The Impact of Globalisation on Religions - Essay Example

The Impact of Globalisation on Religions Globalisation is a process in which global integration takes place by the exchanging of ideas, perceptions, and even some aspects of religion. It is through this phenomenon that there has been an increase in alliances between various countries; they have become more connected in terms of politics, economics as well as culture. It is the exchange of customs that has had some effect on the different religions around the world including Islam and Christianity. The basic belief in Islam is Tawhid, the belief in one God – Allah. The Muslims live their life according to the instructions given in their holy book called the Quran which they believe to be “the eternal unmediated Word of God” [Rut97]. They also follow in the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad by following his way of life and the instructions that he left behind. Muslims have other fundamental beliefs such as giving charity to the poor, “prayer, fasting, attendance at the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca” [Rut97]. Their place of worship is called a mosque. Another of the most popular religion today is Christianity which shares certain similarities with Islam. Both the sects believe in one God, Muslims accept the Bible to be one of the holy books sent by God even though they say that the wording of the text has been altered by men. The Christians believe that Jesus “is the ‘Son of God” sent to earth to save mankind from sinning, whereas Muslims say that he is one of the many prophets of God, not His son [Woo04]. The followers of Christianity believe that Jesus suffered for the sake of humanity – he was persecuted, crucified and then resurrected so that he could continue helping his people. Other than the Bible, there are “many gospels and many different accounts of Jesus” that are followed by the Christian community [Woo04]. The Christians celebrate many religious occasions such as Christmas which is Jesus’ birthday, and “his death and resurrection (Good Friday and Easter)” around the year [Woo04]. Other aspects include the holy Trinity, the saints, baptism and praying in church. The media has put Islam and its followers under the spotlight. If you “open almost any newspaper, turn on the radio or television, and there will be more stories about Islam” [Rut97]. The 9/11 incident – that happened in the United States but was spread around the world due to the various forms of media – has given the Muslims a bad name. Generally all the people of different countries consider the term Muslim to be synonymous with that of terrorist. Everyone is doubted and has to go through the security checks but if you have an Islamic name, you will have to go through twice the amount than what is usually required. The stereotype has reached to the point that many people who are not even Muslims participate in criminal acts knowing that they will be able to walk away free since it is the Muslims who will be blamed for the crime they committed. Certainly, there are some misdirected Muslims too who perform unsavoury deeds under the name of Islam but all the Muslims should not be judged in a similar manner. However, it is through the use of technology that the heart of the religion can be explained to those who do not understand it or have been brainwashed by the accounts that they heard from others who are as ignorant about the matter or those who are open-minded enough to accept the explanation. There are a number of new channels that have come out that have various scholars who talk about Islam and all that the religion is about e.g. Peace TV. Television sets are owned by practically everyone all over the world so the people who are the believers of Islam find out more about their religion whereas the others become more knowledgeable and attempt to understand the religion better. Similarly, there are many forums on the internet where a number of people can get together to discuss and debate on the religion. Of course, the videos of the television shows have been put up online so those who are unable to get the right channels can watch them online. There have been many books written on Islam which can be shipped from one place to its destination in almost no time at all or even be read in the form of eBooks. It is also due to this that the Muslim world has been able to connect with each other. The followers are spread out in every corner of the globe and now they can come under the same banner of Islam. The West and the East are mingling and even though the cultures are getting distorted. The religion is being affected as well, “there is a serious gap between the requirements of Islamic law and the actual legal practice of most Muslim majority states” [Rut97]. In countries like America and England, people usually wear tight jeans and short shirts in their daily life. Similar dressing sense is being adapted by the Muslims around the world which does not quite abide by what Islam instructs them to wear. Females, for example, should cover their hair – do the hijab – and clad their bodies in loose clothes so that their figure does not become prominent, they are asked to keep a modest appearance. However, Western clothing has become highly popular amongst the Muslims even though it is not approved of by the religion. In the same length, things like drinking alcohol and gambling are also now prevalent amongst the Muslims though they are not allowed in Islam. Christianity has been thus affected as well. Continuing with the earlier vein of thought, despite Christianity having the highest number of followers in the world, there are still other people who are not aware of the fundamentals of this religion. With the help of media, the followers of other religions are discovering more about it. For example, once people find out about the similarities between Christianity and Islam, they may feel more charitable towards the other religion realising that the basic foundational beliefs are the same. And in the times when everyone is against everyone else, this is quite an important step towards a possible future where there are peaceful relations between the religions. However, again it is the media which spreads out the news about the many activities which may or may not be carried out in the church. When the priests were blamed for sexually assaulting school going boys, thus committing all kinds of sins not to mention the number of laws that they were violating, it was breaking news all over the world. This may be true but either way, once the news channels and newspapers get hold of any debacle, it turns into the most discussed topic and slowly destroys the sanctity that the church provides. Due to one unfortunate incident, the whole church is badmouthed, and even the most faithful of believers start to doubt their religion, they have to work on building the trust between them again. Almost everything in the world has its own set of pros and cons when bearing in mind the effects of globalisation and this includes religions. Of course, the idea of one person’s pro may differ from what another considers to be a benefit but either way, everyone agrees that the extent to which globalisation has reached can be a good as well as a bad thing. It is up to them the way the use the platform that is provided to them that connects them to the rest of the world. Bibliography Rut97: , (Ruthven 5), Rut97: , (Ruthven 19), Woo04: , (Woodhead 12), Woo04: , (Woodhead 7), Woo04: , (Woodhead 42), Rut97: , (Ruthven 1), Rut97: , (Ruthven 11), Read More