GLOBALIZATION QUESTION - Essay Example

Religious practices derive meaning and force from integration with cultural beliefs and practices. Across different denominations, religion derives its truth value from its dependence and connection with the cultural fabric. Religious truth is based on the ability of the underlying tradition to provide its followers with a predefined worldview over a long period of time. Moreover, the world view should have meaning, Lead to physical and spiritual integration, moral guidance, hope and faith in both the present and the future.

Religions like Christianity, zoroasticism, Buddhism, Judaism and Islam claim absolute validity but it is expressed through different structures (Mary, 17). From history, most religions were recognized nationally and thus force followers to recognize its teachings for example, Islam in Arab countries. Religious truth is contradicted by the relative interpretations adopted to define situations and preferably make them fit into the speaker’s worldview. For instance, in the early Greek philosophy, Socrates used truth as claptrap for the public orators through the use of conventional notions (Kluckhohn 6).

The opposition between nature and convection hinders man from speaking out his mind but rather to conform to what the society believes in. The confusion leads to lack of a clear cut definition of what is considered as conventional and natural truth. According to Conze (153), naturally, all shameful things are evil like injustice is shunned by men and only slaves are meant to suffer injustice. In Buddhism teachings, common sense and spiritual truth are considered to be the two distinct categories of truth that exist.

According to the doctrine, both truths coexist and are the basis of the Budhi religion (Bodhi 20) . Through several assertions, Christianity professes the existence of doctrinal truth. For instance, Jesus Christ is considered to be the truth in the doctrine through his words “I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the father but through me’ (Stephen 45). In Hinduism, truth is part of the ten religious attributes of Dharma. Believers are required to be truthful and to speak only of what they have seen and understood.

For example, in India, “Rishi”, truth, entails existence, truth of ones being, and truth of being God (Kluckhohn 367). In Judaism, in the old testament, truth is the word of God and followers believe that spiritual leaders are truthful and have power to deliver divine intervention. Despite the difference in religious symbols from one culture to another, they serve the same purpose of helping the society deal with issues that are beyond human control. However, the system is based on simple truths as defined by different societies.

For example, Christianity and Buddhism shun laziness and encourage independence, courage, endurance, and desire to live for the good of everyone. In Christianity, a man’s divinity in his feelings is more important than concepts because the desire to live up to the concepts causes contradiction in his or her character (Goody 97). Religion creates consciousness in individuals in how he should relate with others and use the lessons to sail through life’s tribulations positively. Religions are part of culture in different societie