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Critically assess the claim that religious controversy is always caused by broader changes within society.
Religious norms, rituals, and restrictions have always influenced and enveloped intimate human interactions. Religions’ emphasis on the issues of gender and sexuality has expanded, if anything, about other areas of society and its impact in the modern era.
I have to agree with the title claim, and this assignment will look into how religions adapt to these changes in society, using material from the four-module books and independent sources which will help support the claim and my viewpoint that Religious controversies are always caused by the broader changes in society. It will follow closely with the two different but similar movements of ‘The feminist movement’ and ‘The LGBTQ movement’.
‘Religious controversies’ refer to all debates involving the identification and control of religion, as well as conflicts attributed to religion as the major or one of many elements. Many people have attempted to prove the biological structures of race, sex, gender, and sexuality throughout the world. However, what these studies have truly shown is that sex, gender, and sexuality are all social constructs that have been constructed over many years, rather than biological concepts. Sexuality and gender are both influenced by how society views each concept and what is ‘socially acceptable’ to live or appear like.
Change is inevitable, yet for many of us, it can be inconvenient and unfamiliar. The world has always changed, but many of us are concerned about the speed with which it has changed in recent years, which we believe has been extremely rapid. While religion as we know it may evolve, many argue that it will not vanish. Some argue that we should reinterpret scriptures in light of changing social values, while others argue that texts should not be reinterpreted because they are divine. The function of religion in our society has always been a point of contention. Some people feel religion aids in societal progress, while others believe it accomplishes the opposite. Many contend that, because God is eternal and transcends time and location, religions should not alter their course in response to societal changes. Many others, however, argue that if religions are to remain relevant and appeal to younger generations, many of whom appear to be turning away from religion, they must change to meet the requirements of the times.
What is Religion?
People frequently inquire as to what religion is and why it is so significant, as well as why comprehending it is necessary. There is no single definition of religion, but there are many ways and theories to knowing and understanding what religion is all about. There is no need to give a detailed definition of what religion entails. Religious studies allow for the development of critical thinking and interpersonal awareness, all of which are beneficial to the global general societal progress; nevertheless, people can define religion as they see appropriate. Natural limits for communities and areas to emerge and expand are also provided by common religious beliefs or faiths. People who live within the social limits of a single religious belief are more likely to accept and support those who share their beliefs. Many religions emphasize that serving and helping others is the appropriate thing to do, regardless of one’s personal beliefs. Religion or faith, in this way, encourages actions of responsibility, generosity, and respect; some may even say it encourages growth.
As society’s opinions and perspectives on numerous parts of life have changed over time, society has evolved and increasingly become more efficient. Religion, on the other hand, has been stable throughout history. The impact of a continuous religious opinion on a changing society has both negative and positive consequences for its members.
Controversy
Controversy is not an inherent feature of any belief or practice. Instead, it is the public’s attitude toward religious beliefs and practices that make them problematic. In other words, controversies are the actions of individuals or organizations that make public claims about conditions that are viewed as a threat to certain treasured values or material and status interests, as well as the responses to these claims. To begin with, controversies necessitate genuine living people, a public platform, and a message that is easily recognized by a wide range of audiences.
Gender
Gender and sexual inequity are exacerbated by religion. Religion is significant in society since it considerably contributes to social solidarity. Religion can also be viewed as a source of alienation, in which people lose touch with themselves and their fellow humans.
Gender is a contentious issue in religion. Religion has influenced how we think about gender roles and society because it provides certain notions as to why males should hold higher positions in society than women. Women are often regarded as inferior in most religions. Males in high religious positions claim that women are not inferior to men, but that God has equally divided the obligations of men and women, and hence they must perform separate roles. Lauterbach argued against female rabbis, stating that ‘women could not even rise to the high standard reached by men in this particular calling.’ Lauterbach focuses mostly on practical difficulties that, in his opinion, make women unfit for the role of rabbi. He goes on to say ‘the woman rabbi would be deficient. The woman in the rabbinical office could not expect the man to whom she is married to be merely a helpmate to her, assisting her in her rabbinical activities.’ As he explains, these worries stem from social and cultural expectations about specific gender roles that members of contemporary Jewish communities, particularly rabbis and their spouses, were supposed to fulfill. These notions hold religion’s interpretation of gender roles in check, which has provided males with the rationale to dominate women and regard them as inferior. Religion has played a significant role in human history because humans seek safety from it. However, certain conceptions such as gender roles prevent women, or men in some religions, from going beyond their beliefs.
Homemakers and carers were expected of women. They were expected to bear children and submit to the men. To stop men from becoming sexually aroused, women have been compelled to wear loose clothing and cover their hair, in some cases even being ordered to wear veils. Women have been barred from certain religious responsibilities in most of the religions discussed previously. Even though most of these religions declared women to be equal, they were not given the same opportunities to educate themselves and prosper in settings as men. Women were restricted to caring for their kids and catering to their husbands.
More women are becoming leaders nowadays. In the Jewish faith, for example, there are now female rabbis. Female altar servers are now common in Catholicism. Years ago, when these roles were dominated by men, this was not the case. With time, we will see more women in positions of religious and civil leadership.
Regina Jones challenged these concepts though by becoming the first female rabbi.
Sexuality
The influence of religion is a typical topic that comes up during discussions about sexuality. The Oxford Dictionary defines sexuality as ‘the feelings and activities connected with a person’s sexual desires’ (OxfordLearnersDictionaries, 2022) There may come a time when a person is a member of a given religion and has a sexuality that their faith does not approve of, and they will not be able to live the life that they want to. People in today’s society are prone to staying in their comfort zones and dismissing ideas that differ from their own. A young woman chose to dispute this viewpoint and put her opinion to the test in recent years. Jillian Orr wasn’t simply getting her diploma when she went across the Brigham Young University graduation stage on Friday. She had come to deliver a message. The bisexual psychology major unveiled a rainbow flag beneath her graduation gown when she opened it. LGBTQ students are prohibited from dating or exhibiting indications of affection while attending BYU, which is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Students who do so risk being expelled if they are reported to school administrators. Orr stated in her interview that ‘I started to realize my actions and beliefs were not lining up, and there was a lot of preconditioned shame and guilt around it,’ (NBC News, 2022)
Veiling
Many Muslim women have chosen to wear some sort of veiling, and this part of the essay examines their motivations for doing so. It will look at whether the change in society has influenced Religious controversy surrounding the veil. Veiling has a long history that makes it difficult to pinpoint when or where it began. Although the tradition of veiling can be traced back to Muslim women, it is thought to have started far before Islam. It is claimed that the veil began as a symbol of privilege and that the practicality of the garment was unimportant at the time. Burqas are a term used in the West to describe all head-covering garments; nevertheless, the term only pertains to a restricted group of clothing. The burka attraction has spread well beyond the Muslim community, with conservative Christians, cancer sufferers, and even burn victims embracing it. Hijab is another broad phrase that refers to a wide range of head coverings and scarves. It is frequently worn with a niqab, a face veil that covers the entire face except for the eyes. As a result, the two concepts revolve around the controversy over veils as face coverings. The hijab serves other purposes in addition to being a headscarf. Hijab, for example, means barrier or divider in Arabic, but it relates to the modesty and behavior that people believe the prophet Muhammad requires of them in the Islamic religion. The majority of verses in the Quran encourage humility, despite differing interpretations among experts. Women may consider it a way of openly expressing their Muslim identity, empowering them and allowing them to fully engage in society, or committing themselves more totally to their faith.
Many religious issues, such as distinct citizenship models and varied understandings of the roles, rights, and demands of faith groups in society, can be interpreted in the context of the ‘backlash against multiculturalism.’ The issue of whether the burka should be prohibited or allowed to continue has dominated recent debates and continues to do so now. However, these debates have been going on for a long time, but they were reignited by the French president’s remarks about burqas. President Sarkozy claimed in a 2009 address that the burka is a symbol of women’s subordination and submission. Women who wear veils will not be allowed in France, according to President Sarkozy, because the country does not believe in the imprisonment and deprivation of women’s identities. ‘The most recent developments include bans on wearing the ‘face-veil’ in public in France and Belgium which came into effect in 2011.’ (Ref) Other MPs appear to share Sarkozy’s views. For example, Jack Straw and Tony Blair argued that the veil separates men and women. Similarly, there have also been reports in Egypt that officials have outlawed the wearing of veils in university settings. According to the authorities, they took the initiative for security concerns. In some nations, such as the United States of America, a court action was dismissed because the plaintiff refused to remove her veil. People mainly focus on the wearing of the garment as a symbol of human rights violations and argue that it should be banned not just in France, but also around the world, to improve women’s prospects of reaching equality. ‘they are a symbol of the oppression of women, or of an extremist or fundamentalist religious tradition that is incompatible with secular values, or both.’ (Ref) Expanding this further, society says that if these women’s faces are hidden, they cannot be viewed as entire people and that this will further subjugate them.
Oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com. 2022. sexuality noun – Definition, pictures, pronunciation, and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com. [online] Available at:
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