Effects on religious beliefs and experiences

How much can a persons background have an influence on their belief?

A person from a poorer background may believe in God because it makes them feel as though someone is looking after them in their lives. However, someone from a rich background, who has everything they want, may still feel as though something is missing so they turn to religion to fill this gap. Coming from a different country with a different culture may affect your religious beliefs as a western culture and an eastern culture will have different dominant religions.

Do the older generation turn towards religion because they are closer to death?

YES NO The elderly are more likely to not go to church as they are unable to get there due to their ill health. They feel that religion is a comfort for them. May want something to believe in before they die, so they know what to expect. They may want to see the more spiritual side of death.

Fear? Comfort? Feel it is the last resort Become frightened of what lies ahead Prepare them for the afterlife Give them someone to talk to Sociologist Monika Ardelt said, ‘...talking about religion to comfort people who are not very spiritual can actually increase their fears of dying and what might lie beyond...’

North Central Florida Study (Monika Ardelt) 103 relatively healthy older adults and 19 hospice patients, all of whom were over 60, had sharp differences between people who are ‘intrinsically’ and ‘extrinsically’ religious. They found that the ‘intrinsic religious’ were less afraid of death than the ‘extrinsic religious’ ‘Extrinsic religious’ people are more vulnerable at the end of life.

Hospices Hospices are a Christian run organisation that provide palliative care for ill people. Many elderly people go to a hospice to make their last days more comfortable. They may turn towards Christianity as a result of this.

Conversion Conversion to a religion can be a result of evangelism or other influences. Deathbed conversions can be a result of an immediate change of belief or to complete a process of conversion already underway. A few suggested deathbed conversions: - Oscar Wilde - King Charles ıı

On the other hand, are the young more susceptible to religion?

Fowlers Stages According to Fowlers stages he says that children are more likely to believe in a religion as they are more willing to accept things. They have more influences e.g, their families, faith community. Sometimes they don’t have a choice in what religion they believe in. They are more vulnerable as they aren’t as likely to question a faith whereas older generations may do so.

Does the gender of a person have a role to play?

US Population Women are more likely than are men to attend church on a given Sunday (50% to 44%, respectively). Women are more likely than are men to believe that the Bible is totally accurate in all of its teachings. (55% versus 41%). Women are more likely than are men to believe that God is the all-powerful, all-knowing, perfect creator that rules the world today (78% to 64%).

68% of women describe themselves as "deeply spiritual" compared to 55% of men who say that "deeply spiritual" describes them accurately. 74% of women compared to 64% of men say that their faith is very important to them.