The shape of religion in modern society:
1. Religion is a system of belief in supernatural beings. Belief is a matter of emotion and the supernatural is beyond factual experience. Hence, there are no elements of rationality in religion so far as the basis of its understanding is concerned.
2. Modern society cherishes the values of rationality and secularism.
3. Science and technology control the nature of the economic life of the people. Science does not accept the existence of that which is not observable. Since religion is based on only faith in the factually unknown and unknowable and not on reason, it does not hold its importance as strongly in modern societies as in the traditional.
4. However, any amount of development of science and technology an modernization cannot dispense religion altogether.
5. What happened in present modern society is that religion has undergone change along with changes in other aspects of social life.
6. The following are some of the changes in religion as have taken place:
(a) In traditional society, religion pervades every act of life. In modern society religion is confined to certain situations.
(b) In traditional society, religious beliefs are strong and rituals are performed by all and quite frequently. In modern society, religious faith varies from individual to individual.
(c) Some of even those who are strong believers do not necessarily perform rituals.
(d) In the medieval ages, the state and religion were usually inseparable. The modern states, on the other hand, are secular, having a field separate from religion.
7. Even in modern society we see the different types of roles i.e. positive as well as negative for the country of the society as a whole.
Sometimes religion works as an integrating force for the group adhering to it and also integrating the personality of the people. It also sometimes becomes the reason for strife and communal tension.
8. Though all the religions have common objectives i.e. welfare of the society and human beings and therefore, there is no point of competition among them. But some pressure groups, or political parties or countries for their clandestine political or other motives, manage to arouse hatred in religious communities against the other religious community leading to occasional outburst of communal violence.
9. The present day terrorism which has gripped various parts of the world is evidence of the notorious activities of a section of religious community in the name of religion.
