Part 1
The sociology of religion is concerned with how religion influences society beliefs, personality and culture. Religion can be a source of solidarity or conflict in society. The 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act Prohibits any state from burdening a person's freedom of worship/ religion considerably even when its general applicability results to burden. There are exceptions to this provision; if it can be determined that when the burden is applied to the person it advances a governmental interest. Also, there are specific legal protections in health care that provide a leeway to providers and facilities that are unwilling to pay for, provide some medical care like abortion and use of contraceptives on religious grounds.
Although the rulings of the two cases portray a contradiction in the religion accommodation, the rulings were made on the basis two different clauses with different provisions. In the Hobby Lobby case, the courts ruled for the company since the contraceptive-coverage requirement imposed a substantial burden on the company either to compromise their religious beliefs or to pay significant penalties for failing to comply with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The court deemed the government’s interest in safeguarding public health and achieving gender equality not sufficiently compelling to justify such burdens. In the second case, the military is one of the major interests of a government. Due to the limiting clause in the RFR Act, the government interest, for uniformity, had to be protected resulting to the Jewish Air Force officer being denied the right to wear a yarmulke when in military uniform.
Part 2
Dating back to Durkheim’s and Waber’s period, the sociology of religion has focused on secularization. The secularization phenomenon has seen the abandonment of religious practices and decline in it’s the importance in the society. One of the modern phenomena is feminism; the belief that all sexes should have equal political, economic and social rights. The term is more inclined on women, seeking equal rights with men. The traditional organization of a society that agrees with most of the religions has provided order in the society; hence, there is a need for these close social contacts to remain. Religious and secular aspects should be creatively blended by women to make sense of their place in today’s world. Adhering to basic texts of religion by women will enable ethical ideals that bring cohesion in a family setup and the sustainability of the future generation.
