Burdur İlahiyat Dergisi

Öz

Religious groups, which have existed as a social reality in the socio-religious lives of societies throughout human history, appear as important sociological phenomena that somehow continue their existence in modern times. Based on the fact that structures, institutions, phenomena and systems that continue to function in human and social life can maintain their continuity, we can state that the impact of the individual and social functions of religious groups is of great importance in maintaining their existence and being preferred. It is seen that the functions of religious groups, to which individuals gravitate towards different expectations, are not limited to the religious field only in today's Türkiye, as in the historical process, but they carry out activities in many areas.
First of all, it would be appropriate to state that religious groups have the feature of opposing the main religious group and that they function as a protest movement and a new solution against some aspects of the current religious understanding, interpretation and practice. For some individuals, one of the most important functions of religious groups is to provide them with the intensity of religious feeling that they lack in the main religious group and to ensure that their religious lives are more disciplined.
On the other hand, the rapid social change experienced in Türkiye after 1950, In the face of factors such as unhealthy urbanization, rapid population growth, unplanned urbanization, unemployment, cultural and political instability, and identity crisis, which cause individuals to feel fear, anxiety and insecurity, especially in metropolises, people have turned to religious groups that they see as a safe haven. For some individuals who are becoming increasingly lonely in crowds, religious groups have become tools that will help them and support them when they are in trouble and alleviate their anxiety. In our country, religious groups, especially the congregations of modern times, have functioned as safe havens and solution centers with their cooperation and solidarity activities, and their visibility has increased in all areas of life.
Religious groups, have socially important functions as important economic formations by opening institutions such as schools, dormitories and hospitals. It is seen that the activities of these groups towards media and tourism have increased on the grounds that they will mediate religious services. Almost every group has media outlets such as magazines, newspapers, publishing houses, TV channels, websites and has a travel agencies.
Although religious groups have some positive functions in the social structure, their negative functions should also be mentioned. First of all, religious groups do not allow critical thinking by expecting unconditional obedience from their followers.This situation can lead to the formation of passive and satellite personalities of group members. Again, the understanding of unconditional obedience to the group or group leader may create troublesome situations in terms of state and social security. On the other hand, they can use the power they have in employment areas only for the benefit of their own group members, which creates satisfaction for the followers but damages the sense of justice in society.
As a result, the visibility and sphere of influence of religious groups increases day by day, and they continue their existence on the social ground, sometimes with positive and sometimes negative functions. When it comes to an important factor such as religion that affects individuals' attitudes and behaviors, the knowledge, religious education and practices produced in the name of religion are of great importance. In this context, we can state that the control of the information produced and transmitted through religious groups, as well as the auditability and control of the economic and social activities of these groups, stands out as a problematic area. This situation is of much greater importance, especially for a country like Türkiye, which has strategic importance in terms of geography, politics and religion.