Reaction to class discussion about Social Constructions and Religion

In class on Monday, Dr. Lane argued that religion is primarily a set of socially constructed theories. This is something that I have always considered to be the case, and I think that this is the reason why I struggle to believe and follow any religious practices myself. I see that religion is a subject which can be easily manipulated and as individuals are so desperate to believe/follow/blame something, I think that we are easily influenced and willing to accept almost anything that may sound great or miraculous.

I also see that as the world has become more interconnected and globalized over recent times, and this has probably added to the ease at which we are able to be abused and manipulated by pressure placed on us by the general principles that society adheres to. In general, I think that the vast majority of us go along with the most commonly believed ideas held by the masses, and I think that therefore we are influenced through this method in every aspect of society, whether it be the religion that we follow, or the politician that we support.

Alongside this, I personally see our society as fundamentally a nation of conformers, and therefore I think that in many instances we are happy to accept the things we are told, and rarely consider or demand empirical evidence which will proves it as true. When looking specifically at our religious influences, I see this as the primary factor which will determine the practices we end up following, and therefore this highlights the reasons why I support Dr. Lane’s hypothesis that human psychology is the biggest determinant in the religious principles we end up following across society. In many instances I see that we take our belief systems and ideologies for granted, and rarely consider what the fundamental principles of them truly mean. In terms of religion we are happy to accept the things that have been believed before, and as we rarely challenge the ideas and stories, over time these become part of our norms, and as time continues to progress, they become harder and harder to question and reject.

When new religions, theories start to get talked about, I think that most people are usually willing to listen to its principles and as so many see discussions surrounding faith as risqué in nature, many react to new ideas by simply agreeing and accepting them. Overall, I think that the more and more these issues then get talked about in the public domain they become quickly and easily accepted within societal norms, therefore I think that public reaction to any given idea, alongside its subsequent exposure shows how an idea can become a social norm, and from this, why religious principles are so frequently changed and accepted in the world we live today.