Christopher Scarborough

Cultural Relativism:
Is Religion Beneficial To The Advancement Of Society?

Christopher Scarborough

Professor Edwards
Being Human: Anthro Approaches
October 1, 2014

Christopher Scarborough
Religion is thought of to be the daily execution of moral, honorable, and compassionate actions.
With society advancing in such a way that civilizations spring up and then crumble to the ground the
next day; we have had our fair share of religious views. To list a few, there are: Judaism, Hinduism,
Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Taoism, Jainism, Christianity, Roman Catholicism, Islam, Protestantism,
Freemasonry, Mormonism, 7th Day Adventists, Jehovah Witnesses, Scientology, Church of Satan, and
the Divine Light Mission. Many of these were founded thousands of years ago, but the key elements of
each are still the same. Religion tries to show people a way of doing things and the reasoning behind
those actions.
I would like to start off like I did when interviewing and talking to different religious leaders
and followers; by saying that I am an Agnostic-Atheist. This means that I do not understand society's
view when discussing religion. As to where that title states that I do not personally believe in a God; it
also says that I can not deny the existence of one either. Society being formed and manipulated by a
being without a physical body is ultimately one of the hardest things for me to understand. Religion
challenges me everyday to fit and change my view points,l so that I can become a child of god and
worship him. The concept of worshiping a being who does what he does out of the kindness of his heart
makes him seem more like a dictator than a compassionate being. Religion, in my mind, is just another
classifier for an over-labeled society.
Denver, a heavily religious Christian, was delighted to take me to the church he attends and
show me his beliefs about the teachings and lessons from God and Jesus Christ. He explained to me his
morning ritual. Each morning, right when we wakes up, he prays and thanks God for sacrificing his
only son so that he may wake another day. He rationalizes this by saying it is the least he could do for a
man who has given up so much for nothing in return. Praying in the morning or at night fits in the
broader context of culture, because people use it to rationalize the meaning of life. This stuck with me,
because he tries to rationalize the basic scientific function of sleeping and waking up as an act of God,

Christopher Scarborough
which dumbfounds me.
Rabbi David Lewis, a devout Jewish religious leader, let me spend the day following him
throughout the synagogue. He tried to show me a different way of thinking; thinking through blind
faith and not in a factual, evidence based way. Although this did not change my thoughts and
viewpoints completely, they were still affected and changed for the better. Rabbi Lewis also taught me
the 13 Principles of Faith1:
1) G-d exists
2) G-d is one and unique
3) G-d is incorporeal
4) G-d is eternal
5) Prayer is to be directed to G-d alone and to no other
6) The words of the prophets are true
7) Moses' prophecies are true and Moses was the greatest of the phrophets
8) The Written Torah and the Oral Torah were given to Moses
9) There will be no other Torah
10) G-d knows the thoughts and deeds of men
11) G-d will reward the good and punish the wicked
12) The Messiah will come
13) The dead will be resurrected

The 13 Principles of Faith are based on the beliefs and teachings of a man called Rambam. Rabbi
Lewis explains what he does as him serving God today for the betterment of tomorrow. This practice
fits into broader society, because of the context of there being no context... This simply means that we
always look in the obvious but rarely look underneath to explore to vast possibilities that are religion's
skills in the nation.
Society forces a culture of hate and judgment upon people. The simple explanation to this
problem is to go where you fit in; where you are accepted because you are being you. People choose

Christopher Scarborough
to flock towards religion because it provides an escape from the everyday struggle against poverty,
judgment, stress, and the hassles within life itself. Many people within society have different views and
morals, by which religion provides the means to accomplish the task at hand. Society and different
cultures use their form of religion to force followers to believe and act a certain way, until the thought
stopped.
The experience of being placed in the middle of those practicing religion has changed me
viewpoint for what some would see as better. Although I am still an Agnostic-Atheist, I can see why
people want God in their life. Although, I can still not see why people worship God or Jesus Christ for
doing what they thought was morally right. In that case, one could argue that the Second Coming has
long since gone and been happening daily when someone's life is taken...when someone takes their
own life. Religion can sometimes cause more problems than it provides the solution to.

Christopher Scarborough
Notes
1. Within the 13 Principles of Faith, the selection G-d is was way of saying God, without
defacing it or lowering his power.