Saturday, September 21, 2019
Spirituality and Family Resilience Essay Example for Free
Spirituality and Family Resilience Essay Perhaps no other social institution has a closer link with religion than does the family. In the case where the family becomes particularly â€Å"sacred, the danger of family violence is also as real as in the various forms of the secular religion of love. When the family as such, mostly forms of marriage and children, is seen as an untouchable value by the outside world, by family members and by the church. The risk exists that family members will want to keep all injustice and violence that occurs inside the family members will want to keep all injustice and violence that occurs inside the family a secret.            A woman or a child often receives the message to sacrifice her or himself for the sake of the family: to behave in a proper way and tolerate the violence in order to safeguard the family. As child are existentially loyal to their parents (Boszormenyi-Nagy Spark, 1973)1 and partners who are beaten often lack self-confidence, most will want really to keep the family intact, because it is, in spite of the violence, valuable for them. The risks exist that religion might be used as a means to legitimize power balances in the family that can become very oppressive. The idea that the family is sacred often emphasizes the traditional, marriage-based family, which usually goes together with a pattern of traditional roles. Although sacrifice has a certain value, justice should not be overlooked. When love is only conceived of in the second person, it supposes a kind of never-ending love and devotion to the other. This can be seen as a form of self-sacrifice in spite of me. The human person has to compare and weigh goodness towards the unique other with the right of each other person.            The belief in the cross does not call people in the first place to activism, but enables a deep spiritual experience of devotion arising from belief in God. The human person can give him or herself without having to create their whole lives themselves. In these sense, the metaphor of sacrifice, within the framework of the Christian belief in God, is liberating. On the basis of Christian faith, some parents can find new hope and courage. In difficult situations parents may realize that they have done everything in their capacity and that they have to leave the rest trustingly in the hands of God. In this way, families may overcome difficult situations and achieve a high degree of resilience (Spousel, 2003).2 The cross and faith in the resurrection cannot only liberate people from the often frenetic effort to realize a perfect intimate life, but also may motivate people to protest against suffering and evil. The cross is a sign and a message never to forget the sufferings of people (Merz, 1997).3 The death of Jesus on the cross and the Christian faith signify a protest against the rhetoric of the necessity of sacrifices in the name of a higher aim. It is not God who asks for sacrifice, but people themselves who require sacrifices of others in an abuse of power.            Despite ample evidence that global indexes of religiousness are linked to a family functioning, the mechanisms by which religion uniquely influences family dynamics are not well understood or empirically documented. To advance the scientific study of religions role in families, we delineate how the construct of sanctification applies to marital and parent-child relationships as well as to the entire family systems according to diverse religious traditions. We define sanctifications as a psychological process in which aspects of life are perceived a shaving spiritual character and significance. Todays families face a myriad of problems including economic difficulties, physical health addiction problems, and many stressful work related issues. There is acceptance among many Americans that religion facilitates positive and healthy family interaction and enhances the life satisfaction of its members.            Religious affiliation and participation may provide and/or enlarge the social support system available to the family by increasing the number of friendships with other families. This social support may lead the family to believe they are cared for and loved, esteemed and valued, and belong to a network of mutual aid. Social support has also been found to be an important factor in a familys ability to overcome crises. Churches may enhance a familys social support by encouraging group activities. Religious affiliation and participation may strength families by providing enjoyable activities. Many religions provide direct education in supportive family values, attitudes, and behaviors. The themes of charity begins at home and do unto others as you would have them do unto you are supported in all of the worlds major religions. Religions assist families in formulating and maintaining moral values and ethical codes of conduct. Most religions also operate to counteract several human tendencies that hinder relationships. Religion operates against such easy solutions by encouraging families to stay together and work out their difficulties.            Religion may strengthen families is by encouraging families to believe in, and seek, personal and family assistance from God. Belief in divine intervention may be another resource providing comfort, inspiration, or guidance fro family members. The influence of God is difficult to measure, but many people perceive its very real effects in their lives. For many, God is a reality, and when God assists humankind by petition, then divine influence is another source of help to families that is encouraged by religions. It is useful to consider the role of religion in family change in the Western world within the context of the teachings and authority of the Christian Church. The Roman Catholic Church developed the view that, while marriage, pro-creation was seen as the primary purpose of sexual relations; and intentional interference with this purpose, by either contraception or abortion, was prohibited.             The Protestant reformers adopted a somewhat different view of marriage but continued to hold the ideal of a lifetime marriage, although they allowed divorce for a limited set of serious causes. Celibacy was de-emphasized during the Reformation but the prohibitions against contraception remained strong. In fact, the proscriptions against divorce and birth control remained fairly monolithic in Christian churches well into the 20th century (Thornton, 1985).4 The Catholics have become less unique, fundamentalist Protestants have become more distinct. Given the historically strong interests and doctrines of the Christian churches concerning family matters, it is difficult to imagine how far-reaching family changes of the last two centuries could have occurred without provoking fundamental re-examination of theology, doctrine, and programs. Heated and extensive debates concerning family changes and appropriate responses to them are not new phenomena but have been endemic for a century in the Western world (Wilcox, 2007).5            The foundations of national morality are laid in private families. The institution of marriage played a vital role in promoting the moral health of the American republic, both by civilizing men and fostering a family environment where children were more likely to grow in virtue. They knew that the new republic’s commitment to liberty and limited government dependent in no small part on the capacity of American men and women to form and maintain families that fostered fidelity, hard work, self-control, and a measure of independence. They knew, in other words, that self-government begins at home.            Modern Americans, however, seem no longer to see as clearly the connections between our nation’s half-century retreat from marriage and dramatic declines in child welfare, as represented by marked increases in adolescent delinquency, depression, and suicide over this same period. They do not see how this retreat is implicated in unprecedented increases in the size and scope of the police state over the last half century-in, for instance, the prison-building boom of the past three decades, the responses of federal and state governments to the spiraling crime rates of the 1970’s and 1980’s. And they do not see that the poor and working classes have been hit hardest by the breakdown of marriage in America.            For the first time in history-not just American history but the history of known human society-people began to toy with the idea that children and marriage were really two discrete life phenomena. _______________ 1Cf. I. Boszormenyi-Nagy and G.M. Spark, Invisible Loyalties: Reciprocity in International Family Therapy (New York: Harper and Row, 1973. 2Cf. L.M. Spousel, ‘Spirituality and Family Resilience.’ Family and Focus 48 (2003): F5-F6, at F5: ‘Many parents have told me that it is their faith that allows them to persevere. They found relief when they acknowledged that they had done all they could do for their children and began to trust in a higher power. This process of â€Å"letting go†created hope and encouragement, not a sense of giving up. Families were able to bounce back and move on with their lives’ 3Ct. J.B. Merz, Zum Begriff der neuen Politschen Theologic 1967-1991 (Manz: Matthias-Grunewakl, 1997), 201. 4These unpublished data are derived from a panel study of women conducted between 1962 1980.Also see Thornton (1985). 5Otto, Rudolf, 1923. The Idea of the Holy. References: Boszormenyi-Nagy Spark, G.M. (1973). Invisible Loyalties: Reciprocity in            International Family Therapy (New York: Harper and Row. Merz, J.B (1997). Zum Begriff der neuen Politischen Theologic 1967-1997.            Manz:Matthias-Grunewakl., 201. Otto, Rudolf. (1923). The Idea of the Holy. Spousel, L.M. (2003). Spirituality and Family Resilience. Family Focus 48. Thornton, A. (1985). Changing Attitudes Toward Separation and Divorce:            Causes and Consequences†. American Journal of Sociology (Jan.) 856-872.
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