Religion Versus Religiosity

Right now, looking at Western culture, religion is often seen as a private matter. For many, religion is something they only consider to be their own knowledge. This is secularism. People can be religious, but behind closed doors.

However, this is only in theory, as many religions, in certain countries, are still powerful. Minority religions and their practice are banned by secularization. But larger religions are kept on a pedestal when it comes to representing common action.

Regardless of the social or legal norms that prevent certain religious practices,  each individual experiences his or her own religion differently. People can experience religion in four different ways.

Religion versus religiosity

Before we talk about religious orientation, it is essential to distinguish between religion and religiosity. Religions are timeless and universal (they do not change in time or space). Religiosity, on the other hand, is the way believers experience their religion. Religiosity is a subjective experience that depends on every religion and person; the way they experience and represent their religion.

The way people experience religion (religiosity or religious orientation) does not necessarily have to be compatible with the rules of religion. Of all the religious forms in  social psychology, four types of religious orientation stand out from the rest. These forms are: external, internal, detective, and religious fundamentalism.

External and internal motivation

These are the first categories to look at religion. They distinguish people who use religion for the purpose of achieving something (personal or social goals, e.g., group acceptance) from people who interpret religion as their own goal (e.g., private prayer). People with an external orientation use religion to get something else, while people with an internal orientation use it to motivate their lives.

When religion is a fundamental motive of life, a center of decisions, and an absolute criterion, it is internal. While those for whom religion is external see religion as a utilitarian and helpful tool. It is a tool for their own interests and goals (security, social status, entertainment, self-justification, personal lifestyle support, etc.). For many people, just like in any other matter, they have their own orientations.

Detective orientation

Internal and external orientations also have one downward orientation, the detective orientation. It contains fundamental questions about existence as a whole. People with this orientation see religious suspicions as a positive thing  and are open to religious problems.

The detective orientation stimulates and promotes an open and dynamic discussion of the great existential issues we have about different contradictions and strategies. The detective orientation is cognitively open, critical, and flexible. It is also defined by doubts and the search for personal identity.

Religious fundamentalism

Religious fundamentalism is the belief that there is a still life of religious teachings that shape the fundamental truth about humanity and God (or gods). This truth fights against evil forces. The Followers of this practice it in accordance with its fundamental and unchanging ancient practices.

People with a fundamental orientation claim to have a special relationship with God. They tend to believe that their faction is always right,  while everyone else is wrong. This leads them to practice and maintain prejudices. It isolates them from other groups and therefore they cannot learn from each other. Their experience only allows them to reinforce their stereotypes about other people. The fundamentalist also has a tendency to be external.

Within fundamentalism, there is another fundamentalist religious organization: intratextual fundamentalism. People with this orientation believe the truth of the sacred texts. These people follow religious sacraments the most, and their religious interpretation is really written.

Religiosity

There are many different ways to follow a religion. Every religious group and person is different. Although religions and their contexts affect each person’s religion, everyone embraces them differently. No religion is better or worse than any other. Nor are fundamental religious orientations worse than other orientations.

The problem is if we try to force our own religion on others. Adopting another religion or form of religiosity is not easy and takes time. Cohabitation should be peaceful as long as there is respect between people. Nor should states force people to follow religion in just one way. And they should not promote religion without thinking about its consequences.