The practice of religion has been shaped and changed through historical events. Whereas some events have given strength to practice of religion, such as Constantine’s emergence; others have reduced it to mere practice within the homes as opposed to state religion. The Reformation was a play on religion that disjointed the religion of the West. During the same period as the Reformation, the religions of the Far and Near East civilizations remained intact (“Cutting-Edge Science”).Those religions changed their practices in their unique times.
The Holocaust was an out and out persecution of religion. It ultimately greeted the power of state over religion. Thus, it can be observed through history that very powerful events in the name of religion have the power to change religious practices and move the humanity in other interesting directions. Religion used to be an everyday phenomenon in European history before the Reformation brought immense social upheaval in the lives of everyday Christians.The Church was separated as an accompaniment to the Reformation (Pollen, 2004).
From here, it grew less and less in importance for ordinary people, who ended up losing a part of their faith in it, and eventually gave up regular attendance at the Church on Sundays. At the same time, however, science of the West grew in strength as an aftermath of the Reformation, until science came to challenge the historical sense of the Bible (“Timeline 16th Century”).It was only after the Reformation that not only the state but also science and other educational movements were separated from religion, as liberal academia similarly grew in strength. During the Holocaust, religion played a very minor role in abolishing the hatred of the Nazis.
The Church of Germany could do nothing at the same time as the people of another religion were persecuted. In “Opposition and Resistance in Nazi Germany,” Frank McDonough explains that the Christian Church was the only organization in Hitler’s Germany that opposed Nazism.Yet, it could not do much. In the normal sense of religion, perhaps religion should have had the power over state to stop the drastic acts of the Nazis. However, this did not happen.
Ultimately religion came under the power of the state to remain that way for good. The change of religious practices over history has only changed the mass perception of religion. Religion stays the same, a method of love and peace if practiced correctly. Religion has been persecuted, abused, and shamed.It has also achieved victories for humanity. The Reformation ultimately led to the advancements of science and technology we know today, as people’s attention was shifted from religion to other academic areas, something else to make them think.
Holocaust brought shame on religion through persecution. It ultimately gave outright power to the state over religious practice, which most people think is a good thing – at least in modern times.Referenceshttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/themes/science/index.html
