The Value of Belongingness in Relation to Religious Belief, Institutionalized Religion, Moral Judgement and Solidarity

Abstract

Although religious belief represents the main reason people belong or do not belong to a specific church or religious society, it is not always the only reason, and increasingly there are other factors that affect this belonging. These factors include the attitude toward institutionalized religion, and a preference for the value of belongingness plays an important role as well. Both of these factors are also influenced by the wider context of personal attitudes to morality and solidarity. In our research, we assumed that the value of belongingness is a cornerstone that, in specific ways, binds all the other mentioned factors, and is likewise related to religious belief. To confirm this assumption, we conducted research using a widespread cross-sectional survey. In total, we received data from 5175 respondents (2204 men, 2957 women, and 16 of another gender). The data were collected in the Czech Republic, which can be considered a country with a wide spectrum of different religious beliefs. All hypothetical assumptions were confirmed as statistically significant, and the analysis of the inner structure of these relationships showed their complexity. Because of the high complexity of the examined phenomena, only the main findings are discussed in this paper. Our conclusions confirm the increasing number of people for whom belonging is more important or takes precedence over religious belief. These conclusions led us to several recommendations for religious institutions or societies.

The Representation of Character Education in the English Textbook Entitled Bahasa Inggris Untuk SMA/MA/SMK/MAK Kelas XI

“…He faithfully submitted to God's power as the ultimate problem-solver and wrote a letter to God for help in his time of need while deeply grateful for his chance to have learned to read and write. Even though the story reveals that the help came from the postman and his co-workers, the book emphasizes God's strange ways of rewarding the most sincere prayers [32]. It underlines the concept that faith can be very personal, but people should respect and appreciate other people's faith and selflessly help without judgment or expecting rewards [33].…”

Zkušenost se spirituálně zaměřenými intervencemi a postoje k nim v kontextu truchlení ve 21. století - předběžná zjištění u pomáhajících profesionálů v České republice

“…Na úrovni SPIR intervencí lze předpokládat, že ve společnosti, kde převládá agnostické, ateistické a tzv. něcistické pojetí spirituality 61 , jsou intervence převážně spojené s transcendentnem a případně pak konkrétními texty, které jsou vztažené ke konkrétnímu spirituálnímu rámci, relativně málo uplatnitelné v přímém kontaktu s klienty. V tomto ohledu pak bude zajímavé především ověření porovnáním s postoji samotných truchlících.…”

Experience with and attitudes towards spiritually attuned interventions in the context of grieving in the 21st century - preliminary findings among helping professionals in the Czech Republic

“…61 The sample data suggest that personal spirituality and/or experience of courses focused on theology and religious studies 62 within the context of bereavement support foster (or reflect) a certain existential sensitivity that is manifested at the level of MM intervention practice and SPIR attitudes. At the level of SPIR interventions, it can be assumed that in a society where agnostic, atheistic, and so-called ietist conceptions of spirituality prevail, 63 interventions predominantly associated with the transcendent and then possibly specific texts that are related to a particular spiritual framework are relatively unlikely to be applicable in direct contact with clients. In this respect, then, it will be of particular interest to check against the attitudes of the mourners themselves.…”