ESSAY WRITING SAMPLE

DISCUSS THE IMPORTANCE OF RELIGION (25 marks)

Religion has had a significant impact on societies throughout history, shaping cultures,
influencing norms and values and providing a moral compass for individuals and
communities. At the same time, societies have also played a crucial role in influencing the
practice, beliefs and development of religions. In my discussion I will be discussing the
importance of Religion in a society and the negative effects of religion. This is because
though religion is valuable it also has some undesirable effects in the society.
First and foremost, religion is important in a society because it promotes moral up-
righteousness or morality. This is because all the religions have religious rules, ethical codes
and teachings which if followed to the core morality would prevail in our societies leading to
good relationships among people, peace and harmony. For example, in Christianity the
followers are guided by the Ten commandments i.e., do not commit adultery which helps in
safeguarding of the institution of marriage. This helps in protecting marriage as an
institution willed by God in preserving its dignity and a stability. Another commandment
which says, do not commit murder, this would help in preserving human life. This is because
in Christianity life is a precious gift from God and no one has the right to take life. Another
example is from Islam, they have the Sharia law which helps in guiding the behavior of
followers. Muslims live according to the Sharia law. The fear of Allah and of the punishment
prescribed by the sharia law for criminal offences caution them against committing crimes
e.g., Sharia law prescribes amputation of the hand for stealing, for committing adultery the
punishment is stoning to death. In Hinduism the followers are guided by the Yama (things
not to be done e.g not to lie, not to steal e.t.c) and Niyama ( things to be done e.g patience,
tolerance [Link]) all these ethical teachings and values are of paramount importance as they
guide individuals in making ethical choices , contributing to a morally upright society . Even
though religion plays such a good importance in the society it also has some negative effects
in a society. Some religions may trample on people’s rights e.g amputation of the hand
which is the punishment for stealing in Islam. This is abuse of human rights. This is totally
wrong, evil, barbaric and very wrong. How do they expect the person to function properly
and effectively with one hand. This can also affect a person’s self-esteem and confidence
because as he or she would be moving around people would know that the reason why they
do not have the other hand is due to theft. There are many ways in which people can be
disciplined. And the stoning to death for committing adultery is an irreversible punishment
and does not value the importance of human life. It is an inhumane, barbaric form of
execution which should be outlawed. I personally agree that religion plays a great role in a
society because its importance outweighs the negative effects. Without religion the society
would lack moral guidance as noted above. I strongly recommend that the different
religions that we have should revisit some of their ethical teachings and try to amend some
of them and bear in mind that we are living in a changing society and so need to change
with the times.
Secondly religion provides people’s needs e.g., basic needs. Religion may provide basic
needs like food, clothing and shelter to the poor and the underprivileged in the society. For
instance, Christians all over the world are well known for Charitable acts for the benefit of
the poor and the needy in different communities. Different Christian denominations have
made it a norm of making contributions in order to assist the poor and the needy in society
e.g., in Botswana different Christian churches even built houses for the homeless because
they know that without shelter and a home one cannot have dignity. Not only shelter, but
they also make contributions and buy food and toiletries for the poor, both Christians and
non-Christians. They have also set up orphanages for the poor, built homes for the elderly
and hospices. In Islam they have practices like Zakat, which is Alms giving, donations to the
poor and the needy. Zakat makes Muslims share their wealth with the poor and this erodes
the discriminations associated with poverty. It is a duty of all Muslims to give Zakat as a sign
of devotion to Allah. In Botswana for example The Botswana Muslim Association (BMA)
carry out charitable services. This association provides aid to orphans, the elderly, and the
homeless in Botswana. Even though this is the case, religion may lead to dependency
syndrome, which according to Phil Bartle PhD., is an attitude and belief that a group cannot
solve its own problems without outside help. It is a weakness that is made worse by Charity.
In simple terms it means relying on donations given rather finding means of survival. This
can also affect people negatively as they may often feel helpless, easily controlled or even
be abused. Depending much on donations can undermine personal responsibility, initiative
and decision making. As such it can present a formidable obstacle to development since the
money which could be used to develop either a religious communities, a church or a country
would now be diverted to the needs of the poor. I personal believe that depending much on
donations may make one to feel hopeless and loose dignity in the society as being
independent gives one the power and control of his life no matter the hardships of life. I
think the solution to this could be limited donations given and helping the poor by
empowering them on means of survival.
In a nutshell the impact of religion is complex and can vary greatly depending on the specific
beliefs ,practices and interpretations of individuals and religious institutions. Overall while
religion has the potential to bring about positive change and inspire individuals towards
compassion and altruism (humanity and selflessness), it can also be a source of division,
conflict and oppression when misused or misunderstood. But generally speaking the
benefits of religion outweighs the negative effects of religion that is why I would conclude
by emphasizing that religion is an important aspect of society and without it human beings
cannot function [Link] is why some scholars argue that it is difficult to “divorce” a
human being from religion.