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The influence of religions

In a short essay, on a vast subject, it is impossible to deal with more than four or five aspects of
the influence of religion on the life of man - and these, of course, must be connected with the
main world-religions excluding primitive, animistic beliefs and practices encountered in the most
backward societies. Considering Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Confucianism and
Judaism, we find that religions have influenced every aspect of the life of man.

Among the early Jews, religion not only 'influenced' government, it was government. Palestine,
until the 8th century B.C. was ruled by 'Priests-Kings' who claimed divine sanction for all their
decisions. Their appointment was a religious rite. And this has more or less influenced the
Western theory of monarchy ever since. The theory of the 'Divine Right of Kings' was formally
propounded in Britain in the 16th century, based on New Testament social philosophy. Officially
rejected, it has, nevertheless, influenced the monarch to subject relationship in many countries
ever since. Christianity, for its first 300 years, lived in more or less opposition to the Roman
Empire ... until the days of Constantine, who, in 325 A.D. became the first Christian monarch of
the Holy Roman Empire. But of course the temporal and spiritual functions of government had
long since been separated between Pope and Emperor, King and Archbishop, and the relations
between these have shown all the 'ups and downs' one might expect in subsequent history. In
most countries today, government is carried out on democratic lines, the monarch retaining little
more than a strong 'influence' and powers of sanction and veto.

Religion has, in result, played an important part in the foreign affairs of countries. In this, the
Moslem and Christian religious are cases in point. The faithful Muslim has always been
permitted to take up arms in the defense of his religion, or to further its cause. The outcome has
been wars against the Jews and the Christians. The Christians, likewise, considered it their duty
to oust the Moslem Turks from the 'Holy Places' of Palestine in the middle ages, and long drawn-
out 'crusades' were the result, costly in manpower, wealth and goodwill to both sides. If we
examine the causes of most wars from mediaeval times to the 17th century, in Europe and the
Middle East, we find religion was the direct cause, as between Christian and Saracen in Europe;
sometimes, it was used as a cloak to further a political or economic struggle, or as a sanction to
proceed with a war of aggression where legal claims could be proved (Henry V, Charles VI of
France). Occasionally, the war was on a religious issue such as Protestantism versus Roman
Catholicism. The Spanish Inquisition, as a part of the counter reformation, forcibly attempted to
'Convert' Protestant prisoners to Catholicism for the ultimate good of their own souls! Religious
massacres have been commonplace in India in the past, and it says much for the democratic spirit
of the New Malaysia that, today, Christians, Muslims and Hindus are able to live together in
harmony.

Among other influences, those on the social customs of countries have been important. The
Western 'weekend' is based on the Christian Sunday which in turn replaced the Jewish Sabbath.
Bank Holidays such as Easter Monday and Whit Monday have a religious origin - just as do the
sequence of holidays proper to the Chinese and Indians, beginning with Chinese New Year. But
the effect of religion on social custom goes much deeper. It certainly produced the caste system
in India and was partly responsible for the class system in Europe, but nowadays, both Hinduism
and Christianity repudiate these arbitrary divisions among people. The theories of marriage and
general conduct in social life also stem from the teaching of the respective world-religions and
have become a fixed part of the pattern of life where they apply.

The most important influence of religion is upon morality. Modern law is based on a mixture of
Roman law and religious principle. Its sanction is authority. Moral law, which is behind national
and international legal systems, has behind it the final sanction - the Will of God. In this
connection, each world-religion has made its own individual contribution to the sum-total of
world morality, despite the fact that certain moral precepts are held in common by them all. If we
look to the Muslim faith, we find there an admirable teaching about self-discipline; to the Hindu
faith, about non-violence; to the Christian faith, about love; to the Buddhist faith, about
contemplation and to Confucianism, about duties to society and the family. The most important
commonly-held piece of teaching is that we should behave towards others as we should wish
them to behave towards us.

The great Religions not only carry profound influence today, but also are, (and will remain)
integral part in the life of man.

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