Religion, Science, and Deviance

Belief

any proposition thought to be true

Belief system

a set of interrelated beliefs

Belief systems as deviant

Deviance within a group that follows specific beliefs OR the entire belief system being seen as deviant

Belief systems as social typers of deviance

When a belief system defines who is deviant and what their consequences should be

Majority of Canadians

(approx. 76%) identify with some sort of faith

Secularization

decline of the influence of organized religion

Strong Theist

I do not question the existence of God, I KNOW the exists

De-facto Theist

I cannot know for certain, but I strongly believe in God and I live my life on the assumption that he is there

Weak Theist

I am very uncertain, but I am inclined to believe in God.

Pure Agnostic

God’s existence and non-existence are equally probable

Weak Atheist

I do not know whether God exists but I’m inclined to be skeptical

De-facto Atheist

I cannot know for certain but I think God is very improbable and I live my life under the assumption that he is not there

Strong Atheist

I am 100% sure that there is no God

Ecclesia

A specific religious belief system that is adopted at a governmental level and becomes a nation’s “official” religion

Churches

Large and powerful religious groups, highly bureaucratic

World’s major religions

Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Christianity

Sects

Smaller religious groups that have usually broken away from larger churches

Cults

Smaller than sects, more reactionary, oppositional doctrines

Tensions

Influencing each other in both directions

Deviancy amplification

becoming more extreme

Millenarianism

complete social transformation is coming

March 1997

Marshall Applewhite and 38 members of the Heaven's Gate cult committed suicide

John de Ruiter

Claims to be a “living embodiment of truth”

Charismatic relationship

belief that a leader is ‘‘endowed with supernatural, superhuman, or exceptional powers or qualities” (Weber)

“Cultic milieu”

A hidden cultural cycle that constantly creates new cults, recycles old ones, and fosters new cult followers

Demographics

white, middle aged, affluent, mostly women

Individual level

Personal beliefs define what is right or wrong for both ourselves and others

Societal level

When religious and political beliefs overlap, those seen as religiously deviant may also be considered politically deviant

Science

Knowledge based on general truths and laws, tested through the scientific method.

Bad apple/bad person theory

Misconduct is rare, caused by a few individuals with psychological or moral flaws. Removing them protects the integrity of science, which aims for truth.

Iceberg theory

Science’s structure can lead to rule-breaking. High pressure to publish increases misconduct, which is hard to catch

Deviant science

an entire scientific belief system is questioned

“scientific worldview”

presumption that a claim is false until proven beyond a doubt

Eugenics

some groups are more evolved and hence, superior to other groups (based on social darwinism)