Impact of Spirituality and Religion
Religion and spirituality impact the system of oppression because they are the sources of false consciousness that convince oppressed people to temporarily accept their poverty and hope for wealth in the afterlife. Consequently, some individuals become slack in their job search because they believe they are spiritually prosperous. Political, economic, and social structures compel people to take risks in this world since they will be compensated for their suffering in the afterlife. Religion and spirituality enslave not only women but all believers as well.
Religion and spirituality are significant cultural characteristics that shape public health policy. To strengthen causal claims about religion’s effect on health, epidemiologists, for instance, must deal with the growing proportion of individuals who report never attending religious events. Religion and spirituality can be detrimental to mental health owing to ineffective religious coping, miscommunication, and poisonous beliefs (Moyer & Brandenburg 2021). Spiritual components in treatment have demonstrated some potential, and procedures for assessing the spiritual requirements of patients have been investigated.
Impact of Faith Communities
Faith-based and nonprofit organizations are potent forces in many communities, functioning as catalysts for significant social movements in the United States, such as the battle to abolish slavery, achieve equality, grant women the right to vote, and advocate for civil rights in both word and deed. Like unions and civic organizations, faith communities are associations of many individuals united by the same beliefs, which may drive them to support the same public policy objectives as healthcare advocates.
Faith Communities and Social Justice
Faith Communities support social justice in that, other than being the nation’s largest and most concentrated source of volunteers, many of whom support programs that address social needs, faith-based organizations (FBOs) play an important role in bridging community concerns and potentially explosive situations with local authorities, particularly the police. Regarding numbers (the number of volunteers) and quality, FBOs can be a useful resource for the American law enforcement community (a reliable communication route). The faith communities are against social justice reform in that they create an environment that can only be possible if trust is created gradually, deliberately, and strategically (Moyer & Brandenbarg 2021). If there is no established relationship between the police and the religious community and they request assistance following an officer-involved shooting, this could be construed as exploitation or, at best, a band-aid.
Faith Communities and Oppression
Spiritual communities have been complicit in both the historical trauma and the oppression of marginalized groups, which may affect how trauma victims recover from their experiences. A healthy religious lifestyle, increased social support from being a part of spiritual communities, improved coping mechanisms, and helpful ways of thinking about trauma led to making sense of it. Physiological mechanisms like prayer or meditation that trigger the “relaxation response” may help people recover from the effects of traumatic experiences brought on by the experience of spirituality (Philip et al., 2019).
The Role of Spirituality
Researchers started delving more into the connections between spirituality and LGBTQ+ or intersectionality concerns at the turn of the millennium. In the past, people studied spirituality in isolation from concerns relating to LGBTQ persons or those relating to intersectionality (Moyer & Brandenbarg 2021). The LGBTQ community, much like the rest of the United States, welcomes and exhibits spirituality in various ways. These include being extremely religious, spiritual but not religious, or atheist or agnostic. LGBT individuals, contrary to what the majority of people in the United States believe, have a lower likelihood of being religious than non-LGBT individuals in the same age range.
Impact of Diverse Faith Communities
The reality that individuals hold various religious beliefs is gaining greater attention from businesses, institutions, and organizations that focus on charitable work. It demonstrates the myriad of ways in which individuals are distinct, such as their preferred modes of education, the range of their life experiences, the racial or ethnic group to which they belong, their gender, their perspectives on politics and the nation from which they hail. The concept of “inclusion” refers to ongoing and purposeful participation in diverse domains such as jobs, services, and other systems (Kienzler & Wachholtz, 2022). Diversity and inclusion are vital aspects of every religious community, regardless of whether it is referred to as a denomination, church, synagogue, mosque, or other. Individuals come from a wide variety of racial and ethnic groups, socioeconomic circumstances, educational and professional degrees, and skill sets; this diversity is reflected in the composition of organizations. Like all other leaders, workers, and individual members of the organization, the spiritual leader has preconceived notions, ideas, and attitudes regarding those who are a part of and who are not a part of the group (Philip et al., 2019). This may be beneficial or detrimental to the organization in question and the individuals who are a part of that spiritual community.
Social Worker with Christian Worldview
Social workers in Christian Worldview can include spirituality into their profession by enhancing their spiritual practices and seeking to integrate spirituality into their client analysis and interactions. Social workers have the chance to develop spiritually. It is essential to note that disputes regarding spirituality in social work do not revolve around a particular religion. Integrating spirituality into social work practice, on the other hand, involves assisting clients in revealing their spiritual side and guiding them on a journey of self-discovery that promotes healing and healthy living. In social work, the significance of doing so is becoming increasingly recognized (Sue, Rasheed & Rasheed 2016). Spirituality is quickly becoming a prominent topic in social work, as ignoring it would mean disregarding a significant element of the lives of many individuals. In the meantime, however, many social professionals are reluctant to initiate or participate in these dialogues. Occasionally, it may occur due to a lack of formal professional training. Spirituality and social work courses can aid in recovery and job advancement.
Purpose
This work aims to expand more on the aspects that revolve around the systems of oppression. Such has been done by highlighting systematic and historical patterns of injustice; oppressive systems allow us to more precisely identify unfairness. For instance, systemic racism has been ingrained in American culture, society, and law from its foundation. All forms of oppression include anti-Semitism, sexism, heterosexism, ableism, classism, and ageism.
Conclusion
Generally, it can be seen that the above-discussed aspects talk more about how spirituality and oppression are a favorite pastime of the spirit oppression to cause individuals to feel guilty and criticized. People are more likely to act violently toward themselves and others when subjected to oppression. People are driven to make hasty choices out of fear when under the influence of an oppressive spirit, which targets both the mind and the emotions.
References
Kienzler, & Wachholtz, A. (2022). The impact of religion, spirituality, and empathy factors on acute pain and prosocial behaviors in a diverse sample. Spirituality in Clinical Practice (Washington, D.C.), 9(1), 26–39. https://doi.org/10.1037/scp0000283
Moyer, & Brandenbarg, C. (2021). The landscape of faith-based environmental engagement in Canada. Local Environment, 26(10), 1267–1283. https://doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2021.1973395
Philip, Neuer Colburn, A. A., Underwood, L., & Bayne, H. (2019). The Impact of Religion/Spirituality on Acculturative Stress Among International Students. Journal of College Counseling, 22(1), 27–40. https://doi.org/10.1002/jocc.12112
Sue, D. W., Rasheed, M. N., & Rasheed, J. M. (2016). Multicultural social work practice: A competency-based approach to diversity and social justice (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. ISBN-13: 9781118536100.
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