World Religions, Sixth Edition Warren Matthews Chapter Twelve: Globalization and World Religions This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law: any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network; preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images; any rental, lease, or lending of the program.

Globalization  Globalization – a negative view:  World Trade Organization actions hurt third world people  Massive projects overwhelm local traditions  Projects often leave massive debts  World religions oppress women  Women seek to open religions to their activities  Women lead the struggle for the poor of the third world

Protest against the World Trade Organization in Seattle

Globalization  Globalization – a positive view:  Globalization is a capital phenomena  People move capital where it can bring the best results  Governments only interfere in the process  Capital enables local (third world) people to improve themselves  Provides better paying jobs and opportunities  Capital pays no attention to religion

Symbol of Globalization – a Container Pier at an International Terminal

The Sciences and Globalization  Science is international, the language of globalization  Investigations are shared around the world  Common attitudes characterize science  Progress in one part of the world spreads rapidly to others  Science is independent of religion  Many religions have problems reconciling with science  Conflicts between religion and science have sparked much thought

The Sciences and Globalization  The sciences are predominantly secular  Small minorities have argued that religious beliefs should outweigh scientific facts  Examples of recent issues involving science and religion:  Creationism vs. evolution  Psychology vs. religious spirituality

The Sciences and Globalization  Science leads to investigations of supernatural and spiritual experiences  Spirit possession (mediums)  Edgar Cayce  The sciences have greatly affected human welfare  Improvements in physical health and well-being  Treatment of illnesses, longer lifespans  However, medical and technological advances come at high costs

Community and Ethics  The sciences, education, and government can provide many services  But religious and ethical questions are raised  What are basic human rights?  What is owed to every human being?  How can social and communal benefits be fairly distributed?

Rights for Men and Women  Women’s rights have expanded  Separation and divorce have become easier  Discrimination against homosexual individuals continues to be addressed, though a majority of religions forbid homosexual acts  Some liberal groups in world religions promote change, while many conservative groups oppose change  The nature of globalization is inspired by change and may lead to an acceptance of constant change

Globalization and the Environment  Globalization seeks proper environmental care  Damaged resources prevent globalization  Damaged people make poor customers and workers  Polluted earth, air, and water lead to limited resources  How much can religions contribute to ecology?  Masculine nature of many religions stands for subduing and ruling the earth  Feminine nature of some religions often does not reduce this theme

Globalization and the Environment  Religious groups can promote positive action in business and industry  Pollution cleanup can present opportunities for profitable return on capital  Harnessing wind, sun, energy, or ocean waves can lead to new industries that may become profitable  Fines on industries that produce acid rain or poison waterways may lead to alternative fuels and new manufacturing technologies

Worker on Auto Assembly Line

Religion and Violence  Globalization may affect violence  Almost all religions seem to tolerate or encourage violence, citing examples in their history that justify violence  Violence to defend victims of aggression seems acceptable  But such defense often leads to slaughter on both sides  Globalization may reduce violence by creating better understanding between peoples  A primary goal of the global community is protecting human rights without resorting to unlimited violence

Weaknesses of Globalization  Government organization or private relationships  Free trade must be free on all sides  Change involved in globalization often hurts as well as benefits  Standards assumed in one area may take time to develop elsewhere  World religions can focus more on human problems

Globalization Worldview  Problem – investors need to incorporate humanitarian views from their religions into their own views of global trade  Solution – a wider focus on people  Community and ethics – the change involved in globalization can be managed by the changers to ease transitions