difference between religion, spirituality
...has makes its presence more significant, and it is for this reason that millions appreciate its place in society. Through out the world there are millions of people who believe in the church as a place or worship. People may even come from far and wide for the sake of religious commemoration in particular churches. These are usually churches that are situated in religiously significant places, such as Rome. However, the deeper significance here is not the head church in Rome, which is simply a stone building that is decorated in order to make it look pious both. More accurately, the church refers to the people; it is the people that make the church. Without the people they can be no church, and this is reinforced in several places in biblical text. It is for this reason that a church may even simply be a large number of people in congregation under the open sky, as they do not have to have a roof over their heads. Aside from the religious symbolism and the physical description of a church, it must be asserted that there is more social meaning to a church. From a governance viewpoint, the church is an essential apparatus to prevent chaos in society; it is through such institutions that volatile individuals can be subdued, just like they are supposed to be subdued and disciplined through educational institutions. Just like educational institutions, churches are used for social control. This is why they come under a social control category known as ‘Ideological State Apparatus’. Those who fail to come under the control of such institutions are automatically deemed as deviant, mad, etc., and are dealt with accordingly. The measures employed to deal with such individuals include applying the next line of defense from ruling bodies, which includes that ‘State Repressive Apparatus’. In view of the way that people are controlled through the church is indeed a means that was heavily relied upon, but due to the fact that there is significant deterioration moral values in contemporary times, it is obvious that more comprehensive legal control has been adopted. Particularly, in this post modern era, it is obvious that there are diminishing values; many religious institutions all over the world have suffered tremendous setback regarding the allegations against them. Indeed, this has a significant impact on their image as a whole, but it still holds a significant place in society (Ammerman, 1993, 896-99) Aside from the issues surrounding the upholders of the church, the church as a social institution faces dilemmas of its own. This refers to the fact that there are ethical questions raised regarding particular ways of life and issues as well. As an example, there are medical views that it does not quite agree with, especially when it comes to religiously-governed healthcare centers. There are several issues today in the field of medicine that bother religious people who believe in preserving life no matter what the ...