How Does Religion Influence Political Policies In The United States

Religion is a powerful institution that has a major impact on societies on a global scale. Religion is a cultural organization that focuses on spiritual beliefs and proverbs. Throughout the world, there are thousands of different religions, but the major religions that millions of people connect with are Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. What makes it appealing to many societies is that religion gives people purpose and pride by providing them with a sense of structure in their lives. Although religion can give a sense of fulfillment to an individual, globally it has been used to inspire political policies through fundamentalism ideals, insight violence, and liberate those in need. Christian and Islamic fundamentalist ideologies have shaped political policies in the United States and Islamic nations. In the late 1960’s sociologist theorized that due to the

211). Due to the pressure of this possible transition, the fundamentalism ideal was established. Fundamentalism is referred to as a conservative ideology that focuses on returning to bible-oriented traditional values. This lifestyle consisted of following the rules of the bible and abstaining from sinful tendencies such as drinking, smoking, immodest dressing, and lewd entertainment (Sernau, 2012, p. 211). This concept is practiced amongst Christian and Islamic cultures and in some cases religious politicians adopted these ideals to political platforms. By the 1980’s, American Christian fundamentalism was reflected in the political campaign of Pat Roberson. He created Christian Coalition, which concentrated on the traditional