One would define an organized religion as a religion that has formally organized and laid down beliefs and practices. This kind of religion is also known as institutional because it has an official doctrine strictly adhered to by its believers. Its leadership system is hierarchical. Since man chose to record his past, organized religion has been a popular subject, influencing and shaping all people’s lives. Believers and nonbelievers have always existed.
Religion’s purpose in the past was to explain life, but science now provides contrasting and contradictory ideas about life. Religions today have contributed to both individual and worldwide harmony. It has given people hope and assisted some in coping with difficult situations. Religions give some people a sense of purpose in life and an elaboration into why things happen the way they do. (Giddens, 2021)Those who are handling life’s difficulties may find some solace in prayer. This paper will discuss religion with particular emphasis on organized religion.
Organized religion differs from the traditional unorganized religion in several aspects. The main differences are in how people exercise or perceive their religious obligations and connection with a supreme being. (Giddens, 2021) Spirituality is smoother and hugely important to life. At the same time, organized religion is founded on the notions of continually adhering to the rules of a Supreme Being and working towards growing one’s belief in it by attending formalized settings such as the church. Spirituality can also center on other objects or perhaps more abstract things, such as the environment around oneself. In the standardized sense, organized religion focuses primarily on one or more major supernatural beings.
Organized religions have special days of worship in which their members assemble at a commonplace. The place where they congregate is usually considered special and holy and is treated uniquely. For instance, Christians meet in a church while Muslims meet in a mosque on Fridays.
All Abrahamic religions are considered organized. These include Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism, among others. The only religions that are not considered unorganized majorly include indigenous and folk religions like the traditional religions practiced by the Africans, the religions of Native America, Paganism, and Hinduism.
There has been a rise of many New Religious Movements in the recent past. The term was adopted as a means of avoiding the use of the word cult to describe these upcoming religious groups. These groups are a result of human creativity. (Owen, 2022) They provide avenues for social as well as theological experimentations. Some religious movements grow and become recognized, but most do not go past the experimentation stage. These New Religious Movements vary in the level of commitment they demand from their members.
Most of the New Religions movements are small in the number of following they have attracted, but a few have grown. Such as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) and the Church of Christ. The growth of these religious movements varies depending on their founders and where they started.
In conclusion, a significant percentage of our modern-day belief system falls under organized religion. The beliefs and doctrines highly dictate the way we behave we attach ourselves. Some people still hold firmly to the belief that organized religion is a way of manipulating people. Organized religion, in a way, brings sanity and harmony to society because the ideals of these religions are seen to be similar, and this unites the people. On the other hand, the New Religious Movements should be allowed to experiment and explore their beliefs as long as they do not go against the country’s rules.
References
Owen’s Perspective on Organized Religion. (2018, June 17). GradesFixer. Retrieved August 13, 2022, from https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/disillusionment-with-organized-religion/
Giddens, A. (2021). Introduction to sociology. W.W. Norton & Company.
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