some of its
negative effect includes: affirms social hierarchy; triggers conflicts and fights; causes
discrimination; an economic tool for exploiting the masses; impedes scientific
success and development; obstructs the use of reason.

Task 3: Choose three positive effects and three negative effects of religion and
give specific examples of each based on your personal experience or
knowledge. Make a poster which reflect the said effects on a long bond paper.

Rubric for Poster

Points
Criteria Description Points
obtained
Organization The concept was clearly and
6
creatively conveyed
Content Important concepts were highlighted
7
and explained
Presentation The idea was clearly presented based
7
on the poster presentation
Total:2
0

Answer the following questions:

1. What makes religion strongly influential to human beings and communities?
2. Religion has influenced humans to either heal or harm; it has been both a blessing
and a curse. How do you feel about it?
3. If religion is perceived as either a blessing or a curse, how are its adherents
responsible for this?

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Which effect of religion is referred to in the following statement? Write the
letter of the correct answer.

__________1. Religion integrates and stabilizes cultures as well as

nations.
__________2. Religion should be susceptible to progress.
__________3. Religion sets notions of right and wrong.
__________4. Religion promote obscurantism.
__________5. Religion gives a sense of origin and destination.
__________6. Religion is a source of discrimination.
__________7. Religion gives a sense of purpose in life.
__________8. Religion makes good people do evil things.

__________9. Religion provides personal identity to individuals as part of

a group with similar world views, beliefs, values, and
lifestyles.
__________10. Religion perpetuates notions of class or gender
discrimination and oppression.

Choices:
a. Religion promotes discrimination
b. Religion promotes social solidarity
c. Religion affirms hierarchy
d. Religion sets positive goals in life
e. Religion obstructs scientific success
f. Religion reduces fear of the unknown
h. Religion gives people a sense of belonging
i. Religion makes people fight each other
j. Religion provides moral values

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Glossary
Discrimination – prejudiced outlook, action or treatment
Hierarchy - a ruling body of clergy organized into orders or ranks
Moral values – standards of good and evil
Obstruct - to block or to close
Solidarity – unity that produces or is based on community of interests, objectives,
and standards

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Answer Keys

Task 1 – Answers may vary

Task 2 – Answers may vary
Task 3 – Answers may vary
Task 4 – Identification
1. b 6. a
2. e 7. d
3. j 8. i
4. g 9. h
5. f 10.a

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References:

TEXTBOOK
Ong, Jerome A. and Jose, Mary Dorothy dl. Introduction to World Religions
and Belief Systems (Senior High School Textbook) Ground Floor, Bonifacio Bldg.,
DepEd Complex Meralco Avenue, Pasig City, Philippines 1600, Vibal Group 2016

Manaloto, Christian B and Rapadas, Maria Teresita R. Pilgrimage to Sacred

Spaces:An Introductin to World Religions 927 Quezon Ave., Quezon City, The
Phoenix Publishing House Inc. 2016

Prepared by:

MARVIN P. SUBRIDA
SST-II
Passi National High School (Senior High)
Division of Passi City
Region VI- Western Visayas

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