Utilitarianism is a notion of utility, which symbolizes usefulness. Utilitarianism thus is an understanding of morality in relation to what is the most beneficial and reasonable thing to do. This concept of Utilitarianism is complex to explain because it has diverse theories with various variants in religion. Religion is one area in which the aspect of utilitarianism is present, and attracts different opinions from various quarters of the society. Christians understand this concept of utilitarianism, hence the need to adhere to the teachings of the Bible. Religion is useful in the society because it gives individuals a guideline of the best possible way of life.
Religion acts as an emotional comfort in to Christians this is because people relate to the teachings in the Bible (Willocks 210). The religious teachings give a reason for individuals to live happily by adapting to the unpleasant situations in the worlds today. Evidently, religion is useful in the society, and if human beings depend on it can be classified as utilitarian. Religion, on the other hand, can be impractical when it is taken beyond its objective. Individuals may utilize it to ratify branching hierarchies, baroque doctrine and egregious social inequalities. This can be extremely difficult for the ordinary man to comprehend.
I believe that religion from whichever point, is utilitarian because it gives the human being the guidelines to copy from. Jesus and Moses are examples of role models that exist in the religious teachings. The religious requirements for the clergy and the observation of the Sabbath day are mere examples that were in the early days of Christ. These requirements of being celibate include the sacrifice of not having sex for working for the Lord (Willocks 220).
Celibate individuals are the clergy who are able to make financial sacrifices because they accept self-effacing salaries because they do not own families. This is for a good cause because the individuals who follow these requirements are trained in the teachings of the Bible, and they believe in the word, which they try to spread to the rest of the people in the society. In my opinion, the clergy not only sacrifice sex, but also their happiness by being lonely without a family which is a source of happiness. The clergy is an example of why religion is considered utilitarian everyone accepts the clergy in the society, and nearly half of the populations in key cities go to Catholic Church to listen to the word of the lord.
This is pure evidence that religion is useful in the society. The clergymen are not forced to follow the celibacy path, majority feel that it is a calling from the lord. They receive training for a couple of years where they take their time to accept and develop the calling. When the clergy are ready to submit to celibacy they are ordained to become fathers a term in the Roman Catholics Church which symbolizes a man who is celibate according to the teachings of the Catholic Church. This example has utility because it clearly indicates the importance of religion to the society. In this case religion gives the clergy a source of living, guidelines to follow, and a career to spread the religious teachings that enable the human beings to have both inner and outer peace. The fact remains that religion is useful if used for a reasonable cause in the society, and not used for doing actions, not in line with the law or rather acts that ordinary human beings cannot comprehend.
Work cited
Willocks, Tim. The religion. New York: Sarah Crichton Books, 2007. Print.
