Influence of Religion on Developing Societies Research Paper - 1

Influence of Religion on Developing Societies - Research Paper Example Research has shown that one of the most significant contributions that any religion makes to societal development is by playing its role as a means of enforcing morality to society members. In societies where there is a prevalent belief in God and a substantial number of the members of society are religious, the moral value of integrity is also prevalent. As such, the resources in such societies are more likely to be fairly distributed to all members of society; this is because those who are in charge of the distribution of resources work with integrity. In a society that is prevalently religious, members of such societies are less likely to be distrustful of firms/companies’ ethics since such companies also have ‘religious’ employees who share similar moral values. While this may be a quite naà ¯ve outlook, such trust may also create a suitable business environment, which enhances development in a society.In his book ‘The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism’, Max Weber advances the idea that the work ethics that were instilled to European societies during and after the Protestant Reformation in the church played a major role in the development of capitalist ideals, which led to the rapid economic development in Europe and America. According to Weber, the Reformation emphasized moral values, such as hard work, austerity, frugality, and loyalty to interests of the group. These values, according to Weber, were the cornerstone of capitalism, which led to intensified economic development.