Question

discuss three stereotypes of the 3 elements of religion: Beliefs, Practices, a moral community

Answer 1

Cultures are often full of popular stereotypes about religion, both positive and negative. Many people uncritically, without questioning tend to believe that religion is intrinsically meant to be violent. The positive stereotype is that such belief systems or aligning to them makes a person morally more appropriate. Religion is not a term which is interchangeable with belief systems. Certain practices that are also considered as part of religious belief systems are to be questioned instead of being blindly accepted as correct. Practices are often stereotypes as being correct because the age old literature and ‘learned’ people say so. Often this leads to superstition and people who may be shams tend to violate individuals easily. Religious groups are often undertaking certain unethical acts in order to make their voices heard and demanding things claiming themselves to be a ‘moral community’ which must be condemned at a societal level.