This week in class one of the main subjects we read and talked about was about America’s religious landscape. Compared to the rest of world, America seems to be one of the most religious countries in terms of people who actually practice a religion and one of the most diverse in terms of the number of religions that are practiced here. However, while this appears to be the case on the outside, on the inside one needs to look at the actual numbers. 70.6% of people are Christians, 1.9% are Jewish, 0.9% are Muslim, 0.7% are Hindus, 0.7% are Buddhists, and Native American traditions are only 0.3% of the population. Then, there is 22.8% of the population who say they’re unaffiliated with any religion. Therefore in actuality, America is really not that diverse after all. America is however more diverse than it was back in the 70’s. (Chaves, Pg. 16) There has been growth in diversity from that time onward. (Chaves, Pg. 16) This is primarily due to immigration. (Chaves, Pg. 17) As for being a more religious country, compared to other countries like in Europe, for example, there are definitely more people who attend services and practice their faith. However, America is experiencing a decrease in both Catholics and Mainline Protestants while at the same time experiencing an increase in the unaffiliated group. (Pew Survey, 2014) This suggests that more people are turning away from organized religion. Therefore, while America still remains pretty religious, there is a downward trend occurring in the amount of people who are tied to an official religious group.
McGuire, ch. 1-3
In the first chapter of McGuire’s text, we learned that religion can play a massively important role in society. Sociologists of religion in the 1940s and 50s looked for religion in churches, but recently, they have begun to define religion more broadly. For example, they now focus on how cities or ethnic groups use religion as a form of identity and how secular symbols such as the Alamo can take on a quasi-religious feeling. Sociologists use two types of definitions in the course of their work: substantive definitions, which use a Western worldview and define more narrowly, and functional definitions, which define more broadly but may encapsulate more than was intended. Finally, sociologists study four aspects of religion: beliefs, ritual, experience, and community.
In McGuire’s second chapter, he lays out the framework for meaning and belonging in religious societies. An individual constructs a “meaning system,” or worldview, through which to interpret their past behavior and the behavior of others around them. Religious groups often help create and uphold this meaning system, especially when crisis strikes and the worldview needs to shift to accommodate new data. Dualism is especially prevalent in fundamentalist groups, sometimes leading to beliefs in millennialism and acpocalypticism.
Finally, in “The Individual’s Religion,” McGuire traces the religious socialization of a young person, who quickly learns to distinguish between “us” and “them.” They may turn away from religion as an adolescent, but often return to it by old age, when it creates meaning after work and hobbies have ceased. Throughout one’s life, one may choose to undertake the process of conversion, which involves being welcomed into a new religious group and undertaking its rituals. Much of the time, however, the person’s commitment does not last, and they disengage, reversing their conversion process. These main phases and rituals make up the individual’s religious life in conversation with their community.
“On Being Strangers in a Strange World”
In David Gushee’s article “On Being Strangers in a Strange World,” he addresses early in the article his opinion of three different types of “American Christians” and their views concerning the President of the United States. He continues to tell of the discourse in Trump’s actions as compared to those of Martin Luther King Jr., as well as the community Trump has created. He believes that “community” is not that of God and a Christian community, but one of something else which he does not find comfort in. The point of the article is to highlight the author’s understanding of how he feels about the new president, as a Christian. He ends his article telling the readers he will not be participating and watching the Inauguration, but he will be praying for the success of the president, despite who that is.
I thought this article related to our class discussion and the reading because of the different view points he defines at the beginning as well as his own approach. He highlights the importance of community, both religious and secular, in the success of a nation. His opinion as a Christian American is that Trump will lead us to a less Christian path and one that is not of Jesus. He has questioned both his identity and faith because of the president elect. However, he is finding meaning and peace in knowing that God is greater than Trump and it is in Him whom he must trust.
Increase of “Nones” Due to Politics
In Chapter 2 of Chaves’ book, “American Religion”, he discusses reasons for the accelerating number of people who would reply “none” when asked the question, “what is your religion?”. I found an article from NPR talking about the prayer leaders that Donald Trump has chosen to pray at his inauguration.
Among them, “an African-American megachurch leader from Detroit, a Florida woman known for her lavish lifestyle and preaching on “abundancy,” a rabbi from Los Angeles, and a Hispanic evangelical — as well as Franklin Graham (son of Billy Graham) and Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York.” This article got me thinking about how one of the reasons stated for the increase of “nones” is how people in the U.S. have seen the rise in political stands that their religion has taken and associated being part of that faith with those political views. They start to think that they don’t want to be like “them” (Gjelten, 2017). They don’t agree with those views and so more and more people decline to identify themselves with that certain religion.
I can understand this way of thinking as it is also one of the reasons for why I have distanced myself from the Catholic church and hesitate to call myself a Catholic. Religion and politics are becoming increasingly intertwined to the point that being part of a certain religion would mean people will stereotype you or have prejudice against you. Prejudice against Muslims, for example, and the attributions the media give to people who follow Islam. Religion is being used as a form of manipulation and political tool and can make people wary to align themselves with their faith.
Large Christian Majority in 115th Congress
I read an article from the Huffington Post titled “Incoming Congress Has A Bigger Christian Majority Than The American Public”. The article discusses the fact that the 115th Congress, sworn in a few weeks ago, is nearly 91% Christian (and disproportionately white and male). Representation of Protestants, Catholics, and Jews is greater than in the general public, but Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists are underrepresented. Religious “nones”, or people who do not affiliate with any religion, are also underrepresented in Congress. The misrepresentation and overall lack of religious diversity in our new Congress is concerning. Chaves mentions in Chapter 2 of American Religion that the United States is becoming increasingly more religiously diverse and is experiencing a long-term trend away from an overwhelmingly Protestant population. He also mentions that the number of Americans claiming a religion other than Christian or Jewish has doubled in the past 40 years, and the percentage of Americans that are Protestant has dropped by about 12%. The fact that our Congress is does not accurately reflect the United States’ religious diversity is disappointing. It will be interesting to see how this affects our nation’s religious minorities.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/incoming-congress-has-a-bigger-christian-majority-than-the-american-public_us_586beef3e4b0d9a5945cb162?section=us_religion
What Thomas Merton and Muhammad Ali Had in Common
The article What Thomas Merton and Muhammad Ali Had in Common by Lonnie Ali was published January 17th, 2017 by the New York Times. I had never heard of Thomas Merton before I read this article so just in case others are in the same boat as me, Merton was a Catholic monk, writer, social activist, and more. Throughout this article written by Ali’s wife, Lonnie, she speaks of the similarities between Merton and her late husband, commencing with a short paragraph detailing that in 2008, the intersection between Muhammed Ali Boulevard and Fourth Street (in Louisville Kentucky) would now be home to Thomas Merton Square. Lonnie goes on to describe the like-mindedness of these two characters, writing “[b]ut by the 1960s, their voices in support of peace and justice began to merge. Both men had been shaken from their respective sanctuaries of literary and athletic attainment by the harsh realities of a nation deeply divided by war, race and social inequality.” This portion of the article did a great job in showing that people of all backgrounds and walks of life can come together with the same message of peace for our nation. Lonnie also touched on the similarities between what Ali and Morton were fighting for then and what the people in our current-day divided nation are fighting for now, “[a]s America stands divided once again in the aftermath of a polarizing election, we would do well to follow the example of Thomas Merton and Muhammad Ali in their approach to diversity, pluralism and faith. Regardless of our differences, we share a common humanity, something that will always bind us to each other.”
“Trump Has Me Searching for a New Religion”
The article I read, “Trump Has me Searching for a New Religion”, written by Garrison Keillor at first seems too sarcastic to take into consideration. He despises Trump and his embarrassing behaviors, empty promises, and ideas of destruction. However, reading further into his article it became relevant to our course. He offers the idea that social change regarding religion may change drastically within the next four years because of Trumps presidency.
What caught my attention to the relevancy of this article is when Keillor stated “Too many of my fellow Christians voted for selfishness and for degradation of the beautiful world God created…. I’m looking around for other options”. I have not thought about this perspective until I came across this article. I think this article ties in with our reading for the week because with Trump wanting to have stricter immigration laws or how he imposes suspicion on Muslims, it will create a generally less diverse or culturally enriched religious belief system throughout the country. I think a lot of people have or are loosing hope which could lead to two different ideas. I think people could lose their belief in a God (this was God’s world, why would he let one man destroy it) or more people will want to believe in a God and pray that Trump will not destroy the world. Either way it will cause a social change. Many people are faced with frustration, anxiety, and uncertainty of our future; people will turn to a higher Being for hope and relief.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-has-me-searching-for-a-new-religion/2017/01/17/361d575e-dcf0-11e6-ad42-f3375f271c9c_story.html?utm_term=.472191ab53cf
Religious Progress for Women
Looking at many of the religions of the world, it is a common theme that women are often at the bottom of the totem pole, especially in religions practiced in the Middle East. In society today, it is a normal debate between religious norms and the new wave movements of feminism and within the LGBT community. Within the last few months, maybe even years, these norms have been changed, especially with the recognition of the legality in same-sex marriages. Within the last week, another landmark change was recognized across seas as feminist protests in Israel proved beneficial when, on January 12th, the high courts agreed to allow women the right to read from the Torah and the Western Wall, stated that if there wasn’t a good enough case against women within the religious practice, they would be officially recognized, and religious bodies would be legally forced to recognize them, within religious services. Prior to this ruling, women were barred from possessing any religious materials, from a Torah to a prayer shawl, and were often searched to prevent this which across the world was seen as a discrimination against sexes in the practice of something that welcomes everyone; religion. Religious freedom and the ability of anyone to practice religion is a common issue, and the fact that the Jewish high courts didn’t ask women to defend their rights to practice freely but rather questioned the government and asked them to defend why women shouldn’t have these rights is a step in the right direction toward religious freedom, especially for the groups that have been fighting this issue for years; the Women of the Wall and the Original Women of the Wall organizations.
http://www.worldreligionnews.com/religion-news/women-win-landmark-case-prayer-western-wall
Morgan Freeman Explores What Unites The World’s Religions In ‘The Story Of God’
In this article from Huffington Post, the author, Antonia Blumberg, talks about a popular TV show on National Geographic, hosted by Morgan Freeman. As the most watched TV show on National Geographic, it has a large audience and is widely popular. Freeman travels around the world, meeting with people of all faiths, and tries to understand the religious concepts unique to various religions. What makes this show so successfull, however, is not because it pits two religions against eachother, or even that it discriminates against certain religions or condemns certain aspects of faith. It is so successful because it brings a multitude of different religions together, and shows the similarities instead of the differences. Each person Freeman interviews talks about how important religion is to the structure of his or her life. He explores how each religion promotes community and good deeds, and how each person feels a sense of belonging thanks to his or her respective religion.
This relates to last class’s topic of “religion as meaning and belonging” because Freeman focuses on the similarities of each person he interviews, and one thing they all have in common is a sense of belonging within their religious community. In the movie we watched last class, the two people being interviewed practiced different religions, but they both talked about the importance of religion in their life and how their religious community gives them a sense of belonging. Although religions may differ from one another, the aspect of providing a community and sense of belonging does not.
Does religion choose you or do you choose religion?
When I was a senior in high school I was often told that my college years where going to be ones in which I will grow into the adult I want to become. Now that I am here and embarking on my second year I could not have agreed more. Religious affiliation and belonging to a religious institution like many of my classmates has been a monumental aspect of my upbringing. I was taught what God thought was right and what was wrong and how I should always go to church. Religion is so intertwined with my Hispanic culture and my family that it feels like a sin when I question it. Coming to college gives me space from the expectations of my parent’s and family to really choose which religion if any I would like to practice.
In Chapter three of McGuire’s “Religion The Social Context” the author describes “individual self-identity [a]s more eclectic …constructed from a wide range of culturally available options (53). Reading this really affirmed my idea that an individual’s identity is not concrete but rather always evolving from personal experiences. I have always felt embarrassed to question my faith, but reading this section and hearing my classmate’s experiences have reassured me that I am not the only one trying to find myself. So with this I would like to leave the class with a question that I have been thinking about since the discussion. Does religion choose you or do you choose religion?