The Value of Belongingness in Relation to Religious Belief, Institutionalized Religion, Moral Judgement and Solidarity

Abstract

Although religious belief represents the main reason people belong or do not belong to a specific church or religious society, it is not always the only reason, and increasingly there are other factors that affect this belonging. These factors include the attitude toward institutionalized religion, and a preference for the value of belongingness plays an important role as well. Both of these factors are also influenced by the wider context of personal attitudes to morality and solidarity. In our research, we assumed that the value of belongingness is a cornerstone that, in specific ways, binds all the other mentioned factors, and is likewise related to religious belief. To confirm this assumption, we conducted research using a widespread cross-sectional survey. In total, we received data from 5175 respondents (2204 men, 2957 women, and 16 of another gender). The data were collected in the Czech Republic, which can be considered a country with a wide spectrum of different religious beliefs. All hypothetical assumptions were confirmed as statistically significant, and the analysis of the inner structure of these relationships showed their complexity. Because of the high complexity of the examined phenomena, only the main findings are discussed in this paper. Our conclusions confirm the increasing number of people for whom belonging is more important or takes precedence over religious belief. These conclusions led us to several recommendations for religious institutions or societies.