Dear Shahida:

I can recommend t wo related publications:

Article Food beliefs and food supply chains: The impact of religion ...

https://s.giannini.ucop.edu/uploads/giannini_public/aa/b1/aab113bb-0eda-4d6f-82f1-9e4e40b9a586/v8n2_4.pdf

Minton, E. et al. (2015). “Religion and motives for sustainable behaviors: A cross-cultural comparison and contrast”. Journal of Business Research 68(9): 1937–1944.

Soft skills comprise communication skills, interpersonal skills, listening skills, empathy and time management. A religious studies education empowers individuals and prepares them to deal with complexity, diversity, and change. It provides a wide-ranging knowledge of the vast world (e.g., science, culture, and society). Religious studies help a student to develop a sense of social responsibility. The student gains strong intellectual and practical skills such as communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills. The student acquires the ability to apply knowledge and skills in real-world settings.

Religious studies can help a person/student to gain the following skills:

• make him/her capable of asking and answering complicated questions through the use of sophisticated research techniques
• he/she gets the ability to organize and critically analyze various types of information drawn from a wide array of sources
• he/she can consider multiple interpretations and varying narrative perspectives
• he/she becomes able to produce high-quality written reports of his/her findings and interpretations
• he/she can orally report and discuss results.

Thank you Shahida,

I am not sure if I am qualified to answer your question, but as one that enjoys the stretching of my thought process, and understanding of religious concepts, perhaps my thoughts can be of some benefit.

From your initial question, it appears that you would like to be able to quantify how religious studies can benefit or increase soft skills or at least how they can influence them. In your further explanation you describe what these soft skills appear to be. (Based on acclaimed religious researchers.) Concluding with what I consider to be the desired results of your question. "How this information, once identified and taught can play an important role in the successful economic growth and development of a people or society."

Recently, I was doing some basic research on Soft skills, which prompted me to consider answering your question, specifically as it relates to its importance in leadership development. There are many statistics that support the idea that soft skills are critical to any leaders success. It also identifies that the lack of these skills is the reason most individuals are fired from or quit their jobs.

You may wonder why this subject does not raise to the top of the list of skills that need to be addressed in any society. Unfortunately, in my opinion, too many cultures focus on performance based outcomes above anything else. This has almost become the Holy Grail that everyone seeks to attain. Higher education, more degrees, more knowledge. All of these things are fundamental to achieving great results. We must continue to learn and become better and more efficient. Once they have attained this, they think everything will go smoothly, only to find out that they cannot work with those around them.

My understanding of soft skills and the reason they are related to religious studies is that the essence of soft skills is respect of all life, directed toward the idea of trust. Without religion, or having respect for our creator and His creation, we would all be a self serving society and only care about ourselves. Religion illuminates and enlightens our understanding and appreciation of all of His creation not just the human population. This includes our environment, and all of the known kingdoms. Which are a part of His creation and design. Our study and research, education if you will, simply enhances our understanding of our creator. Being able to quantify soft skills, in my understanding, would require the identification of the results of people that take these religious classes and learn respect for human life. (Not all religions agree to respect human life but only those of their own religion.) Observing people that have these skills would be a place to start.

Humbly submitted.

I fully agree with this. The traditional view of orthodox religions or other orthodox spiritual practices is that devils and demons exist because they, too, guard the universe's natural laws, and it's just that they use cruel methods due to their lacking compassion.

I think this is a worthwhile study if we compare the modern "religion" of the evolutionary Big Bang, which is the only one of all belief systems that doesn't value any of these traits you mention, such as loyalty, honesty, integrity, kindness, compassion, self-control, patience, enduring, forbearing, respect and love for family, friendships, etc.

Since today, we can certainly say that we have given this new virtue-less view of our world a good "go" for at least a measurable time period and affected change in society from it, perhaps it is a good time for this very suggested study so that we can compare the way our lives are now versus the way our lives were, but each defined through the lenses of the people at the time; we can measure our success based on the total amount of people who feel they live meaningful, balanced lives with purpose. Once we rationally compare the pros and cons of both approaches, we can review which we should take in the future. If we continue, we'll know for sure it's correct (or at least we'll be a lot more sure than we are now). If we find that there actually is some benefit to human virtues, then we can switch back to that.

Personally, I think those promoting the Big Bang are indeed promoting the truth, so they can put their hearts into convincing you of that - and even build ethics around it. But I think it's the end; that will be the beginning of the society that comes right after this one we are in now. So yea, they're speaking the truth, and it is the beginning....sorta.... but ouch, that sure is cruel.