ПРОБЛЕМА ФУНКЦИОНАЛЬНОЙ РОЛИ РЕЛИГИИ В СОВРЕМЕННОМ ОБЩЕСТВЕ

Abstract

The article explores the functions of religion in modern society, as well as the grounds and the nature of human religiosity. The authors analyze different points of view on the problems mentioned in the research literature, consider historical facts concerning the religious situation in the Soviet period and data of sociological surveys in modern Russia. The authors infer that most people are potentially inclined to religiosity due to innate features of their thinking, so the term "natural religiosity" could be to the point in this case. The degree of actualization of this inborn predisposition depends on the nature of social control. In a state with a predominantly secular worldview, the existential personal events of human life tend to be viewed in a natural way. In the religious environment, this changes in the opposite direction: an inborn inclination to religious understanding of the world acquires additional personal characteristics and can be called existential religiosity. Although, most people do not have a solid viewpoint and their attitudes change depending on the social situation, there always are people who have their own opinion. This can be called "conscious religiousness", since it can be the result of a serious analytical work of the individual. To change the conscious position by means of social pressure, it will take a long time perspective. It was this time perspective that the Soviet system ultimately lacked to suppress religiosity in society.