We explain what religious norms are and what their main characteristics are. Also, its evolution and examples.
What are religious norms?
Religious rules are rules that define the behavior and habits of practitioners of a theological doctrine (which deals with God and faith) with the aim of achieving a common union between all people.
Each type of religion has its own norms and they tend to be unalterable over time because they are usually determined by sacred texts, such as the Bible or the Koran, which show revelations from superior spirits and manifest the will of God.
Religious practitioners who do not follow the rules established by a certain doctrine are considered disobedient and, in more severe cases, sinners. However, currently theology is being examined and reinterpreted for its standardsbased on new knowledge and the evolution of societies.
See also: Egyptian religion
Characteristics of religious norms
Although religious norms vary according to each doctrine, they have the following characteristics in common:
- The origin. They are very old and arise from the revelation of a superior spirit or beliefs about messages and appearances from a divinity.
- The timelessness. They are usually based on ancestral writings considered sacred that narrate revelations of certain sanctities.
- The worship of a higher deity. All religions share the worship of a unique and supreme being that they designate by different names. Some doctrines usually worship certain saints, virgins or do not believe in them.
- The ceremonies. These are acts and rituals that the faithful must practice, such as being initiated into a doctrine, worshipping a god, freeing themselves from guilt, making a request, giving thanks, among other reasons.
- The codes. Within the same ideology there are usually different rules of behavior for the faithful, which vary depending on the context. For example, in some religions, women must have the extremities of the body covered inside the temple or in public they must wear their hair covered with a scarf.
- Faith. It is the belief and feeling towards a doctrine, which is manifested based on certain religious norms. This differentiates religious norms from legal norms that do not involve any feelings, but rather people are obliged to comply with them even if they do not agree with them.
Evolution of religious norms
Each religion influences its culture. and, also, in the rest of the world’s cultures, both for sharing their ideas and for considering them unacceptable. That is to say, certain religious norms are reference parameters for the conduct or legal norms of a society.
However, currently the various social revolutions and the evolution of a globalized humanity have allowed some arbitrarily established religious traditions and customs to be questioned and reinterpreted. For example, the acceptance of gender diversity before the law and, consequently, before some religious institutions.
Even if a person does not practice a creed or religion, he or she can coexist and respect the beliefs of another person. Different religions pursue this common interest, in addition to individual interests, such as having more followers of their doctrine.
Examples of religious norms
Some examples of religious norms from various religions are:
- Not lie.
- Wearing a veil or “hijab” to cover the head and chest of Muslim women.
- Prayer or supplication to the higher divinity, both to ask and to give thanks.
- Do not eat red meat on certain holy days as a symbol of respect for Jesus Christ.
- Do not steal or kill.
- Help others.
- Do not ingest toxic substances that can cloud the mind.
- Do not say blasphemies or insults to others.
- Baptizing children as a ceremony of purification and initiation into Christianity.
- Do not commit impure acts or sins of a sexual nature.
You may be interested in: Moral standards
References:
- “Changing religious norms and family values” in JSTOR.
- “The four characteristics of religious traditions” in Cram.
- “Religious norm” in legal concept.