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The role of world religions in the 21st century. The role of religion in the modern world

Ministry Agriculture Russian Federation

Ural state academy veterinary medicine

Abstract on the topic:

"The Role of World Religions in modern world»

Completed by: PhD student...

Checked by: Professor Golubchikov A.Ya.

Troitsk - 2003

Introduction

1. Buddhism

3. Christianity3

Conclusion

List of used literature

Introduction

During the communist regime in the Soviet Union, religion as a state institution did not exist. And the definition of religion was as follows: “... Any religion is nothing more than a fantastic reflection in the minds of people of those external forces that dominate them in their Everyday life, - a reflection in which earthly forces take the form of unearthly ones ... ”(9; p. 328).

In recent years, the role of religion has been growing more and more, but, unfortunately, religion in our time is a means of profit for some and a tribute to fashion for others.

In order to clarify the role of world religions in the modern world, it is necessary to first single out the following structural elements, which are the main and binding for Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism.

1. The original element of all three world religions is faith.

2. Teaching, the so-called set of principles, ideas and concepts.

3. Religious activity, the core of which is a cult - these are rituals, worship, prayers, sermons, Religious holidays.

4. Religious associations are organized systems based on religious teaching. By them are meant churches, madrasas, sangha.

1. Give a description of each of the world religions;

2. Identify differences and relationships between Christianity, Islam and Buddhism;

3. Find out what role world religions play in the modern world.

1. Buddhism

“... Buddhism is the only true positivist religion in all history - even in its theory of knowledge ...” (4; p. 34).

BUDDHISM, religiously - philosophy, which arose in ancient India in the 6th-5th centuries. BC. and turned in the course of its development into one of the three, along with Christianity and Islam, world religions.

The founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama, son of King Shuddhodana, the ruler of the Shakyas, who left a luxurious life and became a wanderer on the paths of a world full of suffering. He sought liberation in asceticism, but convinced that the mortification of the flesh leads to the death of the mind, he abandoned it. Then he turned to meditation and after, according to various versions, four or seven weeks spent without food and drink, he achieved enlightenment and became a Buddha. After that, he preached his doctrine for forty-five years and died at the age of 80 (10, p. 68).

Tripitaka, Tipitaka (Sanskrit "three baskets") - three blocks of books of Buddhist scripture, perceived by believers as a set of revelations of the Buddha as presented by his disciples. Decorated in the 1st century. BC.

The first block is Vinaya Pitaka: 5 books characterizing the principles of organization of monastic communities, the history of Buddhist monasticism and fragments of the biography of Gautama Buddha. The second block is the Sutta Pitaka: 5 collections expounding the teachings of the Buddha in the form of parables, aphorisms, poems, as well as telling about last days Buddha. The third block is Abhidharma Pitaka: 7 books interpreting the main ideas of Buddhism.

In 1871 in Mandalay (Burma) a cathedral of 2,400 monks approved the unified text of the Tripitaka, which was carved on 729 slabs of a memorial in Kuthodo, a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists from all over the world. Vinaya occupied 111 plates, Sutta - 410, Abhidharma - 208 (2; p. 118).

In the first centuries of its existence, Buddhism was divided into 18 sects, and at the beginning of our era, Buddhism was divided into two branches, Hinayana and Mahayana. In 1-5 centuries. formed the main religious philosophical schools Buddhism in Hinayana - Vaibhashika and Sautrantika, in Mahayana - Yogachara, or Vij-Nanavada, and Madhyamika.

Originating in the North-East of India, Buddhism soon spread throughout India, reaching its peak in the middle of the 1st millennium BC - the beginning of the 1st millennium AD. At the same time, starting from the 3rd c. BC, it covered Southeast and Central Asia, and partly also Central Asia and Siberia. Faced with the conditions and culture of the northern countries, the Mahayana gave rise to various currents that mixed with Taoism in China, Shintoism in Japan, local religions in Tibet, and so on. In its internal development, having broken up into a number of sects, northern Buddhism formed, in particular, the Zen sect (at present, it is most common in Japan). In the 5th c. Vajrayana appears, parallel to Hindu Tantrism, under the influence of which Lamaism arose, concentrated in Tibet.

A characteristic feature of Buddhism is its ethical and practical orientation. Buddhism put forward as a central problem - the problem of being a person. The core of the content of Buddhism is the Buddha's preaching about the "four noble truths" - there is suffering, the cause of suffering, liberation from suffering, the path leading to liberation from suffering.

Suffering and liberation appear in Buddhism as different states of a single being - suffering - a state of being manifested, liberation - unmanifested.

Psychologically, suffering is defined, first of all, as the expectation of failures and losses, as the experience of anxiety in general, which is based on a feeling of fear, inseparable from the present hope. In essence, suffering is identical to the desire for satisfaction - the psychological cause of suffering, and ultimately just any internal movement and is perceived not as any violation of the original good, but as a phenomenon organically inherent in life. Death due to the acceptance of the concept of endless rebirths by Buddhism, without changing the nature of this experience, deepens it, turning it into an inevitable and devoid of end. Cosmically, suffering is revealed as an endless “excitement” (appearance, disappearance and reappearance) of eternal and unchanging elements of an impersonal life process, flashes of a kind vital energy, psychophysical in their composition - dharm. This “excitement” is caused by the absence of the true reality of the “I” and the world (according to the Hinayana schools) and the dharmas themselves (according to the Mahayana schools, which extended the idea of unreality to its logical end and declared all visible being to be shunya, i.e. emptiness). The consequence of this is the denial of the existence of both material and spiritual substance, in particular the denial of the soul in the Hinayana, and the establishment of a kind of absolute - shunyata, emptiness, not subject to either understanding or explanation - in the Mahayana.

Buddhism imagines liberation, first of all, as the destruction of desire, more precisely, the quenching of their passion. The Buddhist principle of the middle path recommends avoiding extremes, both the desire for sensual pleasure and the complete suppression of this attraction. In the moral and emotional sphere, there is the concept of tolerance, “relativity”, from the standpoint of which moral prescriptions are not binding and can be violated (the absence of the concept of responsibility and guilt as something absolute, a reflection of this is the absence in Buddhism of a clear line between the ideals of religious and secular morality and, in particular, the mitigation and sometimes the negation of asceticism in its usual form). The moral ideal appears as an absolute non-harm to the environment (ahinsa) resulting from general softness, kindness, and a sense of perfect satisfaction. In the intellectual sphere, the difference between the sensual and rational forms of cognition is eliminated and the practice of contemplative reflection (meditation) is established, the result of which is the experience of the integrity of being (non-distinguishing between internal and external), complete self-absorption. The practice of contemplative reflection serves not so much as a means of understanding the world, but as one of the main means of transforming the psyche and psychophysiology of the individual - dhyanas, called Buddhist yoga, are especially popular as a specific method. The equivalent of extinguishing desires is liberation, or nirvana. On the cosmic plane, it acts as a stoppage of the agitation of dharmas, which is later described in the Hinayana schools as an immovable, unchanging element.

Buddhism is based on the assertion of the principle of personality, inseparable from the surrounding world, and the recognition of the existence of a unique psychological process in which the world is also involved. The result of this is the absence in Buddhism of the opposition of subject and object, spirit and matter, a mixture of individual and cosmic, psychological and ontological, and at the same time emphasizing the special potential forces lurking in the integrity of this spiritual and material existence. The creative principle, the ultimate cause of being, is the mental activity of a person, which determines both the formation of the universe and its disintegration: this is a volitional decision of the “I”, understood as a kind of spiritual and bodily integrity, - not so much a philosophical subject, but a practically acting person as a moral and psychological reality. From the non-absolute significance for Buddhism of everything that exists, regardless of the subject, from the absence of creative aspirations in the individual in Buddhism, the conclusion follows, on the one hand, that God as the highest being is immanent to man (the world), on the other hand, that in Buddhism there is no the need for God as a creator, savior, providence, i.e. in general as, of course, the supreme being, transcendent to this community; this also implies the absence in Buddhism of the dualism of the divine and the non-divine, God and the world, and so on.

Starting with the denial of external religiosity, Buddhism in the course of its development came to its recognition. The Buddhist pantheon is growing due to the introduction into it of all kinds of mythological creatures, one way or another assimilating with Buddhism. Extremely early in Buddhism, a sangha-monastic community appears, from which, over time, a kind of religious organization has grown.

The Japanese name for Japan Nihon (日本) is made up of two parts, ni (日) and hon (本), both of which are Sinic. The first word (日) in modern Chinese is pronounced rì and means, as in Japanese, "sun" (transmitted in writing by its ideogram). The second word (本) in modern Chinese is pronounced bӗn. Its original meaning is "root", and the ideogram that conveys it is the tree ideogram mù (木) with a dash added below to indicate the root. From the meaning "root" the meaning "origin" developed, and it was in this meaning that it entered the name of Japan Nihon (日本) - "origin of the sun" > "land of the rising sun" (modern Chinese rì bӗn). In ancient Chinese, the word bӗn (本) also had the meaning of "scroll, book". In modern Chinese it has been superseded in this sense by the word shū (書), but remains in it as a counter for books. The Chinese word bӗn (本) was borrowed into Japanese both in the meaning of "root, origin" and in the meaning of "scroll, book", and in the form hon (本) means book in modern Japanese. The same Chinese word bӗn (本) in the meaning of "scroll, book" was also borrowed into the ancient Turkic language, where, after adding the Turkic suffix -ig to it, it acquired the form *küjnig. The Turks brought this word to Europe, where it from the language of the Danube Turkic-speaking Bulgars in the form of a book got into the language of the Slavic-speaking Bulgarians and spread through Church Slavonic to others. Slavic languages, including Russian.

Thus, the Russian word book and the Japanese word hon "book" have a common root of Chinese origin, and the same root is included as a second component in the Japanese name for Japan Nihon.

I hope everything is clear?)))

“... Speaking about the development of the European world, one cannot miss the movement Christian religion, which is attributed to the re-creation ancient world, and with which the history of the new Europe begins ... ”(4; p. 691).

CHRISTIANITY (from Greek - “anointed one”, “messiah”), one of the three world religions (along with Buddhism and Islam) arose in the 1st century. in Palestine.

The founder of Christianity is Jesus Christ (Yeshua Mashiach). Jesus - the Greek vowel of the Hebrew name Yeshua, was born in the family of the carpenter Joseph - a descendant of the legendary King David. Place of birth - the city of Bethlehem. The place of residence of the parents is the city of Nazareth in Galilee. The birth of Jesus was marked by a number of cosmic phenomena, which gave reason to consider the boy the Messiah and the newborn king of the Jews. The word "Christ" Greek translation Ancient Greek "Mashiach" ("anointed one"). He was baptized about 30 years old. The dominant qualities of his personality were humility, patience, goodwill. When Jesus was 31 years old, he selected 12 of all his disciples, whom he determined to be apostles of the new teaching, of which 10 were executed (7; p. 198-200).

The Bible (Greek biblio - books) is a set of books that Christians consider divinely revealed, that is, given from above, and are called Holy Scripture.

The Bible consists of two parts: the Old and New Testaments (the “covenant” is a mystical contract or union). The Old Testament, created from the 4th to the second half of the 2nd c. BC e., includes 5 books attributed to the Hebrew prophet Moses (Pentateuch of Moses, or Torah), as well as 34 works of a historical, philosophical, poetic and purely religious nature. These 39 officially recognized (canonical) books make up Holy Bible Judaism - Tanakh. Added to these are 11 books that are considered, although not divinely inspired, but nevertheless religiously useful (non-canonical) and are revered by most Christians.

The Old Testament contains the Jewish picture of the creation of the world and man, as well as the history of the Jewish people and the main ideas of Judaism. Final composition old testament consolidated at the end of the 1st century. n. e.

The New Testament was created in the process of the formation of Christianity and is actually the Christian part of the Bible, it contains 27 books: 4 Gospels, which set out earthly life Jesus Christ, described him martyrdom and miraculous resurrection; Acts of the apostles - disciples of Christ; 21 epistles of the apostles James, Peter, John, Jude and Paul; Revelation of the Apostle John the Theologian (Apocalypse). The final composition of the New Testament was established in the second half of the 4th century. n. e.

At present, the Bible has been fully or partially translated into almost all languages of the peoples of the world. The first complete Slavic Bible was published in 1581, and the Russian one in 1876 (2; pp. 82 - 83).

Initially, Christianity spread among the Jews of Palestine and the Mediterranean diaspora, but already in the first decades it received more and more followers from other peoples (“pagans”). Until the 5th c. The spread of Christianity took place mainly within the geographical limits of the Roman Empire, as well as in the sphere of its political and cultural influence, later among the Germanic and Slavic peoples, later (by the 13th-14th centuries) - also among the Baltic and Finnish peoples.

The emergence and spread of early Christianity took place in the conditions of a deepening crisis of ancient civilization.

The early Christian communities had many similarities with the fellowships and cult communities characteristic of the life of the Roman Empire, but unlike the latter, they taught their members to think not only about their needs and local interests, but about the fate of the whole world.

The administration of the Caesars for a long time considered Christianity as a complete negation of the official ideology, accusing Christians of "hatred of the human race", refusing to participate in pagan religious and political ceremonies, bringing repressions on Christians.

Christianity, like Islam, inherits the idea of a single god matured in Judaism, the owner of absolute goodness, absolute knowledge and absolute power, in relation to which all beings and forerunners are his creations, everything was created by God from nothing.

The human situation is conceived in Christianity as extremely contradictory. Man was created as the bearer of the “image and likeness” of God, in this initial state and in the final sense of God about man, mystical dignity belongs not only human spirit but also the body.

Christianity highly appreciates the purifying role of suffering - not as an end in itself, but as the most powerful weapon in the war against world evil. Only by "accepting his cross" can a person overcome evil in himself. Any humility is ascetic taming, in which a person "cuts off his will" and, paradoxically, becomes free.

An important place in Orthodoxy is occupied by sacramental rites, during which, according to the teachings of the church, a special grace descends on the believers. The Church recognizes seven sacraments:

Baptism is a sacrament in which a believer, when the body is immersed three times in water with the invocation of God the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, acquires a spiritual birth.

In the sacrament of chrismation, the believer is given the gifts of the Holy Spirit, returning and strengthening in spiritual life.

In the sacrament of communion, the believer, under the guise of bread and wine, partakes of the very Body and Blood of Christ for Eternal Life.

The sacrament of repentance or confession is the recognition of one's sins before a priest who releases them on behalf of Jesus Christ.

The sacrament of the priesthood is performed through episcopal ordination during the elevation of one or another person to the rank of clergyman. The right to perform this sacrament belongs only to the bishop.

In the sacrament of marriage, which takes place in the temple at the wedding, the marital union of the bride and groom is blessed.

In the sacrament of unction (unction), when the body is anointed with oil, the grace of God is called upon the sick, healing the infirmities of the soul and body.

Becoming officially permitted in 311, and by the end of the 4th century. the dominant religion in the Roman Empire, Christianity comes under the patronage, guardianship and control of the state authorities, interested in developing unanimity among subjects.

The persecution experienced by Christianity in the first centuries of its existence left a deep imprint on its worldview and spirit. Persons who suffered imprisonment and torture for their faith (confessors) or who were executed (martyrs) began to be revered in Christianity as saints. In general, the ideal of a martyr becomes central in Christian ethics.

Time passed. The conditions of the era and culture changed the political and ideological context of Christianity, and this caused a number of church divisions- schism. As a result, competing varieties of Christianity appeared - "creeds". So, in 311, Christianity becomes officially permitted, and by the end of the 4th century under Emperor Constantine - the dominant religion, under the tutelage of state power. However, the gradual weakening of the Western Roman Empire eventually ended in its collapse. This contributed to the fact that the influence of the Roman bishop (pope), who took over the functions of the secular ruler, increased significantly. Already in the 5th-7th centuries, in the course of the so-called Christological disputes, which clarified the relationship between the divine and human principles in the person of Christ, the Christians of the East separated from the imperial church: monophists, etc. In 1054, the Orthodox and Catholic churches, which was based on the conflict between the Byzantine theology of the sacred power - the position of church hierarchs subordinate to the monarch - and the Latin theology of the universal papacy, which sought to subjugate secular power.

After the death under the onslaught of the Turks - the Ottomans of Byzantium in 1453, Russia turned out to be the main stronghold of Orthodoxy. However, disputes over the norms of ritual practice led here in the 17th century to a split, as a result of which from Orthodox Church the Old Believers separated.

In the West, during the Middle Ages, the ideology and practice of the papacy aroused increasing protest both from the secular elite (especially the German emperors) and from the lower classes of society (the Lollard movement in England, the Hussites in the Czech Republic, etc.). By the beginning of the 16th century, this protest took shape in the Reformation movement (8; p. 758).

Christianity in the world is practiced by about 1.9 billion people (5; p. 63).

In my opinion, Christianity plays a big role in the modern world. Now it can be called the dominant religion of the world. Christianity penetrates into all spheres of life of people of different nationalities. And against the backdrop of numerous hostilities in the world, its peacekeeping role is manifested, which in itself is multifaceted and includes a complex system that is aimed at shaping the worldview. Christianity is one of the world's religions, which adapts as much as possible to changing conditions and continues to have a great impact on the mores, customs, personal life of people, their relationships in the family.

Research work on the issue: " Social Features religion", "The attitude of graduates to religion".

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MOU "BUGROVSKAYA SOSH"

Religion in the modern world

(research work on the issue " Social Functions of Religion

Attitude of graduates to religion").

Completed  11th grade student:

Tazabekova K.K.

Checked by history teacher

and social studies:

Bogaytseva N.V.

St. Petersburg

2007

Introduction. 3

Social functions of religion in modern society 4

Sociological analysis of the attitude of school graduates to religion 10

Conclusion 13

Appendix 1 15

Appendix 2 18

Appendix 3 25

Annex 4 26

Introduction.

The program of sociological research of the attitude of school graduates to religion.

social problem:Religion is an active agent in the socialization of young people in society, but young people have an ambiguous attitude towards it.

Research problem:many social studies are devotedyouth problems, but the attitude of school graduates to religion has not been sufficiently studied.

Object of study:youth perception of religion.

Subject of study:the attitude of school graduates to religion.

The purpose of sociological research:study the attitude of high school students to religion.

Tasks of sociological research:

define religion and characterize its main functions;

find out the role of religion and church in the representation of high school students;

compare the attitude of boys and girls towards religion Hypotheses:

You starters believe that religion is a combination of spiritual

ideas, it helps to overcome difficulties and determines the status of a person.

Girls are more religious than boys.

Graduates do not consider it necessary to interact with church, state, family and school.

Sample: 12 students of the 11th grade of the Bugrovskaya Secondary School were interviewed secondary school. The sample is representative of the gender difference (boys, girls).

Methods:

group survey
comparative
analytical
calculation of data using the computer program "Chart Wizard"

Social functions of religion in modern society.

These verses of the wonderful poet Nikolai Zabolotsky say that the world that creates us is nature (believers believe that the gods or one God created everything), but a person can also be a creator. A lot of people need in this world. A person wants to penetrate the secrets of the world, wants to understand who he is and why he lives in the world. Religion has answered these questions for thousands of years. This word denotes the views, feelings and actions of people who believe that everything in the world is done by the will of mysterious and unknown forces, by the will of the gods or God alone.

The word religio means in Latinpiety, holinessand goes back to the verb religion - connect, connect.Obviously, in this case we are talking about a connection with the other world, with other dimensions of being. All religions at all times believe that our empirical reality is not independent and not self-sufficient. It has a derivative, created character, in essence it is secondary. It is the result or projection of another real, true reality - God and the gods. The word "God" has the same root as the word "wealth". In ancient times, people asked God to take care of the fertility of the fields, a rich harvest, so that everyone would be fed. The most terrible enemy for people was hunger. But "man does not live by bread alone." You must have heard these words? They are repeated when they want to say that there is something more important than daily bread.

Thus, religion doubles the world and points out to man the powers that are superior to him, possessing reason, will, and their own laws. These forces have completely different qualities than those that are directly familiar to us in everyday life. They are powerful, mysterious, miraculous from the point of view of an empirical person. Their power over earthly existence is, if not absolute, then enormous. The world of the divine defines people both in their physical being and in the system of values.

The idea of the existence of God is the central point of religious faith, but does not exhaust it. religious faith includes:

moral norms, norms of morality, which are declared to be derived from divine revelation; violation of these norms is a sin and, accordingly, is condemned and punished;
certain legal laws and regulations, which are also declared or occurred directly as a result of divine revelation, or as a result of the God-inspired activity of legislators, as a rule, kings and other rulers;
faith in the divine inspiration of the activities of certain clergy, persons declared saints, saints, blessed, etc.; because, in Catholicism, it is generally accepted that the head of the Catholic Church - the Pope - is the vicar (representative) of God on earth;
faith in the saving power for the human soul of those ritual actions that believers perform in accordance with the instructions Holy books, clergy and church leaders (baptism, circumcision of the flesh, prayer, fasting, worship, etc.);
faith in the God-directed activity of churches as associations of people who consider themselves adherents of one or another faith.

Modern religions do not deny the achievements of natural science, theories related to the structure of matter and, moreover, the practical application of science. But they always emphasize that the business of science is to study only the sphere of the beyond. There are hundreds of different religions. Most people adhere to traditions associated with one of the three world religions. These are Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. National religions exist among Jews, Japanese, Indians, Chinese. Some peoples remain faithful to their traditional (ancient) beliefs, and there are people who consider themselves non-believers (atheists) in general.

Beyond that extends the realm of religion and perhaps philosophy. The main thing is that, carried away by earthly concerns, humanity should not forget that it is not autonomous, that there are higher eternal authorities over it, their vigilant supervision and their judgment.

Sufficiently developed religions have their own organization in the form of a church. The Church organizes internal and external links religious community. It is a peculiar form of interconnection between the sacred and the profane (ordinary, everyday, humanly earthly). The Church divides, as a rule, all believers into clergy and laity. Through the church, religion enters the system of social institutions of society*.

* By 2000, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation registered churches:

Russian Orthodox Church - 5494;

Islamic - 3264;

Buddhist - 79;

Russian Orthodox Free Church - 69;

Old Believers - 141;

True Orthodox - 19;

Roman Catholic - 138;

Lutheran - 92;

Jewish - 62;

Armenian - 26;

Protestant-Methodist - 29;

Evangelical Christian Baptists - 550;

Pentecostals - 192;

New Apostolic - 37;

Molokan -12;

Presbyterian, 74;

Evangelical - 109;

Jehovist - 72;

Krishnaites - 87;

Temples of interfaith missionaries - 132.

As of December 31, 2000, 443 religious organizations were registered in St. Petersburg, among them:

Russian Orthodox Church - 167;

Islamic - 2;

Buddhist -12;

Old Believers - 2;

Roman Catholic - 10;

Lutheran - 30;

Jewish - 13;

Protestant-Methodist - 6;

Evangelical Christian Baptists - 16;

Jehovist - 1;

Pentecostals - 120;

Krishnaites - 3.

At the same time, 290 religious organizations were registered in the Leningrad Region. Among them:

Russian Orthodox Church - 158;

Lutheran - 23;

Evangelical Christian Baptists - 18;

Pentecostals - 60;

Roman Catholic - 2

and others.

(Data from the book by N.S. Gordienko "Russian Jehovah's Witnesses: Past and Present". St. Petersburg, 2000).

A social institution can be viewed as a stable set of people, groups, institutions whose activities are aimed at performing specific social functions and are built on the basis of certain ideal norms, rules, and standards of behavior.

What does religion give, what are its main functions?A reference point for us here will be the well-known statement of Z. Freud: “The gods retain their threefold task: they neutralize the horror of nature, reconcile with the formidable fate, which acts primarily in the form of death, and reward for the suffering and deprivation imposed on a person by life in a cultural society” .

Primarily religion helps us cope with the uncertainty of the unknown world. There is much we cannot explain, and it somehow presses, causing a deep inner restlessness. This, of course, is not about the weather for tomorrow, but about things that are much more serious: about death, about the death of a loved one, in a word, about the ultimate, final conditions of human existence. In explaining such things, we are, as they say, vitally interested, without knowing about them it is simply hard for us to live. By introducing a supernatural being (God), sacred factors, religion in its own way explains what cannot be explained scientifically.
Religion helps you understand, somehow understand and completely hopeless, justabsurd situations. Well, let's say this: an honest, deeply conscientious person for some reason suffers all his life, suffers, barely makes ends meet, and next to him people are furious with fat, they don’t know what to spend dishonestly earned, not acquired by their own labor money. Blatant injustice! And how to explain it, how to agree? Humanly speaking, nothing. But if there is another world where everyone is rewarded according to his merits, then another thing is that justice will still prevail. One can then understand, even inwardly accept injustice.
Religion sanctifies, i.e. in my own way substantiates morality, moral values and ideals of society. Without it, it is very difficult to awaken and affirm in people conscience, mercy, and love for one's neighbor. All these and similar virtues receive from religion a certain compulsion, persuasiveness and attractiveness, as well as a desire, an inner readiness to follow and obey them. God sees everything, you can’t hide anything from him - this stops many. And for some it helps not to deviate from the chosen path - direct, honest, labor. In this regard, religion acts as the most important element of the national or social consciousness. Thus, in modern society, religion performs two main functions:
educational
distracting.

"The heart of a heartless world, the soul of a soulless world" - this is how Karl Marx characterized religion. He is, however, better known for another formula:"religion is the opiate of the people", but it should not be neglected either. Why do people turn to opium? To forget, to get away from the ordinary, to get something that is not in real life. And it was not Marx, to be precise, who invented this formula. Long before him, back in ancient times, religion was compared to "an intoxicating dope." Goethe saw it as a drug, Heine and Feuerbach saw it as spiritual opium. Kant called the idea of absolution "the opium of conscience".

Religious communion is one of the strongest and most enduring in human history. It contributes to the consolidation of all the spiritual forces of the people, and through this - to the strengthening of the civil and state foundations of life. In Rus', for example, the church helped collect Russian lands, strengthen the young statehood, and encouraged the development of new territories through monastic colonization. And during the period of the Mongol-Tatar yoke, she made a huge contribution to the survival of the Russian people, the preservation of their identity. It is not for nothing that two names are equally firmly inscribed in the victory at Kulikovo Field: Prince Dmitry Donskoy and Sergius of Radonezh, “abbot of the Russian land.”

Unfortunately, religion can not only unite, but also divide people, encourage conflicts, cause wars. The first thing that comes to mind is the crusades, which were motivated by religious feelings and creeds that distinguish Christians from Muslims.

Rich in religious strife and modernity: the confrontation between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland, the conflict between Muslims and Jews in the Middle East, the Yugoslav Orthodox-Muslim-Catholic knot and much more. Strange situation: in itself, no religion calls for violence. Where does it come from? In each specific case, apparently, non-religious factors also act. But we must not forget that every religion claims not just the truth, but the Absolute Truth. The Absolute, by definition, does not have and does not tolerate the plural.

Let's stop for a bit atheism . It is most often identified with godlessness, which is not true. Irreligion is both a definition and a negative state. There is no god. What is there? Unclear. Ostap Bender, for example, denied the existence of God on the grounds that "it medical fact» the great strategist cannot fill the void resulting from the denial of God.

Whatever they tried to fill this void: with ideology, and politics, and the fight against religion, and devotion to the party, and the most advanced science, etc. But emptiness, like Moloch, is insatiable, requires more and more new victims. Godlessness besides: at the last line, many cheat on him, recalling religion.

There is atheism culture of being without God. History, Necessity, Law are deliberately put in place of God. But since this is done by a person, for a person and in the name of a person, it can be said thatin atheism God is replaced by Man. A man with a capital letter - an image, an ideal of humanity, humanism, real, earthly happiness of people. Atheism is really anthropotheism.

Not everyone can master the culture of atheism. It requires certain courage, willpower, intelligence, readiness and ability to make a choice in favor of the good without any hope of reward or retribution. Religion is easier, most importantly, easier. There is an external instance to which one can always appeal, there is truth as a criterion for all human, relative truths, there is the consolation of "being after death." You can, say, having sinned, go to confession, sincerely repent and, having received forgiveness, become sinless again and again ... sin. And there were times when the absolution of sins in the literal sense (indulgence), and even now, by giving money for the construction of the temple, you can count on the indulgence of the Almighty.

There is nothing like it in atheism. All sins remain with a person, no one and nothing will free him from them. It's hard, no doubt, but that's the culture. You have to rely only on yourself. And do not allow yourself to "sin." For there is no one to lighten the burden of your sins, to take off the burden of responsibility for what you thought and did, you cannot dodge with your own mind. The atheistic culture of being, in essence, has not gained the necessary scope yet. But it has a huge humanistically transformative potential.

Religion is an active agent in the socialization of youth in society, but young people have an ambiguous attitude towards it. Many social studies are devoted to this problem, but the attitude of school graduates to religion has not been studied enough. In our research work, we tried to solve this problem.

Sociological analysis of the attitude of graduates to religion .

Testing our hypothesis that graduates believe that religion is a set of spiritual ideas, it helps to overcome difficulties and determines the status of a person, we got the following results. 83% of high school students (this is approximately 5/6 of the number of respondents) understand the word "religion" as a set of spiritual ideas. And only 8% of graduates (1/6 of the respondents) believe that religion is belief in the supernatural. The option “religion is certain legal laws and norms” was completely excluded by high school students. This suggests that high school students understand religion primarily as a spiritual phenomenon and do not associate it with any legal laws. (Diagram 1).

Considering the functions of religion, we ranked the answers to the question "What, in your opinion, does religion give?" in increments of 10%, starting from the highest (Table 1). As expected, the majority of respondents, which is 75% of total number respondents believe that religion helps to overcome difficulties, and the same number of high school students (75%) singled out the main function of religion - the provision of psychological support. These two functions are in first place. The next function (religion justifies morality) takes II place. Religion incites discord between people - on III place, and the provision of emotional assistance - on IV . In V place, such answer options as religion helps to know the world and provokes violence. VI place is occupied by the function of strengthening ties between peoples. The last VII place is occupied by such functions as influence on the position of a person in society and the possibility of communication. All this suggests that high school students understand that religion justifies morality, but at the same time they forget that religious communication is one of the strongest and most stable in human history, that religion helps us cope with the uncertainty of the world. And only a few people paid attention to the fact that religion can not only unite people, but also incite conflicts.

We also analyzed the responses to the question “How do you think financial situation man on his faith? 34% of the respondents answered that the poorer the person, the stronger the faith, 58% of the respondents believe that the financial situation of a person does not affect his faith, and 8% do not know (Diagram 2). To the question “How do you think a person’s position in society affects their faith?” only 8% of the total number of respondents answered that the lower the position, the stronger the faith, 9% of high school students do not know what effect a person's position in society has on faith. And most of the graduates, 83%, believe that a person's position in society does not affect his faith in any way (Diagram 3). It follows from the above that high school students do not see a special connection between religion and a person's social status and do not attach importance to the status function of religion.

Thus, our first hypothesis was partially confirmed. High school students really believe that religion is a set of spiritual ideas, that it helps to overcome difficulties. But, according to graduates, religion does not determine either the material or social status of a person in modern society.

Testing our hypothesis that girls are more religious than boys, we got the following results. 75% of the surveyed girls believe in God, 38% of the surveyed boys and 50% of all respondents, but the girls are more specific about this, their faith is more pronounced character. (Diagram 4.1).

Prayers are known selectively by 75% of the interviewed girls, 25% of the interviewed boys and 42% of all the respondents. The remaining number of girls and boys do not know prayer at all. No one knows all the prayers. (Diagram 5.1).

Looking at the frequency of church attendance, we got the following results. Every week 12% of young men attend church and 8% of all students. Only 25% of girls, 13% of boys and 17% of all respondents attend church 1-2 times a month. 75% of girls, 25% of boys and 42% of all respondents go to church 1-2 times a year. And 50% of the young men surveyed and 33% of all respondents do not attend church at all. We assume that young men take such a social institution as the church less seriously than girls. (Diagram 6.1).

Considering the functions of religion, we ranked the answers to the question "What, in your opinion, does religion give?" As can be seen from the table (Table 1), girls are more categorical in their answers. The girls put the function of providing psychological assistance in the 1st place, and help in overcoming difficulties in the 2nd place. Then comes the 3rd place: religion provides emotional assistance. All other functions (religion helps to understand the world, justifies morality, strengthens ties between peoples, provokes violence, influences a person’s position in society and makes it possible to communicate) in the 4th place. Boys have a broader idea of the functions of religion. In I place they put help in overcoming difficulties. Religion provides psychological support - II place. On III place - religion substantiates morality. On the IV place - religion kindles discord between people. Religion helps to understand the world, provides emotional assistance, provokes violence - V place. On VI place - religion strengthens the connection between peoples, and such functions as influence on the position of a person in society and the ability to communicate turned out to be VII place. Thus, our third hypothesis was confirmed. The religiosity of high school students depends on their gender.

Testing our hypothesis that graduates do not consider interaction between church, state, family, and school to be necessary, we assessed the proportion of positive responses. 58% of the respondents believe that the state should support the church, and 42% of the respondents believe that the church should support the state.

Looking at the relationship between the church and the school, one can see the following results: the majority of graduates believe that the school should not support the church in any way and the church should not support the school; high school students do not consider school and church as connected social institutions.

As for the relationship between the family and the church, on the basis of the conducted research, we received the following results. 33% of respondents believe that the family should support the church and the same number of respondents believe that the church should support the family.

Thus, our third hypothesis was partially confirmed. The students consider the interaction of church and state to be necessary, but they do not see the need for the relationship between church and family, church and school.

The development of youth occurs through the influence of various social institutions (family, school, church, state). But this influence will be fruitful only when the social institutions themselves are interconnected. According to the results of our study, we can assume that the process of socialization of young people in modern society is difficult due to the weakening of these ties.

Conclusion

According to the American Gallup Institute, in 2000, 95% of Africans believed in God and a "higher being", 97% - Latin America, 91% - USA, 89% - Asia, 88% - Western Europe, 84% - of Eastern Europe, 42.9 - Russia. These data testify to the wide spread of religion.

People differ from each other for many reasons, one of them is religion. Spiritual differences often lead to significant political and cultural consequences. What can we say about such a scale, when there are conflicts in the same family because of different faiths. Most people treat with fear, disdain and even hatred for representatives of another religion. They do not want and do not want to understand each other. But they cannot be blamed for this, because for many centuries no one instilled in them respect for representatives of different faiths, and in some cases they militantly set them up to achieve their own selfish goals. And only in recent times, in particular in Russia, many previously destroyed churches and monasteries are being restored. On television, we often see worship services taking place in churches, the consecration of buildings, ships, and enterprises. On the radio and concert halls church music is playing. Representatives of the clergy sit in the supreme bodies of power. The number of those who, for example, in Christianity went through the rite of baptism, has increased. Newspapers and magazines appeared, which are the official printed organs of the churches. In some non-state schools, a new subject has appeared - "The Law of God." work educational establishments where priests are trained. All this is aimed at the socialization of young people.

During our research, we made the following recommendations:

1. Educational work is needed with high school students in order to improve religious literacy;

2. a closer relationship is needed between the family, school, church and state in the upbringing of the younger generation

The impact of religion on a person is contradictory: on the one hand, it calls a person to observe high moral standards, introduces culture, and on the other hand, preaches humility and humility, refusal to take active actions (at least a lot of people do religious communities). In some cases, it contributes to the aggressiveness of believers, their separation and even confrontation. But here the point, apparently, is not so much in religious provisions, but in how they are understood by people, in particular, by the younger generation. And, according to the results of our study, young people are not literate enough in relation to religion. It seems to me that this question is one of the most relevant today. And in my further research, I would like to continue working on this problem.

Bibliography

Bogolyubov L.N., Lazebnikova A.Yu. etc. Man and society. Social science. Part 2. - M .: "Enlightenment", 2004.
Gordienko N.S. Fundamentals of Religious Studies. St. Petersburg, 1997.
Gordienko N.S. Russian Jehovah's Witnesses: Past and Present. SPb. 2000.
Grechko P.K. Society: the main spheres of being. - M .: "Unicum Center", 1998.
History (weekly supplement to the newspaper "First of September"). - M., 1993 - No. 13.
History (weekly supplement to the newspaper "First of September"). - M., 1994 - No. 35.
I know the world: culture: Encyclopedia / Comp. Chudakova N.V. / M .: "AST", 1998.
Website http://www.referat.ru .

Attachment 1

QUESTIONNAIRE

Dear student!

Currently, sociologists are intensively investigating the social problems of religion. We ask you to take part in one of these surveys, the purpose of which is to study the attitude of students towards religion, and answer the questions of this questionnaire.

The questionnaire is anonymous, i.e. Your last name is not required. We guarantee that the responses received will only be published in a statistically aggregated form.

Filling out the questionnaire is simple: in most cases, you need to circle the letter of the answer that suits you best.

Please indicate your gender? 1. male 2. female

What is your nationality? (Write) ________________________

How do you understand the word "religion"?

5. other (what? Specify) ____________________________________

What do you think religion gives? (Specify 2-3 options)

1. helps to know the world

3. justifies morality

7. provokes violence

9. gives you the opportunity to communicate

11. other (what? Specify) ____________________________________

Do you believe in God?

1. yes

2. more likely yes than no

3. rather no than yes

4. no

Are there believers in your family?

1. yes

2. no

3. don't know

What religious holidays does your family celebrate? (Write) _____________________________________________________________

Do you know prayers?

1. yes, everything

2. selectively

3. no, I don't know

How often do you attend church?

1. every week

2. 1-2 times a month

3. 1-2 times a year

4. I don't visit at all

Do you consider an adherent of another religion an enemy?

1. yes, always

2. yes, if he is aggressive towards me

3. no, never

4. find it difficult to answer

Do you think theology lessons are needed at school?

1. yes, for everyone

2. only for those who wish

3. not needed at all

Does your school have theology classes?

1. yes

2. no

3. don't know

Do you think support is needed in modern society: (check one option in each line)

	Yes	partially	No
13. church state?
14. states by the church?
15. church school?
16. schools by the church?
17. church family?
18. family church?

19. How do you feel in your faith?

1. I'm proud of her

2. I feel comfortable in it

3. I'm shy of her

4. other (what? Specify) ____________________________________

20. How do you think a person's financial situation affects his faith?

3. no effect

4. don't know

21. How, in your opinion, does a person's position in society influence their faith?

3. no way

4. don't know

22. How do you represent a believer? (Write) ___________

____________________________________________________________

You have completed the questionnaire, thank you for your help!

Annex 2

Diagram 1

Distribution of answers to the question "How do you understand the word "religion"?"

1. it is a belief in the supernatural

2. these are certain legal laws and regulations

3. it is a set of spiritual ideas

4. agree with all of the above

5. other (what? Specify) - faith in God

Diagram 2

Distribution of answers to the question "How do you think a person's financial situation affects his faith?"

1. the richer, the stronger the faith

2. the poorer, the stronger the faith

3. no effect

4. don't know

Diagram 3

Distribution of answers to the question "How, in your opinion, does a person's position in society influence their faith?"

1. the higher the position, the stronger the faith

2. the lower the position, the stronger the faith

3. no way

4. don't know

Diagram 4.1

Distribution of answers to the question "Do you believe in God?"

1. yes

2. more likely yes than no

3. rather no than yes

4. no

Diagram 5.1

Distribution of answers to the question "Do you know prayers?"

girls

Youths

All

1. yes, everything

2. selectively

3. no, I don't know

Diagram 6.1

Distribution of answers to the question "How often do you attend church?"

girls

Youths

All

1. every week

2. 1-2 times a month

3. 1-2 times a year

4. I don't visit at all

Diagram 7

The share of positive answers, negative answers and “partial” answers to the question “Do you think support is needed in modern society…

… churches by state?”

… the state by the church?”

… churches as schools?”

…schools by the church?”

… churches as a family?”

…family by the church?”

Appendix 3

Table 1

Distribution of answers to the question "What, in your opinion, does religion give?", ranks in 10% increments, starting from the highest.

Possible answer	general	girls	young men
1. helps to know the world
2. helps to overcome difficulties
3. justifies morality
4. strengthens the bond between peoples
5. provides psychological support
6. Provides emotional help
7. provokes violence
8. affects the position of a person in society
9. gives you the opportunity to communicate
10. incites discord between people
11. other (what? specify)

Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation

Ural State Academy of Veterinary Medicine

Abstract on the topic:

"The role of world religions in the modern world"

Completed by: PhD student...

Checked by: Professor Golubchikov A.Ya.

Troitsk - 2003

Introduction

1. Buddhism

3. Christianity3

Conclusion

List of used literature

Introduction

During the communist regime in the Soviet Union, religion as a state institution did not exist. And the definition of religion was as follows: “... Any religion is nothing more than a fantastic reflection in the minds of people of those external forces that dominate them in their daily life, a reflection in which earthly forces take the form of unearthly ones ...” (9; p. 328).

In recent years, the role of religion has been growing more and more, but, unfortunately, religion in our time is a means of profit for some and a tribute to fashion for others.

1. The original element of all three world religions is faith.

2. Teaching, the so-called set of principles, ideas and concepts.

3. Religious activity, the core of which is a cult - these are rituals, worship, prayers, sermons, religious holidays.

4. Religious associations are organized systems based on religious teaching. By them are meant churches, madrasas, sangha.

1. Give a description of each of the world religions;

2. Identify differences and relationships between Christianity, Islam and Buddhism;

3. Find out what role world religions play in the modern world.

1. Buddhism

“... Buddhism is the only true positivist religion in all history - even in its theory of knowledge ...” (4; p. 34).

Buddhism is a religious and philosophical doctrine that arose in ancient India in the 6th-5th centuries. BC. and turned in the course of its development into one of the three, along with Christianity and Islam, world religions.

The first block is Vinaya Pitaka: 5 books characterizing the principles of organization of monastic communities, the history of Buddhist monasticism and fragments of the biography of Gautama Buddha. The second block is the Sutta Pitaka: 5 collections expounding the teachings of the Buddha in the form of parables, aphorisms, poems, as well as telling about the last days of the Buddha. The third block is Abhidharma Pitaka: 7 books interpreting the main ideas of Buddhism.

In the first centuries of its existence, Buddhism was divided into 18 sects, and at the beginning of our era, Buddhism was divided into two branches, Hinayana and Mahayana. In 1-5 centuries. the main religious and philosophical schools of Buddhism were formed in the Hinayana - Vaibhashika and Sautrantika, in the Mahayana - Yogachara, or Vij-nyanavada, and Madhyamika.

Suffering and liberation appear in Buddhism as different states of a single being - suffering - a state of being manifested, liberation - unmanifested.

Psychologically, suffering is defined, first of all, as the expectation of failures and losses, as the experience of anxiety in general, which is based on a feeling of fear, inseparable from the present hope. In essence, suffering is identical to the desire for satisfaction - the psychological cause of suffering, and ultimately just any internal movement and is perceived not as any violation of the original good, but as a phenomenon organically inherent in life. Death due to the acceptance of the concept of endless rebirths by Buddhism, without changing the nature of this experience, deepens it, turning it into an inevitable and devoid of end. Cosmically, suffering is revealed as an endless "excitement" (appearance, disappearance and reappearance) of eternal and unchanging elements of an impersonal life process, flashes of a kind of vital energy, psychophysical in composition - dharmas. This “excitement” is caused by the absence of the true reality of the “I” and the world (according to the Hinayana schools) and the dharmas themselves (according to the Mahayana schools, which extended the idea of unreality to its logical end and declared all visible being to be shunya, i.e. emptiness). The consequence of this is the denial of the existence of both material and spiritual substance, in particular the denial of the soul in the Hinayana, and the establishment of a kind of absolute - shunyata, emptiness, not subject to either understanding or explanation - in the Mahayana.

Buddhism is based on the assertion of the principle of personality, inseparable from the surrounding world, and the recognition of the existence of a kind of psychological process in which the world is also involved. The result of this is the absence in Buddhism of the opposition of subject and object, spirit and matter, a mixture of individual and cosmic, psychological and ontological, and at the same time emphasizing the special potential forces lurking in the integrity of this spiritual and material existence. The creative principle, the ultimate cause of being, is the mental activity of a person, which determines both the formation of the universe and its disintegration: this is a volitional decision of the “I”, understood as a kind of spiritual and bodily integrity, - not so much a philosophical subject, but a practically acting person as a moral and psychological reality. From the non-absolute significance for Buddhism of everything that exists, regardless of the subject, from the absence of creative aspirations in the individual in Buddhism, the conclusion follows, on the one hand, that God as the highest being is immanent to man (the world), on the other hand, that in Buddhism there is no the need for God as a creator, savior, providence, i.e. in general as, of course, the supreme being, transcendent to this community; this also implies the absence in Buddhism of the dualism of the divine and the non-divine, God and the world, and so on.

The spread of Buddhism contributed to the creation of those syncretic cultural complexes, the totality of which forms the so-called. Buddhist culture (architecture, sculpture, painting). The most influential Buddhist organization is the World Society of Buddhists, founded in 1950 (2, p. 63).

At present, there are about 350 million followers of Buddhism in the world (5; p. 63).

In my opinion, Buddhism is a neutral religion, unlike Islam and Christianity, it does not force anyone to follow the teachings of the Buddha, it gives a choice to a person. And if a person wants to follow the path of the Buddha, then he must apply spiritual practices, mainly meditation, and then he will reach the state of nirvana. Buddhism, preaching the "principle of non-interference", plays a big role in the modern world and, in spite of everything, is gaining more and more followers.

2. Islam

“... Many acute political and religious conflicts are connected with Islam. Islamic extremism stands behind it…” (5; p. 63).

ISLAM (literally - surrender of oneself (to God), obedience), Islam, one of the three world religions along with Buddhism and Christianity. It arose in the Hijaz (at the beginning of the 7th century) among the tribes of Western Arabia, in the conditions of the disintegration of the patriarchal-tribal system and the beginning of the formation of a class society. It quickly spread during the military expansion of the Arabs from the Ganges in the East to the southern borders of Gaul in the West.

The founder of Islam Muhammad (Mohammed, Muhammad). Born in Mecca (about 570), orphaned early. He was a shepherd, married a rich widow and became a merchant. He was not supported by the Meccans and moved to Medina in 622. He died (632) in the midst of preparations for the conquests, as a result of which, subsequently, a huge state was formed - Arab Caliphate(2; p. 102).

The Koran (literally - reading, recitation) is the holy scripture of Islam. Muslims believe that the Koran exists eternally, is kept by Allah, who, in turn of the angel Jabrail, conveyed the contents of this book to Muhammad, and he orally acquainted his followers with this revelation. The language of the Quran is Arabic. Compiled, edited and published in its current form after the death of Muhammad.

Most of the Qur'an is a polemic in the form of a dialogue between Allah, speaking either in the first or in the third person, or through intermediaries (“spirit”, Jabrail), but always through the mouth of Muhammad, and the opponents of the prophet, or Allah’s appeal with exhortations and instructions to him followers (1; p. 130).

The Qur'an consists of 114 chapters (suras), which have neither a semantic connection nor a chronological sequence, but are arranged according to the principle of decreasing volume: the first suras are the longest, and the last are the shortest.

The Quran contains the Islamic picture of the world and man, the idea of the Last Judgment, heaven and hell, the idea of Allah and his prophets, the last of which is considered Muhammad, the Muslim understanding of social and moral problems.

The Koran began to be translated into Eastern languages from the 10th-11th centuries, and into European languages much later. A Russian translation of the entire Koran appeared only in 1878 (in Kazan) (2; p. 98).

The most important concepts of the Muslim religion are "Islam", "Din", "Iman". Islam in a broad sense began to designate the whole world, within which the laws of the Koran were established and operate. Classical Islam, in principle, does not make national distinctions, recognizing three statuses of a person's existence: as "orthodox", as "protected" and as a polytheist, who must either be converted to Islam or exterminated. Each religious group united in a separate community (ummah). Ummah is an ethnic, linguistic or religious community of people, which becomes the object of deities, the plan of salvation, at the same time, the ummah is also a form of social organization of people.

Statehood in early Islam was conceived as a kind of egalitarian secular theocracy, within which only the Koran has authority in the legislative field; executive power, both civil and religious, belongs to one god and can only be exercised through the caliph (sultan) - the leader of the Muslim community.

In Islam, there is no church as an institution, there is no clergy in the strict sense of the word, since Islam does not recognize any mediator between God and man: in principle, any member of the Ummah can perform worship.

"Din" - deities, establishment, leading people to salvation, - he means, first of all, the duties that God prescribed to man (a kind of "God's law"). Muslim theologians include three main elements in "din": "the five pillars of Islam", faith and good deeds.

The Five Pillars of Islam are:

1) the confession of monotheism and the prophetic mission of Muhammad;

2) daily prayer five times;

3) fasting once a year in the month of Ramadan;

4) voluntary cleansing alms;

5) pilgrimage (at least once in a lifetime) to Mecca ("hajj").

"Iman" (faith) is understood primarily as "evidence" about the object of one's faith. In the Qur'an, first of all, God bears witness to himself; the believer's response is like a returned testimony.

There are four main articles of faith in Islam:

1) in a single god;

2) in his messengers and writings; The Qur'an names five prophets - messengers ("rasul"): Noah, with whom God renewed the alliance, Abraham - the first "numin" (believer in one god); Moses, to whom God gave the Torah for the "sons of Israel", Jesus, through whom God communicated the Gospel to Christians; finally, Muhammad - "the seal of the prophets", who completed the chain of prophecy;

3) into angels;

4) on the resurrection after death and the day of judgment.

The differentiation of the secular and spiritual spheres is extremely amorphous in Islam, and has left a deep imprint on the culture of those countries where it has become widespread.

After the Battle of Siffin in 657, Islam split into three main areas, in connection with the solution of the issue of supreme power in Islam: Sunnis, Shiites and Ismailis.

In the bosom of orthodox Islam in the middle of the 18th century. the religious and political movement of the Wahhabis arises, preaching a return to the purity of early Islam in the time of Muhammad. Founded in Arabia in the middle of the 18th century by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. The ideology of Wahhabism was supported by the Saudi family, who fought to conquer all of Arabia. Currently, the Wahhabi doctrine is officially recognized in Saudi Arabia. Wahhabis are sometimes called religious and political groups in different countries financed by the Saudi regime and preaching the slogans of establishing "Islamic power" (3; p. 12).

In the 19th and 20th centuries, largely as a reaction to the sociopolitical and cultural influence of the West, religious and political ideologies emerged based on Islamic values (pan-Islamism, fundamentalism, reformism, etc.) (8; p. 224).

Currently, Islam is practiced by about 1 billion people (5; p. 63).

In my opinion, Islam is gradually beginning to lose its main functions in the modern world. Islam is being persecuted and gradually becoming a "forbidden religion". Its role is currently quite large, but, unfortunately, it is associated with religious extremism. Indeed, in this religion this concept has a place. Members of some Islamic sects believe that only they live according to divine laws and correctly profess their faith. Often, these people prove the case with cruel methods, not stopping at terrorist acts. Religious extremism, unfortunately, remains a fairly widespread and dangerous phenomenon - a source of social tension.

3. Christianity

“... Speaking about the development of the European world, one cannot miss the movement of the Christian religion, to which the re-creation of the ancient world is attributed, and from which the history of the new Europe begins ...” (4; p. 691).

CHRISTIANITY (from Greek - “anointed one”, “messiah”), one of the three world religions (along with Buddhism and Islam) arose in the 1st century. in Palestine.

The founder of Christianity is Jesus Christ (Yeshua Mashiach). Jesus - the Greek vowel of the Hebrew name Yeshua, was born in the family of the carpenter Joseph - a descendant of the legendary King David. Place of birth - the city of Bethlehem. The place of residence of the parents is the city of Nazareth in Galilee. The birth of Jesus was marked by a number of cosmic phenomena, which gave reason to consider the boy the Messiah and the newborn king of the Jews. The word "Christ" is the Greek translation of the ancient Greek "Mashiach" ("anointed one"). He was baptized about 30 years old. The dominant qualities of his personality were humility, patience, goodwill. When Jesus was 31 years old, he selected 12 of all his disciples, whom he determined to be apostles of the new teaching, of which 10 were executed (7; p. 198-200).

The Bible (Greek biblio - books) is a set of books that Christians consider divinely revealed, that is, given from above, and are called Holy Scripture.

The Bible consists of two parts: the Old and New Testaments ("covenant" - a mystical agreement or union). The Old Testament, created from the 4th to the second half of the 2nd c. BC e., includes 5 books attributed to the Hebrew prophet Moses (Pentateuch of Moses, or Torah), as well as 34 works of a historical, philosophical, poetic and purely religious nature. These 39 officially recognized (canonical) books make up the Holy Scripture of Judaism - the Tanakh. Added to these are 11 books that are considered, although not divinely inspired, but nevertheless religiously useful (non-canonical) and are revered by most Christians.

The Old Testament contains the Jewish picture of the creation of the world and man, as well as the history of the Jewish people and the main ideas of Judaism. The final composition of the Old Testament was fixed at the end of the 1st century. n. e.

The New Testament was created in the process of the formation of Christianity and is actually the Christian part of the Bible, it contains 27 books: 4 Gospels, which describe the earthly life of Jesus Christ, describe his martyrdom and miraculous resurrection; Acts of the apostles - disciples of Christ; 21 epistles of the apostles James, Peter, John, Jude and Paul; Revelation of the Apostle John the Theologian (Apocalypse). The final composition of the New Testament was established in the second half of the 4th century. n. e.

Initially, Christianity spread among the Jews of Palestine and the Mediterranean diaspora, but already in the first decades it received more and more followers from other peoples (“pagans”). Until the 5th c. Christianity spread mainly within the geographical limits of the Roman Empire, as well as in the sphere of its political and cultural influence, later - among the Germanic and Slavic peoples, later (by the 13th-14th centuries) - also among the Baltic and Finnish peoples.

The emergence and spread of early Christianity took place in the conditions of a deepening crisis of ancient civilization.

The human situation is conceived in Christianity as extremely contradictory. Man was created as the bearer of the "image and likeness" of God, in this original state and in the final sense of God about man, mystical dignity belongs not only to the human spirit, but also to the body.

Baptism is a sacrament in which a believer, when the body is immersed three times in water with the invocation of God the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, acquires a spiritual birth.

In the sacrament of chrismation, the believer is given the gifts of the Holy Spirit, returning and strengthening in spiritual life.

In the sacrament of communion, the believer, under the guise of bread and wine, partakes of the very Body and Blood of Christ for Eternal Life.

The sacrament of repentance or confession is the recognition of one's sins before a priest who releases them on behalf of Jesus Christ.

In the sacrament of marriage, which takes place in the temple at the wedding, the marital union of the bride and groom is blessed.

In the sacrament of unction (unction), when the body is anointed with oil, the grace of God is called upon the sick, healing the infirmities of the soul and body.

Time passed. The conditions of the era and culture changed the political and ideological context of Christianity, and this caused a number of church divisions - schism. As a result, competing varieties of Christianity appeared - "creeds". So, in 311, Christianity becomes officially permitted, and by the end of the 4th century under Emperor Constantine - the dominant religion, under the tutelage of state power. However, the gradual weakening of the Western Roman Empire eventually ended in its collapse. This contributed to the fact that the influence of the Roman bishop (pope), who took over the functions of the secular ruler, increased significantly. Already in the 5th-7th centuries, in the course of the so-called Christological disputes, which clarified the relationship between the divine and human principles in the person of Christ, the Christians of the East separated from the imperial church: monophists, etc. In 1054, the separation of the Orthodox and Catholic churches took place, which was based on the conflict between the Byzantine theology of the sacred power - the position of church hierarchs subordinate to the monarch - and the Latin theology of the universal papacy, which sought to subjugate secular power.

Christianity in the world is practiced by about 1.9 billion people (5; p. 63).

Conclusion

The role of religion in the life of specific people, societies and states is not the same. Some live according to the strict laws of religion (for example, Islam), others offer complete freedom in matters of faith to their citizens and do not interfere at all in the religious sphere, and religion may also be banned. In the course of history, the position of religion in the same country may change. A striking example of this is Russia. Yes, and confessions are by no means the same in the requirements that they impose on a person in their rules of conduct and codes of morality. Religions can unite people or divide them, inspire creative work, feats, call for inaction, peace and contemplation, promote the spread of books and the development of art and at the same time limit any spheres of culture, impose bans on certain types of activities, sciences. etc. The role of religion must always be viewed concretely as the role of a given religion in a given society and in a given period. Its role for the whole society, for a separate group of people or for a particular person may be different.

Thus, we can single out the main functions of religion (in particular, world religions):

1. Religion forms a system of principles, views, ideals and beliefs in a person, explains to a person the structure of the world, determines his place in this world, shows him what the meaning of life is.

2. Religion gives people consolation, hope, spiritual satisfaction, support.

3. A person, having a certain religious ideal in front of him, changes internally and becomes able to carry the ideas of his religion, assert goodness and justice (as this teaching understands them), resigning himself to hardships, not paying attention to those who ridicule or insult his. (Of course, a good beginning can only be affirmed if the religious authorities leading a person along this path are themselves pure in soul, moral and striving for the ideal.)

4. Religion controls human behavior through its system of values, moral attitudes and prohibitions. It can significantly influence large communities and entire states that live according to the laws of a given religion. Of course, one should not idealize the situation: belonging to the strictest religious and moral system does not always keep a person from committing unseemly acts, and society from immorality and crime.

5. Religion contributes to the unification of people, helps the formation of nations, the formation and strengthening of states. But the same religious factor can lead to division, disintegration of states and societies, when large masses of people begin to oppose each other on religious principles.

6. Religion is an inspiring and preserving factor in the spiritual life of society. It preserves the public cultural heritage, sometimes literally blocking the way for all kinds of vandals. Religion, being the basis and core of culture, protects man and mankind from decay, degradation and even, possibly, from moral and physical death - that is, all the threats that civilization can bring with it.

Thus, religion plays a cultural and social role.

7. Religion contributes to the strengthening and consolidation of certain social orders, traditions and laws of life. Since religion is more conservative than any other social institution, in most cases it strives to preserve the foundations, to stability and peace.

Quite a lot of time has passed since the emergence of world religions, whether it be Christianity, Buddhism or Islam - a person has changed, the foundations of states have changed, the very mentality of mankind has changed, and world religions have ceased to meet the requirements of the new society. And for a long time there have been tendencies for the emergence of a new world religion that will meet the needs of a new person and become a new global religion for all mankind.

As a result of the work performed, the following tasks were solved:

1. The characteristics of each of the world religions are given;

2. Differences and interrelations between Christianity, Islam and Buddhism are revealed;

3. The role of world religions in the modern world has been clarified.

List of used literature

1. Avkentiev A.V. and others. Dictionary of an atheist / Ed. ed. Piotrovsky M.B., Prozorova S.M. - M.: Politizdat, 1988. - 254 p.

2. Gorbunova T.V. etc. School Philosophical Dictionary / Ed. ed., comp. and enter. Art. A.F. Malyshevsky. – M.: Enlightenment: JSC “Study. Lit.", 1995. - 399 p.

3. Zhdanov N.V., Ignatenko A.A. Islam at the threshold of the twenty-first century. - Politizdat, 1989. - 352 p.

4. Ogarev N.P. Selected socio-political and philosophical works: In 2 t. M., 1952. T. 1., p. 691.

5. Maksakovskiy V.P. Economic and social geography of the world: Proc. for 10 cells. educational institutions / V.P. Maksakovskiy. – 10th ed. - M .: Education, 2002. - 350 p.: ill., maps.

6. Nietzsche F. Anti-Christian / Twilight of the Gods - M.: - 1989. - 398s.

7. Taranov P.S. Wisdom of three millennia. / Art. Yu.D. Fedichkin. - M .: LLC "Izd. AST", 1998. - 736 p. from ill.

8. Philosophical Encyclopedic Dictionary / Ch. ed. L.F. Ilyichev, and others - M .: Sov. Encyclopedia, 1983. - 840 p.

9. F. Engels, see K. Marx and F. Engels, Soch., vol. 20, - p. 328.

10. Encyclopedia of mysticism: - St. Petersburg: Publishing house "Litera", 1996, - 680 p.

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