A person in the process of growing up seeks to identify himself, to realize himself in society. The question certainly arises before him, which is characteristic of religious consciousness. From childhood, it becomes clear that there are various religions. There are those who do not believe in anything. How to define religious consciousness, how does it differ from national consciousness , for example? Let's figure it out.
Definition
Religious social consciousness exists as much as people. Gods began to be invented when, so to speak, they got off the branches. Of course, you should not understand what is characteristic of religious consciousness, relying solely on the experience of the ancient world. But it is also impossible to reject the deep roots on which this consciousness is formed. The fact is that the process of human self-awareness is eternal. He is constantly developing and improving, relying on the knowledge gained. Jesus formulated the depth of the problem when he revealed the meaning of the temple. According to him, the church is a community of believers who hold ceremonies together. That is, a religious person builds around himself a certain reality in which certain rules apply. All his actions and thoughts are consistent with the latter. In order to understand what is characteristic of religious consciousness, it is necessary to reveal the meaning of the formation of the individual worldview. It consists of traditions, rules, behavioral patterns adopted in this society. Part of this world is religion. With its help, a person learns to communicate with reality, which lies beyond the bounds of everyday experience. There is a space in which we live, and rules of behavior in it. Religious consciousness concerns the second, influencing through the person on the first.
Forms of religious consciousness
It should be noted that beliefs changed during the progressive development of mankind. In ancient times, people deified phenomena and animals, water and sky. The directions of ancient beliefs are divided into fetishism, totemism, shamanism and others. Later, the so-called national religions began to arise . They covered more people, uniting them. For example, Chinese, Greek, Indian religions. Each of them has its own characteristics. The essence remained one. Religion created certain behavioral rules, binding on all members of society. In this way, an understanding of one's place in the world was introduced into the human psyche. He seemed to rise above a semi-animal existence. Another reality was revealed to him, contributing to the development of intelligence, the creative process. Monotheism arose about two thousand years ago. It further limited the animal instincts of man, introducing into the society the concepts of sin and conscience. It turns out that religious consciousness is an intellectual superstructure over the physical world, an artificially created reality, with which a person must coordinate his actions.
What is characteristic of religious consciousness
If you carefully look at all the beliefs we know, then we can highlight in them the general. They will be community recognized behavioral restrictions. That is, religious consciousness is characterized by the perception of moral standards. These are unwritten rules recognized by all members of the community. They are so deeply embedded in the minds of people that breaking them is an act out of the ordinary. Religious consciousness includes centuries-old traditions, rules, and norms that are useful for the development of mankind. For example, the commandment "Do not kill" is accepted by people, as it helps population growth. Although this may look down-to-earth, not spiritual, any religion has worked out laws to help preserve the society that it united. Otherwise, in antiquity it was difficult to survive. And today, with the development of science and technology, moral standards have not lost their progressive meaning. Unfortunately, they are undergoing changes, not always useful. An example is the recognition of gay marriage in Western countries. This is an attitude artificially implanted into the consciousness of the reproductive function, as unnecessary, not sacred.
Conclusion
The issues of religious consciousness are very complex and important for society. Without their comprehension, harmonious development of personality is impossible. And even if it exists in some unreal, mythical world, but it allows various people to interact normally, avoiding confrontation and catastrophes.