The Globalization of Religion

Group Members:

• Le Aldin Rosas

• Kian Gerald Jade Suarez

1. What is religion? How is it different from globalism

• Religion is the belief in and worship of a divine entity or being. It refers to the various sets
of organized beliefs, practices, systems, and worldviews around the world which are
centered on sacred knowledge, writings, and commandments.
• Religion is different from globalism in that it focuses more on that which is sacred while
globalism focuses more on material things. Religion is guided by divine commandments
and writings while globalism is guided by human made policies and ideals. The pursuit of
religion is morality and spirituality while the goal of globalism is human enjoyment and
satisfaction. Lastly, the goal of religion is to spread their holy ideas and morals globally
while the goal of globalism is to spread goods and services worldwide.
2. How does globalization affect religious practices and beliefs
• Globalization has forced religious groups to adapt and incorporate secular themes, policies,
practices, and ideals into their existing beliefs and practices. This means that some
religions are becoming less conservative. Although their core beliefs remain the same,
some new ideologies brought about by globalization are introduced. For example, in Islam
and Christian schools, children are not only taught about their religions, but also about
science, culture, politics, and society. Technology has slowly been appropriated by various
religious groups in order to improve church services. Media has been utilized by religions
as well in order to expand their reach.
3. What does secularization mean? Does this make countries less religious? Justify your
answer
• The Merriam Webster dictionary de nes the word secularization as the process of
converting or removing something from ecclesiastical or clerical use or in uence. In terms
of globalization, secularization is the process whereby religion loses some of its
signi cance in the operation of the social system, either in the general disengagement from
churches or other religious institutions, or in the subordination of religious values to secular
ones
• We believe that secularization makes countries less religious because it shifts their focus
from upholding religious morals, doctrines, and laws towards simply attaining social and
economic prosperity through any means necessary. Without the guidance and the need of
adherence to divine principles and ideologies, people in secularized countries would be
free to make their own goals and policies. And of course, human knowledge and judgement
is always awed because of our sinful nature
4. Identify and the various religious responses to globalization
• Almost all religious movements oppose the rise of “profane” globalization. Muslims view
globalization as an agent for the spreading of Western values. Most christian churches
criticize the ethical issues and negative effects of economic globalization upon the people
of the world, particularly the poor and less privileged. That is why various religious groups
have implemented and promoted their own advocacies against the certain evils of
globalization. There are also some fundamentalist religious groups who have emerged who
openly and sadly sometimes violently oppose globalization. However, there are certain
aspects of globalization that some religions have used in order to expand their reach and
share their beliefs throughout the world. Catholics, protestants, as well as other Christian,
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 Buddhist, and Islamic religions have used various media and communication technologies
to spread their religious views and gain more members in their faith. Although, there are
also some religious groups such as the Dalai Lama who have chosen to isolate themselves
and build sanctuaries so that they can preserve their practices and beliefs from the
in uence of globalization
5. Discuss the future of religion in a globalized world. As Christians, how can we deal
with the in uences of globalization
• Despite the progress of globalizations and the changes in the views of society, religion will
still remain throughout the future. Despite its secularization, religion is too deeply ingrained
in the history and nature of humanity for it to be removed completely. People need moral
codes to guide them in life. This is what religion provides. Religion provides people with
answers to questions such as what is life about, what is happiness, what is our purpose
here on Earth, and many more. Some religious groups may increase in membership while
others may decrease. Although one thing is certain, it will never disappear.
• As Christians, we will be bombarded with a lot of challenges and temptations from the
secular world around us. Many would mock us because of our religious beliefs. However,
we can still overcome these tribulations with the help of our God. It is only through Him that
we can gain the strength to stand rm on our faith and resist the allures of sin. We must not
allow ourselves to be in uenced by the world. Instead, we should be the ones in uencing
others and leading them to Jesus. We must not allow the captivating pleasures of this world
to turn our eyes away from heaven. We can also nd help and guidance from our fellow
Christians. Being with our brothers and sisters in Christ will help make our journey on this
troubling world much easier and happier.
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