This week in class we presented our second congregational visit oral reports. This time people had visited sectarian churches instead of denominational ones. It was interesting to hear what other people had to say about their experiences. A number of my fellow students ended up visiting these really evangelical places that believe that if one doesn’t believe in God, they’re going to hell. Two or three of these places also stressed the “end of days” and how it’s practically upon us. Most of the students who went to these places said that those places were kind of intense, as well a little weird and awkward. However, some other students went to places that really weren’t like that. The churches they went to were just more hip and modern than your average church. Then there was one student who went to a Jehovah’s Witnesses service. She said that was definitely an interesting experience.

The other thing that happened this week was that our teacher has us go to this symposium he was giving talk at instead of having regular class. He ended up giving a talk about Catholic Workers and social activism in modern times. It was about these people who identify as Catholic, but aren’t traditional Catholics like the ones people usually think of. These people are more separate from the official Catholic Church and they are major social activists for a number of different things. The teacher then talked about some of work they’ve done, including helping the homeless in LA and having a soup kitchen. Also, while they may not be mainstream Catholics, they still hold their own services and practice their faith. In the end, this clearly demonstrates how these days people are taking religion more into their own hands and are trying to use it in the way they think is best in order to help the world.

Today’s class was particularly exciting both because the symposium provided a delicious (and free) lunch, and that I was able to listen to three very thought provoking presentations on topics I haven’t thought too much about previously. The first presenter’s story was inspiring, as I myself have a tendency to dream too big for reality. But in this case, this woman was able to pull off a local festival dedicated to improving awareness about local health. Through the power of conversation and dedication, she was able to mobilize our community into making strive towards change, and spread the importance of taking care of your emotional health. I was inspired by the woman’s ability to overcome her fear for the sake of accomplishing something that is truly important.

Dr. Spickard presented on the concept of sustaining our lives in the difficult world that we live in, with a particular emphasis on spiritual narratives in Catholic workers. It is always difficult to see images of Skid Row, and to hear statistics about the astronomical issues surrounding homelessness. However, it was uplifting to learn about the crafty ways that some religious folk, who are relentlessly dedicated to world peace, worked to improve the lives of the homeless. Hearing stories of volunteers going to court to prevent shopping carts from being taken away, working the system to keep Port-a-Pottys available, and making and blessing soup with a community to hand out for free was comforting. Sociologically speaking, I learned about the steadfast identity of most Catholics from their personal perspectives. It seemed to be a theme that whether or not these individuals liked it or not, they were tremendously firm in their identity as a Roman Catholic, and said that it made them who they are as a person.

This week, we saw a presentation by Professor Spickard about Skidrow and the Los Angeles Catholic Workers. This presentation really opened my eyes to what religion can do in society. Too often, I see religious people not practicing what they preach. A lot of people pick and choose what they want to believe out of this holy scriptures and some use it as ammunition to oppress groups of people. The Los Angeles Catholic Workers do the opposite, they help those who can’t help themselves. They do it in the name of God, but they also feel that God acts through humans. To see some of the amazing work that they have done to change the lives of thousands of people that the rest of society just seems to forget about. I call this active religion, it’s not just going to church and trying to create a personal relationship to God. They create solutions to real world problems and actually make an impact on these people. No one is giving them award for doing these deeds, they just feel the pull to help. I personally don’t think that enough people go out of their way to help other people. One of the only quotes I know from the Bible is “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” and this is a concept more people need to internalize to make the world better for everyone, not just for one individual. The Los Angeles Catholic Workers embody what I believe active religion could create in the world, a more loving and caring place for everyone.

The Rock Church identifies as a non-denominational, sectarian, Pentecostal Protestant congregation. Located in San Bernardino, the members of this congregation make up a diverse community which reflects the demographics of the area. This church isn’t your usual, traditional sectarian church. On the contrary, it is a sectarian church that has adopted modern methods of worship and service. The church’s venue is actually in a theater with a stage and gigantic television screens. They use live, church rock music to open up the service. They have embraced the use of advanced technologies to better engage and attract its members. Although very modern, it still held characteristics of traditional sectarian beliefs. These included looking to the Bible to solve life’s problems, believing in the Bible in a very literal sense, and believing in heaven or hell after death. Additionally, because this congregation identifies as Pentecostal Protestant, it means that they have a special connection to God through being saved by the Holy Spirit. They believe being “born again” is the only way to salvation. In my paper about this congregation I outlined 5 concepts that I observed and studied in my readings for class. These included the use of advanced technology, the diversity, the group’s meaning system, theodicies, and the belief in salvation through being “born again”.

With one of the articles that we read this week, Religion and Spirituality, by Zimbauer, the individuality and variety of different religious and spiritual interpretations were explored. Zimbauer presented his study in such a way that focused on statistics found by his team’s research. The study found what is more understood today–the vagueness of similarities and differences between spirituality and religiousness. In an attempt to understand what distinguishes spirituality and religiousness, the study found that it is a nearly impossible task. Due to the varying personal experiences and interpretations of spirituality and religiousness, it is hard to categorize individual experiences.

After visiting a sectarian congregations for our second congregation visit, the differences between religious interpretations between different groups–even if they are part of the same major religion. I was struck by how different the sermons were. The sermon from the progressive christian group was uplifting, and focused much of its attention to themes of social justice and the lives, history, and meaning we can take from many influential African Americans in honor of Black History Month. Through the entire service, only one reading was done read from the bible, simply being a parable to interpret in different ways. The service that I attended this last Wednesday was very different. From the start of the service, I cam to an understanding that this congregation and its pastor truly believed in an inerrant bible. Different interpretations of the same bible and teachings found within the text just further prove the complexity and problematic aspects of attempting to categorize a highly individualized experience.

This weeks class focused on religion and individualism. The two articles I read for this week were Gospel Hour by Thumma and Reproducing Ethnicity by Ebaugh. Both of these articles presented a safe space for marginalized groups to practice religion. Gospel Hour examined a bar in Atlanta where LGBTQ could freely worship while Reproducing Ethnicity presented multiple case studies where immigrants could find community within church spaces. Religious centers (conventional or not) provide a safe space for people to not only worship but also express their own culture. Religion’s function in society is more than an expression of one’s faith. Expression of culture or identity play into where people choose to worship. Both of these articles present how individual identity is a factor in religiosity of the religious landscape today.

This week I went on my congregation visit to the sectarian church, Redlands Christian Center. As Jeena pointed out, it was very reminiscent of the film “Born Again”. One of the most prominent parallels was the congregations focus on literally being born again. The church emphasized that they only way to salvation is to accept Jesus into one’s own life with this church. Overall, this church visit was unlike any other I have attended, and it gave me a in-person experience of a sectarian church.

Throughout the past several weeks of class, my understanding of secularism has broadened.  I have realized that a secular America does not simply refer to a country that is losing religious prevelance. Rather, there are many different theories on secularism– most which are quite complex. We have also read and discussed in class the tie between politics and religion, and how the pews have become increasingly conservative in both their political affiliation and their interpretation of scripture.

For Wednesday, I read Caitlin Killian’s discussion on legislation in France that bans religious symbols in certain public spaces. Killian explained the different arguments for and against these religious restrictions, and studied how different demographics feel about said restrictions. Although the author did not conclude if the laicite was right or wrong, she did explain how the reasons for the government’s forced secularization has political foundations. As Islamophobia is unfortunately on the rise, some people support the banning of religious symbols as a way to prevent the visibility of Islam. Some support the ban because they haven’t really seen religious symbols much in their daily life, so they wouldn’t notice much of a difference. Killian also explains that some people believe that the laicite will take pressure off of Muslim girls who are forced to veil, or will be threatened if they don’t. Of course, some of these claims could be justification for underlying religious discrimination.

The political views associated with secularism legislation in France vary on demographic, most specifically with generation. After reading Killian’s report, I now understand the close tie between secularism and politics, and how its presence varies form country to country.

This week there were multiple presentations and readings on the religious landscape. Some articles that were read had a focus on religion within the direct society and its importance or lack thereof. In other articles there was an emphasis on theory and the theorists who helped develop the sociology of religion. The theorists where not all specifically sociologist, but rather applied their ideas to the realm of sociology. In this way we are able to look at religion and its importance from the view point of those like Marx.

McGuire’s reading on religion and the individual was the most interesting to me. I had the same questions that she presented: is religion itself on the decline or is the way people practice different than traditional ways, therefore there isn’t a way to measure it as easily as before. After talking to people and taking multiple religion classes, this is what I think it happening. Religion is not declining, but the way that people practice is. People are becoming frustrated with the idea that “one size fits all,” therefore they are making religion their own and practicing it in a way that helps them to get closer to a higher being.

This week in class we presented different examples from readings we read about how religion can be tailored more towards an individual or more towards a particular community. We also talked about why certain people and groups would find these certain things appealing. One reading talked about how different immigrant groups tailor religion to feel more like home. (Ebaugh, Pg. 80) They model the buildings they use after ones from their home countries, they celebrate traditional holidays, and they serve traditional food. (Ebaugh, Pg. 81, 84-85, 87-89) They use religion as a way to gather together as a community with similar backgrounds in order to hold onto parts of home while still trying to transition into a new life in a new country. (Ebaugh, Pg. 80) This is an example of tailoring at the community level. However, tailoring religion at the individual level can also include tailoring it to the community level as well. One of my groups presented on a reading about a gay bar in Atlanta that does “Gospel Hour.” (Gray and Thumma, Pg. 79) Drag queens who do shows there come out and sing gospel music and some people find that very powerful. (Gray and Thumma, Pg. 79-81) In this case, this was a place where religion and homosexuality could come together under one roof. This was important for men who were religious but needed a place where they could practice their faith, be accepted, and not be stigmatized by other Christians who think homosexuality is a sin and that homosexuals can’t be Christian because of this. (Gray and Thumma, Pg. 81, 89-90) This example demonstrates how religion can be both tailored for the individuals as well as the community as a whole. This is all important in the end because it reveals peoples’ mindsets and how they can use religion creatively to get the most out of it.      

This week I read Reproducing Ethnicity by Helen Rose Ebaugh and Janet Saltzman Chafetz. This article talks about how immigrant religious institutions provide a safe space  which those who share the same traditions, customs and languages can come together. As immigrants adapt to the new culture of their surrounds, it helps to have little bits of tradition to help you feel grounded. It made me think about how I felt when I first came to the University of Redlands and although everyone was still speaking the same language around me, it was still a new environment. I had never moved before so it was a big step for me. I had to try and bring little pieces of home to make myself feel more comfortable. I imagine that finding that community within the church makes the transition easier. In many religions a home alter is a piece of the ritual so creating that space were someone can be with God in their own home, helps the transition. Another point the article made was the community immigrants find in the church also makes it easier to share these customs with their children. The rituals that are conducted at churches contribute to reproducing ethnic customs that are particular to different ethic groups. Food was one custom that was talked about in depth. Food can remind people of the past and where they came from and teaching the children to cook ethnic food brings them closer to their ethnic traditions. Immigrants find homes within the religious communities to keep their traditions alive.