1. How can we create an ethical relationship between religion and business so that they may cooperate towards a more sustainable and respectful development of life?
It is very difficult to say that religion and business will change the view of an economy looking for sustainability, because there are other factors influencing such a type of economy nowadays. What is very important is to take into account that this system is not sustainable in the sense that we produce and waste in a linear process, considering the world as infinite, but it should be like a cycle, so we produce, waste and recycle, having a better understanding of this finite world.
However, I would do the excercise of gathering certain "features" of different religions that care about resources and the way of wasting them, while taking the working abilities and desires from others, so we can create an equilibrium with them, developing that way a "sustainable and respectful development of life".
2. Can you imagine a world without religion where everyone would be trying to get inmediate satisfaction to ther individual needs?
It is well said that this world we live nowadays follows a "new religion" which is Capitalism, where everyone try to get inmediate satisfaction to their individual needs, even though these needs are not satisfied: every time people look for more and more, because that is the idea of this economic system: spend and waste, and to achieve this it was necessary to create needs.
On the other hand, I can not imagine a world without religion, because those religious beliefs are necessary for people to move on in the society. I mean, it is really hard to think about a world where people try to get their individual needs, because it will simply not be sustainable. People with selfish interests would create a struggle for power, which at the end would cause an imbalance between them. For me, this is what is happening now: a crescent tendency to think about oneself, without any care for the others.
3. Religion can create networks of trust and familiarity that facilitate economic transactions. Can you name other positive aspects of this relationship?
- Same as culture, it creates a sense of belonging to a particular group of people.
- It can create good attitudes towards work.
- It can create sets of values enhancing community creation.
- Some religions can boost economies by their beliefs regarding work and production.
- Some religions can bring the economic system good relationships with animals and living creatures, which stimulates respect for earth and resources.
- Sense of dignity and respect for people.
4. Do you think that stereotyping based on religion has been influenced by economic or political interests, why, whose? What is the role of the media in this issue?
I think that both religion and economic/political interests influence each other and create stereotypes. In that sense, interests can influence religion to be according to the ongoing trend of comsumption and waste. That is why religions have become a business for many people, and actually that business is really profitable.
On the other hand, Religion influences economic/political interests when for example, a state is guided by some precepts according to religious beliefs in the country, which at the end shape the economic or political system of a country, people's way of acting, perceptions, and creates stereotypes, which at the end can boost or stagnate systems.
The role of Media there is that it acts as the way to intercede for economic/political interests of the most powerful, and can manipulate opinions, but also can be manipulated by certain ideas. Media is the motor moving ideas, perceptions, interests of people around the world.
