How do religion and culture intersect in the realm of ethics - Essay Example

How do religion and culture intersect in the realm of ethics? Religion and culture are two very important pillars on which the structure of a nation stands. The influence of both religion and culture is what fundamentally differentiates between the norms and values, and trends and traditions of different nations. Societies whose members predominantly follow a certain religion observe religious ceremonies as national holidays whereas societies made up of people following different religions have different trends.

Culture and religion may influence each other as well, though the influence of religion on culture is more prominent than the other way round. Religion is more stern and inflexible than culture in the realm of ethics. Religious teachings are established and not prone to change over the passage of time. Most religions are based on the philosophy that their teachings are everlasting and cater for the needs of all societies till the end of the world. The difference between religious beliefs and ethics based on religion is that the former describes the beliefs of an individual whereas the latter proposes a framework of ethics based on the religious rationale (Huntington).

Culture, on the other hand, is a more flexible and modifiable factor with the passage of time under the influence of different internal and external factors affecting a nation. Since ethical policies are based on the interplay of religion and culture in a nation, practices that might be condemned by religion find their way into a society from time to time because of the flexibility carried by the culture. While a modernistic society considers many religious teachings and principles outdated and inapplicable, culture is modified to cater for the needs of the advanced society.

The role of both religion and culture in the development is prominent in history (Hill). Religion and culture intersect in the realm of ethics in a complicated manner. “[T]here are three spaces that provide the arenas of performance…we identify first a space where power and politics are performed, a second space where ethics are performed, and a third space where aesthetics are performed creatively and in response to the first two” (Hecht and Biondo xvi). A common element between all three of these spaces is that each is a social space that provides room for performance.

The pattern of intersection of religion and culture cannot be generalized for all nations as there are a host of factors that make this intersection different from one nation to another. “Virtually everybody who writes about the topic portrays religion as intimately tied to and expressive of culture but each study offers a unique explanation of what is meant by the term” (Wald and Leege 1). Nevertheless, religion and culture both influence and set the stage for ethical principles and policies in a nation.

For example, the reason homosexuality is disapproved by a larger portion of the society to date even in some of the most advanced and modernistic societies is the fact that homosexuality is prohibited by a vast majority of religions. Irrespective of how modern a society may get, the influence of religion on ethical policies and perspectives can never be completely uprooted. Works Cited:Hecht, Richard D., and Biondo, Vincent F. Religion and Culture: Contemporary Practices and Perspectives. Fortress Press, 2012. Print. Hill, Eve R.

“Can Religious-Based Ethics Play a Role in Development.” Student Pulse. 3.8 (2011). Web. 1 June 2014. . Huntington, S. “The Clash of Civilizations.” Foreign Affairs. 72.3 (1993): 22-49. Wald, Kenneth D., and Leege, David C. “Culture, Religion and American Political Life.” N.d. Web. 1 June 2014. .