Featuring the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tagbilaran

SOCIOLOGY ON CULTURELIGON

Experience

Last January 12, 2017, the sophomores and juniors went to Holy Name University for a Forum on Religion and Culture sponsored by Philippine Association for Sociology of Religion (PASR) and Holy Name University. Present on the said activity are the professors from the different academic institutions of Bohol including University of Bohol, Bohol Island State University, Holy Spirit School of Tagbilaran and even some academes from other schools in the Philippines.

Philippine Association for Sociology of Religion (PASR) is an initiative of Prof. Esmeralda Sanchez (now PASR President). It was established as the first and only professional organization devoted to the sociological study of religion. It is a non-stock, non-profit organization existing under the laws of the Philippines. Members of the organization come from the ranks of the different disciplines in the academe, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), all motivated by the interest to explore the dynamics of religion in the different facets and areas of Philippine society.

First part of the forum was the talk of Dr. Matthew Schmaltz, the Associate Professor and Faculty Ombudsperson of the College of the Holy Cross. His talk was entitled; "Do Religion and Culture Exist? Academic Perspective on an Important Theoretical Issue". Due to his absence, Dr. Thomas Landy, the Director of Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture of the College of the Holy Cross, read Dr. Schmaltz's module. In his module, he defined religion as binding with God; religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to the sacred things and a pattern set of verbal and non-verbal interaction with an 'ubermench'. According to him, the word 'religion' is derived from the Latin words religio, religere, religare and re-eligare. Religion is relative with the word 'dharma' which means duty, obligation and innate ability. Its applications are in temple worship, job, status, and propensity at birth.

After his read talk, there were two reactors. Mr. Marianito Luspo, the first reactor, of HNU said that the concept of religon and culture seems to evolve led by philosophical dichotomy; yet, this dichotomy does not cause his problem. He said that 'gawi' (culture in English) and 'tinuohan' are identical in Bohol setting. He said that religion define Boholanos but does not divide them. He cited the situation of United Christian Churches in the Philippines (UCCP) in the province where they were accepted unlike other provinces persecute them. He also said that way don sa Bohol, all are equal. This manifests that religion in Bohol harnessed the Boholano culture. The second reactor was Prof. Josefina Cemine of HNU. She said that Boholanos are indeed religious. She cited the milieu every Good Friday in Tagbilaran wherein many faithful congest themselves in the church, most especially men. She also observed that every Prosesyon sa Santo Entiero, many men follow the float of St. Peter. After the procession, men get the flowers in the float. She found out that these petals of flowers will be used as "dagon sa sabong".

Second part of the forum is the talk of Dr. Landy entitled, "Putting your whole self into it: Dancing, Walking and Sacrificing, from La Tirana to Lough Derg." Dr. Landy has toured the world and observed many advancements in the Catholic religions in the former non-Catholic countries. He exposed what he has observed on his tours. In Epithopia and Chile, the belief of dancing is an act of worship and prayer to the La Tirana or the Virgin of the Lady of Carmel. For Epithopians and Chileans, dancing is praying 'three times." Indeed according to him, culture has become a toolkit and a medium of understanding faith and each other. The bizarre Eucharistic celebration of Jamaica and India is so charismatic. The former communist nation of China has permitted the erection of churches and dioceses. In Ireland, people do pilgrimage to Lough Derg, the birthplace of St. Patrick and considered as purgatory's gate. In the predominant Catholic country of the Philippines, he was amazed by religiosity of Filipinos amidst the threat of secularism.

After the talk of Dr. Landy, there were also reactors. First was Dr. Lilian Diana Parreno from Guimaras State College in Guimaras province. She underscored the changes have brought along the way in the field of culture. For her, faith in the Supreme Being is personal identity in us. The procession of Virgen La Tirana, Dances and Devotion to Blessed Virgin Mary are identical with the Philippine religious culture. Indeed, religiosity binds the multiplicity. Second reactor was Dr. Carmelito Numer Abolencia of Eastern Visayas University in Tacloban. He said that sacramentals are high-lightened by symbolisms. In the Philippine setting, he said that festivals are 'consumeralized' unlike foreign lands. Universalism of Catholicism (redundant) is unified despite the multiplicity of customs and traditions. Last reactor was Dr. Venicris Alonzosana of De La Salle University in Dasmariñas, Cavite. He said that all of us share one call of God in the milieu of diverse religions. He emphasized the proof of God's existence in the Bible and church traditions. Religious and church traditions, for him, need respect.

Reaction

            Cultural awareness is an important aspect of any community. It includes the ability to respect and appreciate the cultural values, perceptions and beliefs of a community. It is a necessity where people have to interact with other cultures. What one culture considers as inappropriate differs from the view of another culture. As such, a seminarian must be aware of this differences to be able to effectively impact the community. Cultural reaction refers to the response that a culture receives from those that are not part of it. 

Do religion and culture exist?—sakit kayo siya na nga pangutana. The mere reality of religion and culture is really existing. Religion is a social institutions which is dependent upon material and economic realities in a given society. It is primarily about belief in the supernatural, which for him lies at the heart of the sacred. It is a primarily about belief in the supernatural, which for him lies at the heart of the sacred.

Culture and Religion are not the same, though they are very close and they really exist. There are various theories that suggest a model of relationship between them. One of them tries to see Religion as the soul of culture. This view doesn't consider the fact that there could also be non-religious cultures.

            Sociological tools and methods, such as surveys, polls, interviews, and analysis of historical data, can be applied to the study of religion in a culture to help us better understand the role religion plays in people’s lives and the way it influences society. Religion has historically been a major impetus to social change. It is in our faith that we can know and be civilized with ignorance and illiteracy.