Religious System. The means for pro

Religious System. The means for providing meaning and motivation beyond the material aspects of life, that is, the spiritual side of a culture or its approach to the supernatural. This transcending system may lift a people to great heights of accomplishment, as is witnessed in the pyramids of Egypt and the Renaissance of Europe. It is possible to project the history and future of India, for instance, in terms of the impact of its belief in reincarnation, which is enshrined in its major religion. Diverse national cultures can be somewhat unified under a shared religious belief in Islam or Christianity, for example. In some countries, Islam is becoming the basis for governance, legal, and political systems. In others, religion dominates legal and political systems, such as Judaism in Israel or Roman Catholicism in the Republic of Ireland. The influence of religion is culturally weakening in some states, as with Roman Catholicism in France and Lutheranism in Sweden. Religion can also be a source of divisiveness and conflict in society; for example, Northern Ireland, the former Yugoslavia (especially Bosnia and Kosovo), and Africa (including Algeria and Rwanda). Unfortunately, history demonstrates that in the name of religion, zealots and extremists may engage in culturally repressive behavior, such as religious persecutions, ethnic cleansing, terrorism of nonbelievers, and even "holy" wars.