Manipulation In Religions: Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, And Buddhism

Religion, in its entirety, can be described as a set of rules, traditions, and beliefs that humans have created in order to control the mass populous. In other words, religion is a tool used for the manipulation of its followers. The power stems from the members desire to have a relationship with the transcendent, which each religion claims can only exclusively occur within them. This use of manipulation occurs in all five of the major religions in the world: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism.

Judaism, one of the three major monotheistic religions, shows this manipulation clearly with the requirement of circumcision in order to enter the covenant with Yahweh. The Jewish people are not only required to be circumcised, but

The five pillars: Sha’da, Haj, Salat, Sawm, and Zakat; are the foundation for the Islamic tradition and must be followed (Bowker, 186). Each pillar represents a certain requirement for practicing Muslims. Sha’da is the affirmation, in which Muslims recite that there is only Allah. Haj is a pilgrimage to Mecca that Muslims are to take, unless health or wealth does not allow. Salat is the act of prayer, which occurs five times a day in the direction of Mecca. Sawm is fasting during the month of Ramadan, and lastly Zakat is an almsgiving.

Even religions in the East have a spark of this manipulation. In Hinduism, an overarching ideas that spans the thousands of cults within the region, has to do with three main concepts: Dharma, Karma, and Samsara. Dharma is a reflection of a proper life, Karma is an action that is based upon and reflects one’s dharma, and Samsara is the quality of ones life and is a result of one’s karma. These three concepts tempt the followers to behave in a certain fashion, as depicted by the Dharma of the creature, so that in the next life they will be reincarnated into a better

The split between Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants can lead back to the papacy. Catholics to this day remain under the belief that the pope dictates God’s desires. Orthodox Christians, on the other hand, believe that a council of bishops should decide how to interpret doctrine and scriptures. Protestants, have a very similar form of magisterium with the Islamic tradition, in which the reader is allowed to interpret. “The Reformed Churches have continued to divide over doctrine and practice, leading to denominations such as Lutheran, Baptist, and Methodist” (Bowker, 151). These further splits within the Protestant Church are what cause an ultimate magisterium not to form. The magisterium, especially in the Catholic Church, can become extremely corrupt due to one main person presiding over the doctrine and