"Wake up! It's time to get ready for church!" A mother begins a Sunday morning by waking up her two children to get them ready for church. While the youngest child is excited for a morning of singing hymns, seeing friends, and praying, the oldest child would rather skip the whole thing and go straight to Sunday dinner. .
While the children's viewpoints are different, the situation reflects how an individual's personality and environment can influence his/her attitude toward church and religion. While the culture may initially influence a particular religion and implement the certain standards or guidelines for choices, personality has much to do with an individuals relationship with God. .
The anthropology of religion involves the study of religious institutions in relation to other social institutions; comparing religious beliefs, doctirnes and practices across different cultures. Modern anthropology assumes that every religion is a cultural product, created by the each individual community. .
In 2008, researchers at the University of Oxford spent $1.9 million researching the common denominator that causes people to believe in God. It was "a scientific approach to why we believe in God and other issues around the nature and origin of religious belief"(Irtiqa). .
It's difficult to say whether culture or personality has more impact on how a person responds to religion. The discussion is similar to the "nature versus nurture" developmental debate. However, religion is an important aspect in socialization standards in one's life. Religion sets some of the cultural standards that describe who we are as well as influence the choices we make. In some religions such as Hinduism, it sets the guidelines on how to dress, act, and treat others. .
Religion is a major agency of socialization because it embodies the moral principles of society. In this respect, religion has its own set of norms, values, and objectives that regulate the conduct of its members.
