GLOBALIZATION OF RELIGION

Religion, much more than culture, has the most difficult relationship with globalism (remember the
distinction between "globalization" and "globalism" in Lesson 1). First, the two are entirely contrasting
bebel systems. Religion is concerned with the sacred, while globalism places value on material wealth.
Religion follows divine commandments, while globalism abides by human-made laws. Religion assumes
that there is "the possibility of communication between humans and the transcendent." This link
between the human and the divine confers some social power on the latter. Furthermore, "God"
"Allah," or "Yahweh defines and judges human action in moral terms (good vs. bad). Globalium's
yardstick, however, is how much of human action can lead to the highest material satisfaction and
subsequent wisdom that this new status produces

Religious people are less concerned with wealth and all that comes along with it (higher social status, a
standard of living similar with that of the rest of the community exposure to "culture," top-of-the-line
education for the childreal. They are ascetics precisely because they shun anything material for
complete simplicity-from their domain to the clothes they wear, to the food they eat, and even to the
manner in which they talk (lets of parables and allegories that are supposedly the language of the
divine)

A religious person's main duty is to live a virtuous, sin-less life sich that when he/she dies, he/she is
assured of a place in the other world (ie. heaven).

On the other hand, globalists are less worried about whether they will end up in heaven or hell. Their
skills are more pedestrian as they aim to seal trade deals, rahe the profits of private enterprises,
improve government revenue collections, protect the elites from being excessively taxed by the state,
and, naturally. enrich themselves. If he/she has a strong social conscience, the globalist sees his/her
work as contributing to the general progress of the community, the nation, and the global economic
system. Put another way, the religions aspires to become a saint; the globalist trains to be a shrewd
businessperson. The religious detests politics and the quest for power for they are evidence of
humanity's weakness: the globalist values them as both means and ends to open up further the
economies of the world.

Finally, religion and globalism clash over the fact that religious evangelization is in itself a form of
globalization. The globalist ideal, on the other hand, is largely focused on the realm of markets. The
religious is concerned with spreading holy ideas globally, while the globalist wishes to spread goods and
services.

The "missions being sent by American Born Again Christian churches, Sufi and Shiite Muslim orders, as
well as institutions like Buddhist monasteries and Catholic, Protestant, and Mormon churches are efforts
at "spreading the word of God" and gaining adherents abroad. Religions regard identities associated
with globalism (citizenship, language, and race) as inferior and narrow because they are earthly
categories. In contrast, membership 16 a religious group, organization, or cult represents a superior
affiliation that connects humans directly to the divine and the supernatural. Being a Christian, a Muslim,
or a Buddhist places one in a higher plane than just being a Filipino, a Spanish speaker, an Anglo-Saxon.
These philosophical differences explain why certain groups "flee their communities and create
impenetrable sanctuaries where they can practice their religions without the meddling and control of
state authorities. The followers of the Dalai Lama established Tibet for this purpose, and certain
Buddhist monasteries are located away from civilitation so that hermits.can devote themselves to
prayer and contemplation. These lolations justifications are also used by the Rizalistas of Mount Banahas
the Essenes during Roman-controlled Judea (now Irael), and for a certain period, the Mormons of Utah.
These groups believe that living among "non-believers will distract them from their mission or tempt
them to abandon their faith and become sinners like everyone else.

Communities justify their opposition to government authority on religious grounds. Priestesses and
monks led the first revolts against colonialium in Asia and Africa, warning that these outsiders were out
to destroy their people's gods and ways of life Similar arguments are being invoked by contemporary
versions of these millenarian movements that wish to break away from the hold of the state or vow to
overthrow the latter in the name of God. To their "prophets." the state seeks to either destroy their
people's sacred beliefs or distort religion to serve non religious goals.

Realities

In actuality, the relationship between religion and globalism is much more complicated. Peter Berger
argues that far from being wlarized, the "contemporary world as furiously religious in most of the world,
there are veritable explosions of religious fervor, occurring in one form of another in all the major
religious traditions Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and even Confucianiens of one
wants to call it a religion)-and in many places in imaginative syntheses of one or more world religions
with indigenous faiths.

Religions are the foundations of modern republics. The Malaysian government places religion at the
center of the political systems. Its constitution explicitly states that "Islam is the religion of the
Federation and the rulers of each state was also the "Head of the religion of Islam. The late Iranian
religious leader, Ayatollah Raholla Khomeini, bragged about the superiority of Islamic rule over its
secular counterparts and pointed out that "there is no fundamental distinction among constitutional
despotic, dictatorial, democratic, and communistic regimes To Khomeini, all secular ideologies were the
same-they were flawed-and Islamic rule was the superior form of government because it was spiritual.
Yet, Iran calls itself a republic, a term that is associated with the secular.

Moreover, religious movements do not hesitate to appropriate secular themes and practices. The
moderate Muslim association Nahallatul Ulama in Indonesia has Islamic schools (pesantren) where
students are taught not only about Islam but also about modern science, the social sciences, modern
hanking, civic education, rights of women, pluralium, and democracy." In other cases, religion was the
result of a shift in state policy. The Church of England, for example, was "shaped by the rationality of
modern democratic (and bureaucratic) culture King Henry VIII broke away from Roman Catholicism and
established his own Church to bolster his own power. In the United States, religion and law were fused
together to help build this "modern secular society." It was observed in the early 1800s by French
historian and diplomat Alexis de Tocqueville who wrote. "not only do the Americans practice their
religion out of self-interest but they often even place in this world the interest which they have in
practicing it." lose Casanova confirms this statement by noting that "historically, religion has always
been at the very center of all great political conflicts and movements of social reform. From
independence to abolition, from nativism to women's suffrage, from prohibition to the civil rights
movement, religion had always been at the center of these conflicts, but also on both sides of the
political barricades." It remains the case until today with the power the Christian Right has on the
Republican Party

Religion for and against Globalization

There is hardly a religious movement today that does not use religion to oppose "profane" globalization.
Yet, two of the so-called "old world religions-Christianity and Islam-see globalization less as an obstacle
and more as an opportunity to expand their reach all over the world. Globalization has "frend"
communities from the "constraints of the nation-state," but in the process, also threatened to destroy
the cultural system that bind them together." Religion seeks to take the place of these broken
"traditional ties to either help communities cope with their new situation or organize them to oppose
this major transformation of their lives." It can provide the groups "moral codes" that answer problems
ranging from people's health to social conflict to even personal happiness Religion is thus not the
"regressive force" that stops or slows down globalization; it is a "pro-active force that gives commanities
a new and powerful basis of identity. It is an instrument with which religious people can put their mark
is the reshaping of this globalizing world, although in its own Sering

Religious fundamentalism may dislike globalization's terialism, but it continues to use "the full range of
modern means of communication and organization" that is associated with this economic
transformation. It has tapped "fast long distance transport and communications, the availability of
English as a global vernacular of unparalleled power, the know-how of modern management and
marketing" which enabled the spread "almost promiscuous propagation of religious forms across the
globe in all sorts of directions." It is, therefore, not entirely correct to assume that the proliferation of
"Born-Again" groups, or in the case of Islam, the rise of movements like Daesh (more popularly known
as ISIS, or Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) signals religion's defense against the materialism of
globalization. It is, in fact, the opposite. These fundamentalist organizations are the result of the spread
of globalization and both find ways to benefit or take adrantage of each other

While religions may benefit from the processes of globalization, this does not mean that its tensions
with globalist drology will subside. Some Muslims view "globalization" as a Trojan horse hiding
supporters of Western values like secularism, liberalism, or even communism ready to spread these
ideas in their areas to eventually displace Islam" The World Council of Churches-an association of
different Protestant congregations has criticized economic globalization's negative effects. It vowed that
"we as churches make ourselves accountable to the victims of the project of economic globalization, by
becoming the latter's advocates inside and outside "the centers of power.
The Catholic Church and its dynamic leader. Pope Francis likewise condemned globalization's "throw
away culture that is "fatally destined to suffocate hope and increase risks and threats. The Lutheran
World Federation 10th Assembly's 292-page declaration message included economic and feminist
critiques of globalization, sharing the voices of members of the Church who were affected by
globalization, and contemplations on the different "pastoral and ethical reflections" that members could
use to guide their opposition. It warns that as a result of globalization: "Our world is split asunder by
forces we often do not understand, but that result in stark contrasts between those who benefit and
those who are harmed, especially under forces of globalization. Today, there is also a desperate need for
healing from terrorism, its causes, and fearful reactions to it. Relationships in this world continue to be
ruptured due to greed. injustices, and various forms of violence"

These advocacies to reverse or mitigate economic globalization eventually gained the attention of
globalist institutions. In 1998, the World Bank brought in religious leaders in its discussions about global
poverty, leading eventually to a "cautious, muted. and qualified" collaboration in 2000. Although it only
yielded insignificant results (the World Bank agreed to support some faith-based anti-poverty projects in
Kenya and Ethiopia), it was evident enough that institutional advocates of globalization could be
responsive to the "liberationist, moral critiques of economic globalization (including many writings on
"social justice") coming from the religious

With the exception of militant Islam, religious forces are well aware that they are in no position to fight
for a comprehensive alternative to the globalizing status quo. What Catholics call "the preferential
option for the poor" is a powerful message of mobilization but lacks substance when it comes to
working out a replacement system that can change the poor's condition in concrete ways." And, of
course, the traditionalism of fundamentalist political Islam is no alternative either. The terrorism of ISIS
is unlikely to create a "Caliphate governed by justice and stability In Iran, the unchallenged superiority of
a digious autocracy has stifled all freedom of expressions, distorted democratic rituals like elections, and
into the opposition."

Conclusion

For a phenomenon that "is about everything" it is odd that globalization is seen to have very little to do
with religion, As Peter Bayer and Lori Beeman served. "Religion, it seems somehow outside looking as
globaluation as problem or potential. One reason for this pespective is the association of globalization
with modernization, which ica concept of progress that is based on science, technology, reason, and the
law. With one will have to look elsewhere than to moral discourse for fruitful thinking about economi
globalisation and religion" Religion, a belief system that cannot be empirically proven is, therefore,
anathema to modernization. The thesis that modernization will erode religious practice is often called
secularization theory

Historians, political scientists, and philosophers have now debunked much of secularization theory.
Samuel Huntington. one of the defenders of globalization, admits in his book. The Clash of Civilizations
that civilizations can be held together by worldviews. This belief is new. As far back as the 15th century,
Jesuits and Dominicans used religion as an "ideological armature to legitimire the Spanish Finally, one of
the greatest sociologists of all time, Max Weber, also observed the correlation between religion and
capitalisan as an economic system, Calvinism, a branch of Protestantism, believed that God had already
decided who would and would not be saved Calvinists, therefore, made it their mission to search for
clues as to their fate, and in their pursuit, they redefined the meaning of profit and its acquisition. This
"inner-worldly asceticism-as Weber referred to this Protestant ethic-contributed to the rise of modera
capitalism.

It was because of "moral arguments that religious people were able to justify their political involvement.
When the Spaniards occupied lands in the Americas and the Philippines, it was done in the name of the
Spanish King and of God, "for empire comes from God alone." Then over 300 years later, American
President William McKinley claimed "that after a night of prayer and soul-searching, he had concluded
that it was the duty of the United States to educate the Filipinos, and uplift and civilize and Christianize
them, and by God's grace do the very best we could by them. Finally, as explained earlier, religious
leaders have used religion to wield influence in the political arena, either as outsiders criticizing the
pitfalls of pro-globalization regimes, or as integral members of coalitions who play key roles in policy
decision- makings and the implementation of government projects

In short, despite their inflexible features-the warnings of perdition ("Hell is a real place prepared by
Allah for those who do not believe in Him, rebel against His laws, and reject His messengers"), the
promises of salvation ("But our citizenship is in Heaven"), and their obligatory pilgrimages (the visits to
Bethlehem or Mecca)-religions are actually quite malleable. Their resilience has been extraordinary that
they have outlasted secular ideologies (eg, communism), Globalists, therefore, have no choice but to
accept this reality that religion is here to stay.

Answer

1. Spread of Religious Ideas: Globalization has facilitated the spread of religious ideas and beliefs across
borders. Through advancements in communication and transportation, religious teachings and practices
can now reach a global audience more easily.

Religious Diversity: Globalization has led to increased religious diversity in many parts of the world. As
people migrate and travel, they bring their religious beliefs and practices with them, contributing to the
multicultural and multi-faith societies that exist today.

Syncretism and Hybridity: Globalization has also resulted in the blending and mixing of religious
traditions. As different cultures come into contact with one another, syncretic forms of religion emerge,
incorporating elements from multiple traditions.
Religious Fundamentalism: Globalization has sparked reactions of religious fundamentalism in some
cases. As societies become more interconnected, some religious groups may feel threatened by the
influence of secularism and Western values, leading to a resurgence of conservative and fundamentalist
religious movements.

Religious Institutions and Global Networks: Globalization has transformed the way religious institutions
operate. They now have access to global networks and resources, allowing them to spread their
message, engage in humanitarian work, and influence global issues.

2. Religion responds to globalization in various ways. While some religious movements oppose
globalization, others see it as an opportunity for expansion. Religion can provide moral codes and help
communities cope with the changes brought by globalization. It can also be a proactive force that gives
communities a new basis of identity. However, there are tensions between religion and globalism, as
they have contrasting belief systems and values. Religious fundamentalism may dislike globalization's
materialism but still benefit from its means of communication and organization. Overall, the relationship
between religion and globalization is complex and multifaceted.

Christianity and Islam: Christianity and Islam see globalization as an opportunity to expand their reach
worldwide. They view globalization as a means to break free from the constraints of the nation-state
and spread their religious teachings.

Appropriation of secular themes and practices: Religious movements, such as the moderate Muslim
association Nahdlatul Ulama in Indonesia, have incorporated modern science, social sciences, civic
education, and democracy into their teachings alongside religious principles.

Critiques of globalization: Some religious organizations, like the Catholic Church and the Lutheran World
Federation, have criticized globalization for its negative impacts, such as economic inequality and the
erosion of cultural values.

Collaboration with globalist institutions: In some cases, religious leaders have collaborated with globalist
institutions like the World Bank to address issues of global poverty and social justice.

Opposition to government authority: Religious communities have justified their opposition to

Fundamentalism and globalization: Religious fundamentalist groups have utilized modern means of
communication and organization to propagate their beliefs globally, benefiting from the spread of
globalization.
3. The future of religion in a globalized world is complex and multifaceted. While some argue that
globalization will lead to the decline of religion, there are several factors that suggest a continued and
even strengthened role for religion in the globalized world.

Firstly, globalization has facilitated the spread of religious ideas and practices across borders. With
increased connectivity and ease of travel, religious communities have been able to expand their reach
and establish transnational networks. This has led to the growth of religious movements and the
emergence of new forms of religious expression.

Secondly, globalization has created a sense of dislocation and uncertainty for many individuals. In the
face of rapid social and cultural changes, religion can provide a sense of stability, identity, and belonging.
It offers moral guidance, community support, and a framework for understanding the world.

Thirdly, religion has the potential to address the social and ethical challenges posed by globalization.
Many religious traditions emphasize values such as justice, compassion, and solidarity, which can inform
responses to issues such as poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation.

However, it is important to note that the future of religion in a globalized world is not without
challenges. Globalization also brings about cultural diversity and pluralism, which can lead to conflicts
and tensions between different religious groups. Additionally, the influence of secularism and the rise of
non-religious worldviews pose challenges to religious institutions.

Overall, the future of religion in a globalized world is likely to be characterized by a dynamic interplay
between tradition and innovation, continuity and change. Religion will continue to play a significant role
in shaping individual and collective identities, providing moral frameworks, and addressing social issues,
while also adapting to the complexities and opportunities of a globalized society.