Those who regularly attend religious services are twice as likely to describe themselves as “very happy” than those who never attend services. This startling statistic, found in a study conducted by The Austin Institute for the Study of Family and Culture demonstrates the power religion can have in creating happiness in a person’s life. All religions, whether the religion is Christianity, Islam, or Buddhism, preach a message which can instill values such as love and peace in people which can accordingly cause happiness. Religious believes can apply this happiness to ordinary life through business, as in the article “Faith at Work” by Russell Shorto, in which he examines the application of faith to the workplace, specifically at a Christian bank in Minnesota. I further evolve what he wrote in his article and argue that the application of religion to the workplace is a positive concept, as it can instill values of happiness and positivity in the workplace. However, I believe that only having Christian oriented businesses in the United States does not bring the benefits of religion to their full potential, as this ignores those who are not a member of the Christian faith. All in all, I believe that the usage of religion in the workplace, as shown in Russell Shorto’s “Faith at Work,” benefits society as it can create a positive workplace environment, a theory supported by numerous studies demonstrating the benefits of religion; however, I believe that society can use C Wright Mills’s sociological imagination to expand beyond the commonly accepted religion of Christianity and to incorporate other religions into the workplace, which could assist in reducing discrimination and create increasingly positive workplaces. In Russell Shorto’s article “Faith at Work,” Shorto describes one Christian bank in Minnesota, where the founder, Chuck Ripka, has created a positive workplace environment; I would argue that this demonstrates the positive effect that religion can have on the workplace.
…show more content…
In his article, Short describes the day to day operations of the bank, which include Ripka laying his hands on and praying with his customers (Shorto 516), a component integral to a Christian business, and he also describes the various effects that the Christianity has on the business and its customers. Ripka’s bank has positive effects on customers, as he “‘[gives] more grace’” to those who “are behind on payments (Shorto 522) than the average bank, obviously helping to enhance the lives of his customers. The Christianity behind the bank also has a positive effect on its employees, whether they profess Christianity or not; one employee, who did not associate with the Christian culture, still remarked that the bank was still a “‘wonderful’ place to work because ‘here the people are all nice—it’s a healthy environment” (Shorto 524). This description of the bank by an employee contrasts with the stereotypical description, or ideal type, of a bank: disconnected men who run the bank and who care almost nothing for their employees or their customers; I believe that the Christian aspect of Ripka’s bank allows his bank to escape this description. Although only looks at one example of a religiously based business, called a case study, I believe that it still has substantial relevance in that it shows that the involvement of religion in a business has a positive effect on the workplace and creates a workplace environment that exceeds one in a non-religiously based institution. In looking at a broader perspective, countless studies have shown a strong, perceptible correlation between religion and happiness; as a result, I would argue that there will also be a strong, perceptible correlation between involvement of religion in a business and the positivity of that business’s workplace environment. In addition to the aforementioned Austin Institute study, a National Institutes of Health study found that those who pray daily are 40% less likely to have high blood pressure, a Harvard University study found that 28% of people who attend religious services weekly describe themselves as extremely satisfied with their lives while less than 20% of those who did not attend services described themselves in this way, and Dr. Catherine Sanderson, a psychology professor specialising in positive psychology at Amherst University described religion as one of the few ways in which a person can truly achieve happiness. Although correlation obviously does not prove causation, countless studies have consistently shown a correlation between religion and
In his article, Short describes the day to day operations of the bank, which include Ripka laying his hands on and praying with his customers (Shorto 516), a component integral to a Christian business, and he also describes the various effects that the Christianity has on the business and its customers. Ripka’s bank has positive effects on customers, as he “‘[gives] more grace’” to those who “are behind on payments (Shorto 522) than the average bank, obviously helping to enhance the lives of his customers. The Christianity behind the bank also has a positive effect on its employees, whether they profess Christianity or not; one employee, who did not associate with the Christian culture, still remarked that the bank was still a “‘wonderful’ place to work because ‘here the people are all nice—it’s a healthy environment” (Shorto 524). This description of the bank by an employee contrasts with the stereotypical description, or ideal type, of a bank: disconnected men who run the bank and who care almost nothing for their employees or their customers; I believe that the Christian aspect of Ripka’s bank allows his bank to escape this description. Although only looks at one example of a religiously based business, called a case study, I believe that it still has substantial relevance in that it shows that the involvement of religion in a business has a positive effect on the workplace and creates a workplace environment that exceeds one in a non-religiously based institution. In looking at a broader perspective, countless studies have shown a strong, perceptible correlation between religion and happiness; as a result, I would argue that there will also be a strong, perceptible correlation between involvement of religion in a business and the positivity of that business’s workplace environment. In addition to the aforementioned Austin Institute study, a National Institutes of Health study found that those who pray daily are 40% less likely to have high blood pressure, a Harvard University study found that 28% of people who attend religious services weekly describe themselves as extremely satisfied with their lives while less than 20% of those who did not attend services described themselves in this way, and Dr. Catherine Sanderson, a psychology professor specialising in positive psychology at Amherst University described religion as one of the few ways in which a person can truly achieve happiness. Although correlation obviously does not prove causation, countless studies have consistently shown a correlation between religion and