How and why is religion an important aspect of culture to study?

Question

How and why is religion an important aspect of culture to study?

Answer 1

Man has always been clueless but there is a feeling of safety in not being clueless. People in different environments came up with different systems that best fit in with life of that environment. If you lived where lions hunted and you had to protect your children, you told them that the lion was supernatural and to stay away, as years went by, lions became worshipped. Soon, everything has some lion thought background to it. Important things and ideas are strongly lion and less important are less lion like. If you get back to the root importance, it was the protection of children that really mattered.

Answer 2

Religion is an integral part of culture.  It is like a mirror.  If your religion is in tune and responsive to the norms, values, and traditions of your culture, you will look into the mirror of religion, and see all of the things that your culture has enculturated you to believe, that is, it reinforces and reifies what you believe, think, etc.  Religion should be fluid and change along with the culture.  Religion is, as Emile Durkheim said, separates the "sacred and the profane".

Even when religion becomes codified, written down, and concretized, it's impact on culture is pervasive and dominant.

As an anthropologist, the study of comparative religions is extremely fascinating.  

Joseph Campbell noticed that in the stories of religion, folklore and mythology, there is a commonality that brings all cultures together.  Our stories and religions and language are different, yet we share universal motifs in common.  

To study religion is to find out more about what makes us human, and you don't have to be religious to study religions.  Objectivity will do in a pinch.  

Cheers,

James Zaworski

Answer 3

it is one of the largest and most persistent lies cast over the masses, so obviously it can demonstrate how easily brainwashing and manifestation of disciple over truth can affect so many people. its such a perfect example...

Answer 4

religion has no importance to anything at all, i think anyway. other people have they're own opinions.  

Answer 5

Religion also often supplies a beleif basis for many cultures as we gain more knowledge about our beleif basis through education often a beleif basis changes. Science and technology have caused many to change their beleif basis. Religion is important because it helps us to us to understand how cultures emerge, develop and disappear.  

Answer 6

Religion is often the reason behind many cultural practises and traditions. By studying other religions, we can gain an understanding of why some cultures do so-and-so, and stuff like how the change in belief caused nations to be reborn.