Abstract
Religion has continued to occupy a very important part in human life from time immemorial. Almost all the followers of the various religions have belief in the existence of God. It helps humankind to find solace in God while religious instructions assist them to guide their lives in the right way without being tempted to engage in sinful activities. The followers of religion are mostly the elderly people rather than the younger generation in many societies. Elders’ more extensive life experience, education and worldly wisdom enable them to lead a more pious life than the youngsters, who still have much to learn. The elders try to set an example to the youngsters in order to persuade them also to be religious. The aim of the study is to find out the roles the elders play when engaging in religious activities during the ageing period and to explore the reasons for the high level of piousness among them. In this study, both qualitative and quantitative methods such as questionnaire survey, interviews and focus group discussions were employed as data collection techniques. The findings indicate that listening to religious sermons, participating in religious celebrations, performing administrative and leadership roles, doing social work, going on spiritual journeys and visiting the sick and praying for them are the notable religious activities undertaken by the elderly people. Being very pious can lead to religious experiences, prevent feelings of isolation and loneliness, provide opportunities for social interaction, grant peace of mind, help pass the time, increase the physical strength and improve mental health by reducing anxiety and aimless behaviour. These are some of the major reasons for the high level of piousness observed among the elderly people who were the subjects of this study.
Highlights
IntroductionPermanent, pervasive and of perpetual interest to humans
Religion is universal, permanent, pervasive and of perpetual interest to humans
3.1 Roles of Elders in Religious Activities. It is mostly the elders who have the knowledge related to culture and religion in societies
Summary
Permanent, pervasive and of perpetual interest to humans. Human beings have biological, economic and social needs, but they have a need for religion. Even though religion is a universal phenomenon, it is understood and practiced differently by different people. Emile Durkheim defined religion as a “unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say, things set apart and forbidden.”. Maclver and Page have defined religion as follows: “Religion as we understand the term implies a relationship not merely between man and man and between man and some higher power.”. Max Muller defines religion as “A mental faculty or disposition, which enables man to apprehend the infinite” (Rao, 2007) Emile Durkheim defined religion as a “unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say, things set apart and forbidden.” American anthropologist Edward Sapir said, “The essence of religion consists of man’s unceasing attempt to discover a road to spiritual serenity across the perplexities and dangers of daily life.” Maclver and Page have defined religion as follows: “Religion as we understand the term implies a relationship not merely between man and man and between man and some higher power.” According to Ogburn, “Religion is an attitude towards superhuman powers.” Max Muller defines religion as “A mental faculty or disposition, which enables man to apprehend the infinite” (Rao, 2007)
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