Introduction Globalist trains to be shrewd

businessperson; they value politics as

Religion is concerned with the sacred, both means and ends to further the
while globalism places value on material economies of the world.
wealth. Religion follows divine
commandments, while globalism abides Religion and globalism clash over the fact
by human-made laws. Religion assumes that religious evangelization is in itself a
that there is “the possibility of form of globalization.
communication between humans and the
transcendent.” “God”, “Allah”, or “Yahweh” The globalist ideal is largely focused on
defines and judges human action in moral the realm of markets which is to spread
terms. Globalism is on how much of goods and services while the religious is
human action can lead to the highest concerned with spreading holy ideas
material satisfaction and subsequent globally.
wisdom that this new status produces.
The missions being sent by American
Born- Again Christian churches, Sufi and
Religious people are less concerned with Shiite Muslim orders, as well as
wealth and all that comes along with it institutions like Buddhist monasteries and
(higher social status, a standard of living Catholic, Protestant and Mormon
similar with that of the rest of the churches are efforts at “spreading the
community, exposure to “culture”, top- word of God” and gaining adherent
of-the-line education for the children). abroad.

Ascetics - they shun anything material for Being a Christian, a Muslim, or a Buddhist
complete simplicity - from their domain to places one in a higher plane than just
the clothes they wear, to the food they eat, being a Filipino, a Spanish speaker, or an
and even to the manner in which they talk. Anglo-Saxon.

A religious person’s main duty is to live a

virtuous, sin-less life such that when
he/she dies, he/she is assured of a place Isolationist Justification
in the other world. The followers of the Dalai Lama “flee”
their communities and create impenetrable
Globalists are less worried about whether sanctuaries where they can practice their
they will end up in heaven or hell. Their religions without the meddling and control
skills are more pedestrian as they aim to of state authorities; they established
seal trade deals, raise the profits of private themselves in Tibet.
enterprises, improve government revenue
collections, protect the elites from being The Buddhist monasteries are located
excessively taxed by the state, and, away from civilization so that hermits can
naturally, enrich themselves. If he/she has devote themselves to prayer and
a strong social conscience, he/she sees contemplation.
his/her work contributing to the general
progress as of community, the nation, and • Rizalistas of Mount Banahaw
the global ecothneomic system. • Essenes during Roman-controlled Judea
(now
Israel)
• Mormons of Utah Religious movements do not hesitate to
They believe that living among non- appropriate secular themes and practices.
believers will distract them from their
mission or tempt them to abandon their • Nahdlatul Ulama in Indonesia has
faith and become sinners like everyone Islamic schools; religion was the result of
else. a shift in state policy .

•The Church of England was “shaped by

Opposition to authorities on religious the rationality of modern democratic
grounds culture”.
Priestesses and monks led the first revolts
against colonialism in Asia and Africa; •King Henry VIII broke away from Roman
millenarian movements that wish to break Catholicism and established his own
away from the hold of the state or vow to Church to bolster his power.
overthrow the latter in the name of God.
•United States - religion and law were
To their “prophets”, the state seeks to fused together to help build this “modern
either destroy their people’s sacred beliefs secular society”. Alexis de Tocqueville
or distort religion to serve non-religious (French historian) observed in the early
goals. 1800s that “not only do the Americans
practice their religion out of self- interest
but they often even place in this world the
REALITIES interest which they have in practicing it”.
• Peter Berger argues far from being
secularized, the“contemporary world is Religion has always been at the very
...furiously religious. There are veritable center of all great political conflicts and
explosions of religious fervor, occurring in movements of social reform (Jose
major religious traditions - Christianity, Casanova).
Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and even
Confucianism and in many places in
imaginative syntheses of one or more RELIGION FOR AND AGAINST
world religions with indigenous faiths.” GLOBALIZATION
• Christianity and Islam - see
Religions are the foundations of globalization less as an obstacle and more
republics. modern as an opportunity to expand their reach all
over the world.
• Malaysian government places religion
at the center of the political system. Globalization has “freed” communities
from the “constraints of the nation-state”.
• Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini bragged
about the superiority of Islamic rule over Religion seeks to take the place of these
its secular counterparts; Islamic rule was broken “traditional ties” to either help
the superior form of government because communities cope with their new situation
it was spiritual. or organize them to oppose this major
transformation of their lives.

It can provide the groups “moral codes”

that answer problems ranging from
people’s health to social conflict to even ●​ Catholic Church and its dynamic
“personal happiness”. leader , Pope Francis likewise
condemned globalization’s
•Religion is a “pro-active force” that “throw-away culture” that is “fatally
gives communities a new and powerful destined to suffocate hope and
basis of identity. It is an instrument with increase risks and threats.
which religious people can put their mark
in the reshaping of this globalizing world, ●​ Lutheran WorldFederation
although in its own terms. declaration message included
economic and feminist critiques of
• Religious fundamentalism continues to globalization, sharing the voices of
use “the full range of modern means of members of the Church who were
communication and organization” that is affected by globalization, and
associated with this economic contemplations on the different
transformation; it has tapped “fast “pastoral and ethical reflections”
long-distance transport and that members could use to guide
communications, the availability of English their opposition.
as a global vernacular of unparalleled
power, the know-how of modern ●​ World Bank (1998) brought in
management and marketing” which religious leaders in its discussion
enabled the spread of “almost of global poverty, leading
promiscuous propagation of religious eventually to a “cautious, muted,
forms across the globe in all sorts of and qualified” collaboration in
directions.” 2000.

It is not entirely correct to assume that the ●​ “The preferential option for the
proliferation of “Born Again” groups, or in poor” is a powerful message of
the case of Islam, the rise of movements mobilization but lacks substance
like Daesh (popularly known as ISIS or when it comes to working out a
Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) signals replacement system that can
religion’s defense against the materialism change the poor’s condition in
of globalization. concrete ways. In Iran, the
unchallenged superiority of a
These fundamentalist organizations are religious autocracy
the result of the spread of globalization has stifled democratic
and both find ways to benefit or take opposition.
advantage of each other. all freedom of expressions, distorted
rituals like elections, and tainted
●​ World Council of Churches – an the
association of different Protestant
congregations; has criticized CONCLUSION
economic globalization’s negative ●​ Peter Bayer and Lori Beaman -
effects. “religion, it seems, is somehow
‘outside’ looking at globalization as
problem or potential”. The reason
for this perspective is the
association of globalization with
modernization, which is a concept
 of progress that is based on play key roles in policy
science, technology, reason and decision-makings and the
the law. implementation of government
projects.
●​ The thesis that modernization will
erode religious practice is often
called secularization theory. The beginnings of cosmic religious feeling
already appear at an early stage of
●​ Samuel Huntington - civilizations development, as an example in the
can be held together by religious Psalms of David and in some the
worldviews. Prophets.
-​ Albert Einstein
●​ Max Weber - observed the
correlation between religion and
capitalism as an economic system.

●​ Calvinism - believed that God has

already decided who would and
would not be saved; Calvinists
made it their mission to search for
clues as to their fate, and in their
pursuit, they redefined the
meaning of profit and its
acquisition. This “inner-worldly
asceticism” contributed to the rise
of modern capitalism.

●​ When Spaniards occupied lands

in the Americas and the
Philippines, it was done in the
name of the Spanish King and of
God.

●​ McKinley claimed “that after a

night of prayer and soul-searching,
he had concluded that it was the
duty of the United States ‘to
educate the Filipinos, and uplift
and civilize and Christianize them,
and by God’s grace do the very
best we could by them”’.

●​ Religious leaders have used

religion to wield influence in the
political arena, either as outsiders
criticizing the pitfalls of
pro-globalization regimes, or as
integral members of coalitions who