Part 1
Karl Marx
Karl Marx attempted to look at religion from an objective and more scientific perspective, and he termed it as a form of economic injustice. According to him, it is used by those who intend to oppress others by making things and situations to look better when they are not. It is a way of exploiting the poor, and he coined the statement “opium of the masses” because it is what the people are fed so as not to see the harsh realities of their poor situations (Kendall, 2015). People just get content with their situations; make them feel happy in the midst of their problems.
Emile Durkheim
Emile Durkheim considered religion an expression of social cohesion and according to him it is a reflection of all the concerns of any society. His understanding of religion brought forth an explanation of worship that sets it aside as a system of beliefs and practices that are associated with sacred things but which unite a community under what can be called a church (Kendall, 2015). Therefore, some communal activities or bonds bring a group of people together to participate in religious activity.
Max Weber
According to Max Weber, there are so many things that influence the attitudes and activities of different religious groups and to understand them, and it is imperative first to understand their way of doing things. But more importantly, he says that religion shapes a person’s image of the world and through that their perspective of their interests is influenced, and their actions are determined by that (Kendall, 2015). The best thing about religion, according to Weber, is that it helps human beings understand the concept of theodicy and how it resonates with the imperfections of the world. But more importantly, he said that religion influences nonreligious behavior, and that may lead to social change
Part 2
Types of religious organizations
Churches
It is a formal religious organization and one that is well- integrated into society and even the state. A perfect example is the Catholic Church because it has the characteristics of a formal entity or organization that is fused with the state and the society.
There are two types of churches, ecclesia, and denomination. An ecclesia is large, bureaucratic religious organization which members of a state of citizens subscribe to by default. For instance, a child gets born in a family that subscribes to a church or denomination, and they automatically become members of that church (Kendall, 2015). There are some Ecclesiae in the world today, and some of them are Islam in the Middle East, Catholic Church in Spain, Anglican Church in Britain as well as the Lutheran Church in Sweden. Religion and state become an entity as is the case in England. As for countries in the Middle East, church leaders automatically become political figures or have significant influence over the state.
Denomination
As for the denomination, it is also bureaucratic in nature and is usually integrated into the larger society. In modern times, there are several pluralist denominations and many people find themselves subscribing to certain denominations because they were born there or they have been socialized to take up their religious belief systems and traditions (Kendall, 2015). Denominations have a leadership hierarchy and are operated in a formal structure. Examples of denominations found in Christianity include The Roman Catholic, United Methodist, and even the Orthodox Church.
Sect
A sect is a religious organization or movement that has broken away from mainstream religious groups, ecclesia or denomination. In their view, their actions are often geared towards restoring or continuing to practice some religious traditions that they believe their denomination has dropped, abandoned or modified (Kendall, 2015). They are relatively small and; thus, they lack bureaucratic powers.
Also, sects lack leaders who are formally trained because some o their members are appointed to lead because of their influence over others or the positions they hold in society. Their worship is always very emotional and is not formal because they practice or do what their leaders prescribe even if it goes against societal expectations. Also, sect members are always out to recruit more members by reaching out to them and selling their ideologies to anyone who cares to listen and that is their only certain way of growth. It is believed that sects can grow into large denominations as seen through some examples such as Mennonites and Quackers. A perfect example of present day sect is the Amish, who live in states like Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Cults
The term cult elicits very negative images of violent or crazy people who do things that are out of the ordinary. But the truth is that every religious group that exists; including mainstream religious groups started off as cults. Cults are informal religious groups that function as a haven for anyone who is opposed to the norms and values upheld by the larger society (Kendall, 2015). Most times members of a cult live together in communities centering on a leader who they feel is charismatic. Their leaders are expected to ignite a conversation easily and convince others of their religious beliefs and practices (Kendall, 2015). The funny thing about cults is that they are populist and are not formal or do not have a hierarchy of leadership.
Cults are breeding grounds for abuse and other immoral acts that are considered wrong by the larger majority of the society. For instance, some cults are said to practice incest or even eat animals, human beings and other things that are morally not edible (Kendall, 2015). They are often secretive and give a lot of importance to extraordinary personal qualities, and their leaders are expected to be charismatic and do things out of the ordinary.
Part 3
In the United States, levels of literacy have been dwindling at an alarming rate, and it is for that reason that The Functional Literacy and The Standardized Testing policy was enacted. That was proposed as the best way of ensuring competency in the United States. Students are expected to pass these literacy and standardized tests so as to prove that they have acquired the required knowledge and skills expected of them at different levels of study in their academic lives.
My assessment
Education is a tool that is expected to prepare students for success as well as good citizenship. And to know the objectives of the teaching and learning process are achieved, it is important to make students do some tests just to be sure they have acquired academic knowledge. Standardized tests become more meaningful when they are looked at as an assessment tool that will be used to prepare students for success outside of the school. At least everyone should have functional literacy that will enable them to cope with the demands of the American Society.
Reference
Kendall, D. (2015). Sociology in Our Times: The Essentials. Belmont: Cengage Learning
