DASOK

ABILA
DALUZ LESSON 6: THE GLOBALIZATION OF RELIGION
ABARCA Group 9
Religion, much more than culture, has the most difficult relationship with
globalism (remember the distinction between “globalization” and “globalism” in
Lesson 1.) First, the two are entirely contrasting belief systems. Religion is
concerned with the sacred, while globalism places value on material wealth.
Religion follows divine commandments, while globalism abides by human-made
laws. Religion assumes that there is “the possibility of communication between
humans and the transcendent.” This link between the human and the divine
confers some social power on the latter. Furthermore, “God”, “Allah”, or “Yahweh”
defines and judges human action in moral terms (good vs. bad). Globalism’s
yardstick, however, is how much of human action can lead to the highest material
satisfaction and subsequent wisdom that this new status produces.
Religious people are less concerned with wealth and all that comes along
with it (higher social status, a standard of living similar with that of the rest of the
community, exposure to “culture,” top-of-the-line education for the children). They
are ascetics precisely because they shun anything material for complete simplicity-
from their domain to the clothes they wear, to the food they eat, and even to the
manner in which they talk (lots of parables and allegories that are supposedly the
language of the divine). A religious person’s main duty is to live a virtuous, sin-less
life such that when he/she dies, he/she is assured of a place in the other world (i.e.,
heaven).
On the other hand, globalists are less worried about whether they will end
up in heaven or hell. Their skills are more pedestrian as they aim to seal trade
deals, raise the profits of private enterprises, improve government revenue taxed
by the state, and, naturally, enrich themselves. If he/she has a strong social
conscience, the globalist sees his/her work as contributing to the general progress
of the community, the nation, and the global economic system. Put another way,
the religious aspires to become a saint; the globalist trains to be a shrewd
businessperson. The religious detests politics and the quest for power for they are
evidence of humanity's weakness; the globalist values them as both means and
ends to open up further the economies of the world.
Finally, religion and globalism clash over the fact that religious
evangelization is in itself a form of globalization. The globalist ideal, on the other
hand, is largely focused on the realm of markets. The religious is concerned with
spreading holy ideas globally, while the globalist wishes to spread goods and
services.
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Group 9
The "missions" being sent by American Born-Again Christian churches, Sufi
and Shiite Muslim orders, as well as institutions like Buddhist monasteries and
Catholic, Protestant, and Mormon churches are efforts at "spreading the word of
God" and gaining adherents abroad. Religions regard identities associated with
globalism (citizenship, language, and race) as inferior and narrow because they
are earthly categories. In contrast, membership to a religious group, organization,
or cult represents a superior affiliation that connects humans directly to the divine
and the supernatural. Being a Christian a Muslim, or a Buddhist place one in a
higher plane than just being a Filipino, a Spanish speaker, or an Anglo-Saxon.
These philosophical differences explain why certain groups "flee" their
communities and create impenetrable sanctuaries where they can practice their
religions without the meddling and control of state authorities. The followers of
the Dalai Lama established Tibet for this purpose, and certain Buddhist
monasteries are located away from civilization so that hermits can devote
themselves to prayer and contemplation. These isolationist justifications are also
used by the Rizalistas of Mount Banahaw, the Essenes during Roman-controlled
Judea (now Israel), and for a certain period, the Mormons of Utah. These groups
believe that living among "non-believers" will distract them from their mission or
tempt them to abandon their faith and become sinners like everyone else.
Communities justify their opposition to government authority on religious
grounds. Priestesses and monks led the first revolts against colonialism in Asia and
Africa, warning that these outsiders were out to destroy their people's gods and
ways of life. Similar arguments are being invoked by contemporary versions of
these millenarian movements that wish to break away from the hold of the state
or vow to overthrow the latter in the name of God. To their "prophets," the state
seeks to either destroy their people's sacred beliefs or distort religion to serve non-
religious goals.

Realities
The nuanced relationship between religion and globalism. It starts by
challenging the idea of secularization, arguing that the contemporary world is
actually characterized by religious fervor.
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Peter Berger's perspective is cited, indicating that explosions of religious
fervor are occurring worldwide across major religious traditions like Christianity,
Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and even Confucianism.
How religion influences politics. In Malaysia, the government is built around
Islam, as stated in its constitution. In Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini believed Islamic
rule was better than secular ones. But interestingly, Iran still calls itself a republic,
even though it's religiously led. This shows that religion and politics can mix in
different ways, even in places that seem secular.
In Iran, despite having a religiously led government, the country still
officially identifies itself as a republic. This means that even though religious
principles play a significant role in governance, Iran maintains a political structure
where the people have some degree of representation or participation in decision-
making processes, as is typical in a republic. This highlights the complex interplay
between religious influence and political organization in the country.
Lastly, it discusses how religious movements can adopt secular ideas and
practices. It gives the example of the Nahdlatul Ulama association in Indonesia,
which teaches not only about Islam but also about modern subjects like science,
banking, and democracy. This demonstrates how religion can incorporate aspects
of modernity and secularism while still maintaining its core beliefs. Additionally, it
mentions historical examples, such as the Church of England, which was
influenced by modern democratic culture. This illustrates how religion can adapt
to changing societal norms and structures.

Religion for and against Globalization

There is hardly a religious movement today that does not use religion to
oppose “profane” globalization. (Profane is to treat (something sacred) with
abuse, irreverence, or contempt). Yet, two of the so-called “old world religions”-
Christianity and Islam-see globalization less as an obstacle and more as an
opportunity to expand their reach all over the world. Globalization has “freed”
communities from the “constraints of the nation-state,” but in the process, also
threatened to destroy the cultural system that bind them together. (“Constraints of
the nation-state”, nation-states face external constraints on their freedom of
maneuver from treaties, the interests and power of other states, and other factors
beyond the control of the nation such as geographical location and dependence on
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foreign trade. Nation-states must also contend with changing populations, trade
flows, and cultural identities, which can create complex challenges as well as new
opportunities). Religion seeks to take place of these broken “traditional ties” to
either help communities cope with their new situation or organize them to oppose
this major transformation of their lives. (Traditional ties are customs, beliefs, or
methods that have existed for a long time without changing.) It can provide the
groups “moral codes” that answer problems ranging from people’s health to social
conflict to even “personal happiness.” Religion is thus not the regressive force” that
stops or slows down globalization; it is a “pro-active force” that gives communities
a new and powerful basis of identity. It is an instrument with which religious
people can put their mark in the reshaping of this globalizing world, although in
its own terms.
Religious fundamentalism may dislike globalization’s materialism, but it
continues to use “the full range of modern means of communication and
organization” that is associated with this economic transformation. It has tapped
“fast long-distance transport and communications, the availability of English as a
global vernacular of unparalleled power, the know-how of modern management
and marketing” which enabled the spread of “almost promiscuous propagation of
religious forms across the globe in all sorts of directions.” It is, therefore, not
entirely correct to assume that the proliferation of “Born-Again” groups, or in the
case of Islam, the rise of movements like Daesh (more popularly known as ISIS, or
Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) signals religion’s defense against the materialism
of globalization. It is, in fact, the opposite. These fundamentalist organizations are
the result of the spread of globalization and both find ways to benefit or to take
advantage of each other.
While religions ay benefit from the processes of globalization, this does not
mean that its tensions with globalist ideology will subside. Some Muslims view
“globalization” as a Trojan horse hiding supporters of Western values like
secularism, liberalism, or even communism ready to spread ideas in their areas to
eventually displace Islam. The World Council of Churches-an association of
different Protestant congregations-has criticized economic globalization’s
negative effects. It vowed that “we as churches make ourselves accountable to the
victims of the project of economic globalization,” by becoming the latter’s
advocates inside and outside “the centers of power.”
The Catholic Church, led by Pope Francis, and the Lutheran World
Federation have criticized globalization's negative impacts, including economic
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inequality and social injustices. They advocate for a more compassionate and
equitable approach to global issues. While some global institutions have shown
limited responsiveness to these critiques, religious groups recognize the
challenges in providing comprehensive alternatives to the current global system.
Militant Islam, exemplified by groups like ISIS, offers no viable alternative, often
resorting to violence and oppression rather than constructive change.
In addition to the critiques mentioned, religious leaders have highlighted
the detrimental effects of globalization on cultural diversity, environmental
sustainability, and human rights. For example, the Catholic Church has voiced
concerns about the erosion of traditional values and cultures due to homogenizing
influences of globalization. Similarly, Pope Francis has repeatedly emphasized the
need for environmental stewardship and has called for action to address climate
change, which is exacerbated by global economic activities.
Furthermore, religious organizations often provide humanitarian aid and
support to communities marginalized by globalization, such as refugees, migrants,
and indigenous peoples. For instance, Catholic charities and organizations like
Caritas Internationalis play crucial roles in providing assistance to vulnerable
populations affected by economic displacement or environmental degradation
caused by globalization.
These religious groups also advocate for ethical business practices and
corporate social responsibility to mitigate the negative impacts of globalization on
workers' rights, labor conditions, and income inequality. For example, some
religious investors engage in shareholder activism to pressure companies to adopt
fair labor practices and environmental sustainability measures.

Conclusion
For a phenomenon that “is about everything,” it is odd that globalization is
seen to have very little to do with religion. As Peter Bayer and Lori Beaman
observed, “Religion, it seems, is somehow ‘outside’ looking at globalization
problem or potential. One reason for this perspective is the association of
globalization with modernization, which is a concept of progress that is based on
science, technology, reason, and the law. With reason, one will have “to look
elsewhere than to moral discourse for fruitful thinking about economic
globalization and religion. Religion, being a belief system that cannot be
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empirically proven is, therefore, anathema to modernization. The thesis that
modernization will erode religious practice is often called secularization theory.
Historians, political scientists, and philosophers have now debunked much
of secularization theory. Samuel Huntingtin, one of the strongest defenders of
globalization, admits in his book, The Clash of Civilizations, that civilizations can
be held together by religious worldviews. This belief is hardly new. As far back as
the 15th century, Jesuits and Dominicans used religion as an “ideological armature”
to legitimize the Spanish empire. Finally, one of the greatest sociologists of all time,
Max Weber, also observed the correlation between religion and capitalism as an
economic system. Calvinism, a branch of Protestantism, believed that God had
already decided who would and would not be saved. Calvinists, therefore, made it
their mission to search for clues as to their fate, and in their pursuit, they redefined
the meaning of profit and its acquisition. This “inner-worldly asceticism”-as Weber
referred to this Protestant ethic-contributed to the rise of modern capitalism.
It was because of “moral” arguments that religious people were able to
justify their political involvement. When the Spaniards occupied lands in the
Americas and the Philippines, it was done in the name of the Spanish King and of
God, “for empire comes from God alone.” Then over 300 years later, American
President William McKinley claimed “that after a night of prayer and soul-
searching, he had concluded that it was the duty of the United States ‘to educate
the Filipinos, and uplift and civilize and Christianize them, and by God’s grace do
the very best we could by them. Finally, as explained earlier, religious leaders have
used religion to wield influence in the political arena, either as outsiders criticizing
the pitfalls of pro-globalization regimes, or as integral members of coalitions who
play key roles in policy decision-makings and the implementation of government
projects.
In short, despite their inflexible features-the warnings of perdition (“Hell is
a real place prepared by Allah for those who do not believe in Him, rebel against
Hos laws, and reject His messengers”), the promises of salvation (“But our
citizenship is in Heaven”), and their obligatory pilgrimages (the visits to
Bethlehem of Mecca)-religions are actually quite malleable. Their resilience has
been extraordinary that they have outlasted secular ideologies (e.g., communism).
Globalist, therefore, have no choice but to accept this reality that religion is here to
stay.