How does religion shape your identity?

Answer 1

It depends a lot on your culture. If you live somewhere where everyone has different beliefs, or no beliefs at all, and your interactions are based on other things, then there is probably a minimum of "religious identity" built into your cultural one. An example might be a suburban US city, where people live close to one another based on the price of houses, the length of commute, the local industry, etc. In some parts of the world, religious identity and cultural identity are so interwoven that it is very difficult to separate them out. Take the Muslim states as an example. Their daily lives are circumscribed by religious doctrine; their schooling, their clothing, even what they eat and how they play are strongly influenced by the constraints their religion places on their lives. For most westerners, this kind of control and way of life is foreign, but for them it is so entrenched that it is seldom questioned. For many westerners, me included, religious identity is a strong part of cultural and family identity, though that might not be immediately evident if we met. I follow a set of rules regarding health and behavior that is outlined by my religion, and it also impacts the movies I see and the books I read, because I choose not to see or read certain types of things. Why? Because it is hard for me to have all that ugliness in my head when I am working hard to be a person of truth and beauty. Sounds corny, but I know there are a lot of people who live in the "real" world but have tight-knit social, family, and church connections that help to define who they are. They are of many religions, so it's not just mine, either. I think that even people who profess to have no "religion" as such are defined in many ways by what they do and don't believe, and that impacts their behavior. If you believe in a "hereafter", you may be trying to be good so you can go to the good place, in addition to knowing that treating people well is a good thing to do. If you don't, you may still follow the same social rules, not because you believe that God wants you to, but because you want to. There are certainly a lot of people who profess a religious viewpoint yet do things which are harmful to others, so it's not a line between the religioius and the non-religious. It's really a line between those who choose to do good and those who don't

Answer 2

Religion can shape a person's identity by providing moral guidelines, a sense of community and belonging, and a foundation for personal values and beliefs. It can influence how individuals view themselves, their purpose in life, and their interactions with others. Religion can also impact behaviors, choices, and decisions, ultimately contributing to the formation of one's identity.

Answer 3

Religion gives a moral foundation for behavior.

Religion is important because it provides a formalized structure for culture to be maintained. Religion was created from the established social practices within the respective community. The leaders within the community determined among themselves what would be appropriate social behaviors and conduct. They then established laws that gave support to these concepts, which were designed to promote morality and decorum within the society. God was used as the ultimate authority which could never be challenged and the resultant social/cultural contract is called religion.

Answer 4

People use religion to explain things that they don't understand- The Greeks and Romans had the pantheon, tribal cultures tend to have an assortment of similar dieties, the Hindu have several deities, and the Christians, Catholics, Muslims, and Jews have Yahweh/Allah. They use religion to explain, say, why the sun goes down at night, or where the universe came from. With more and more of such things being explained- religion becomes increasingly superfluous.

Answer 5

Religion and beliefs shape our identity by helping us gain answers to the big questions of life. Religion supports us through significant life experiences and shapes our internal dialogue pointing it in the right direction (deepening our moral compass) and therefore shaping our individual identify.

Answer 6

A Culture is a plethora of traditions shared and passed down within a particular group of people. Religion/spiritual beliefs happen to be one of these traditions that are passed down from generation to generation. So if you're looking to find your identity within your culture, it's religion is one of the things you must study. Keep in mind that you are not required to adopt every tradition within a culture if you do not want to. When you decide to carve your own path you aid your culture and give it diversity. Who knows, you might be the one to spark a whole new one!

Answer 7

Yes, because what you believe dictates what you will do in society. Your beliefs will shape your behavior. As soon as you ask someone what religion are they, you will know the basic structure of their life. Even athiests have a belief system which shapes their lifestyle. Culture comes from behavior which comes from beliefs.

Answer 8

Being a Christian does not change your cultural identity, unless your cultural identity is identified by the religion that you follow - e.g. you are a Jew because you are in a Jewish culture, and an Islamic one is the same....but there are Christian (Messianic) Jews and similar with people who convert from Islam.

However, those of us who follow Jesus Christ as Lord come from all different backgrounds; and although we share one brother- and sister-hood through the adoption we have into the family of God - or JHWH (Yahweh/Jehovah) - we still keep our cultural identity: ie. a white British Christian is still a white British person although they are also Christian, and a black African origin Christian is still of Black African origin even though they are Christian.

All that changes is our approach to our behaviour, and thinking, as we try to follow The Bible as a guide for our lives...but as Christians we all know that we are human, and all fall at the first hurdle if we tried to save ourselves by our own efforts. That is why we celebrate that it has already been done for us by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and the eternal life we inherit by accepting in faith His Lordship over our lifes.

Answer 9

America is a country that is founded on Christianity. We are proud of our heritage.

Answer 10

To be an opiate of the masses.