The article discusses the decision of Pope Francis to give priests the permission to forgive what was once thought of as a “moral evil”. Forgiving abortion is one of several acts of forgiveness that have taken part in forgiveness year which ended in November 2016. Pope Francis is very well known for the radical changes he has made as Pope. As seen in his year of forgiveness he is more open about once taboo topics like divorce and homosexuality. Before priests were allowed to forgive woman for having abortion they were excommunicated from the church. It was only in the power of a bishop to forgive her and welcome her back in the community. In the text of McGuire, the first chapter discusses how the religious views of people are always changing through time. Pope Francis is taking a positive step in this direction as the act of forgiving abortions is allowing many women to come back to a community they may feel is important to them. The fact that he is a Pope who really wants people “to be forgiven and feel forgiven”, really shows what a drastic change. Even religions that one may not believe can change really can.

The article “Bishop ‘distressed’ by row following Qur’an reading at cathedral” by Harriet Sherwood was published by thegurdian in Jan. 15th.

As a part of efforts to build relationships between Christians and Muslims, the local Muslim student read the Qur’an in the cathedral. However, the former priest didn’t like that idea. He said that it’s important for people to learn what other people believe, and for that reason it is okay to read the Qur’an for themselves. However it is not same, and is not appropriate, to read it  in the church as public worship. The cathedral was targeted to be offensive opinions on social media.

This reminds me of what Chaves talks about in American Religion(although this news is in Scotland). People started to be able to “appreciate” other’s religion. But I feel like that doesn’t necessary mean people can accept what other’s believe. For example, in this case, Qur’an and bible has different interpretation for Jesus.  I don’t think neither religion can agree nor reach consensus about that. And not everyone can accept that difference. In this case, I think the former priest thought it is inappropriate to read Qur’an in church because it’s wrong(in Qur’an Jesus is prophet, not son of God).

It also reminds me of Gren (the second guy) in the video “Separate realities” because I feel like he thinks that believing in Jesus is only right thing.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jan/15/st-marys-cathedral-glasgow-quran-reading-david-chillingworth

The news article that intrigued me is titled, “Nebraska Targets Ban on Religious Garb Worn by Teachers.” It struck a cord with me because it is an example of religious controversy. The article talks about a 1919 law that was passed by the KKK. This law is still intact in two states, Nebraska being one of them. I found sympathy for the woman who was unable to get a job due to her religious attire, because religion is a personal experience and she should have the right as an American to express her religion as she wishes. In the book we are reading for class, “American Religion” by Mark Chaves, there is a focus in chapter two about how these days there is a greater tolerance for religious diversity and traditions. In a certain sense, I can understand the root of where this statement comes from, because we live in a world where it is embraced to form your own beliefs. To a certain extent though, human beings will always be judgmental and intolerant because its inherent to society. This article is meant to bring awareness to the fact that a law which is now an irrelevant law, needs to disappear so that religious diversity can be embraced. I enjoyed reading this article because it opened my eyes to an issue I didn’t know was at hand. I am well aware of the intolerance of people but I didn’t realize that such old and trivial laws could still be in place.

Link to article: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2017/01/17/us/ap-us-xgr-religious-garb.html?_r=0

An article in The Washington Post by Garrison Keillor explains that Donald Trump’s presidency has encouraged him to find a new religion. The author is extremely against President-Elect Donald Trump, and seems to be having trouble with his current religion (Christianity), as many of his Christian friends voted for Mr. Trump.

Although the article seems rather satirical, it raises a good point, which is something that we have been discussing in class: when things go wrong, many people turn to religion to find a way to make it better. As we saw in the film on Monday, Glenn was very adamant about spreading his religion to those who were “lost” and needed to be “saved”, and Susie was just confused about what she was supposed to do with her connection with God. Many people in society turn to religion as a way to find answers to their questions and to ease their hardships. Keillor is confused about what he needs and seems to be having an identity crisis much like Glenn and Susie had, and many Americans are probably having now as well. Keillor needs a new religion to begin to feel OK with what is about to happen to the country. Many things are uncertain for President-Elect Donald Trump’s time in office, which is unsettling, and it would make sense for citizens to turn to a higher power to give them strength and an answer to the problem. Donald Trump’s soon-to-be presidency will also cause a lot of unrest throughout the world, and it can be expected that many people turn to different ways to deal with it.

The article, Blaming Policy, Not Islam, For Belgium’s Radicalized Youth by Steven Erlanger was  published by the New York Times in April of 2016. Much of news today consists of blaming “radicalized Islam” for the terrorist attacks around the world. However, this article gives a refreshing view, stating that it is the social and urban policies that are affecting a radicalized population of youth, and not Islam. Erlanger attributes the “radicalization” to  lack of diversity in the ghettos where immigrant populations are resettled in, in Belgium. The immigrant Muslim population has replaced the Jewish population in these ghettos, and it is effecting the diversity, education, and exposure to different cultures that Muslim immigrant youth need in order to thrive. Mr. Goldstein, the chief of staff for the minister-president of the Brussels Capital Region ends the article with the quote, “our society gives these youth a bad idea of who and what they are”. Instead of blaming Islamic ideology for “radicalized youth”, poor urban structures and planning need to be changed to create an equal opportunity to the Islamic youth of Belgium.

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/08/world/europe/belgium-brussels-islam-radicalization.html?smprod=nytcore-ipad&smid=nytcore-ipad-share&_r=0

In an article posted by Corey Barnett on the website World Religion News, the inspiring actions of a young Iraqi Muslim man are highlighted. While visiting one of the Christian churches in Mosul that was destroyed by ISIS, Marwan was struck by the horrific site left behind by the terrorists. To show solidarity and support of persecuted Christians in Iraq–among other places–Marwan built a makeshift cross out of metal scraps that remained among the debris of the destroyed church. Marwan wanted to be sure to spread his support and the message that ISIS does not represent Islam at all, and their actions are un-Islamic. With so much fear and violence rampant in the world, Marwan wanted to be sure that his love and support of people of all religiosities was spread; he denounced the violence of ISIS and their destruction of “the signs and the icons of his Christian friends, his Christian compatriots, his Christian neighbors.” by displaying the cross he made with the reclaimed debris. To spread this message even further, a video depicting Marwan’s act of solidarity was posted to Instagram by the Preemptive Love Coalition, a charity organization based in Iraq (Barnett, World Religion News, 1/17/17). In times of violence and unrest, acts of solidarity and compassion such as Marwan’s are ways to fight against terrorism perpetuated by ISIS whose actions do not portray true Islamic beliefs.

“Does America have a religion? For the answer, look to Walt Whitman” by Anthony T. Kronman

While creating unity through groups, religion in America most commonly divides us. When concentrated, beliefs grow stronger. Finding a common ground with those who share different morals and values than our own becomes harder and compromise seems impossible. We, as a country, have found ways to neutralize this as much as possible through separation, such as the separation of the church and state. However, instead of separating and losing hope because of differences and individuality, some believe we as a nation can grow stronger by uniting under one idea. In, “Does America have a religion? For the answer, look to Walt Whitman”, Anthony T. Kronman analyzes Walt Whitman’s, “Democratic Vistas” which expands on the idea of America being “held together by the common spiritual ideal” of emphasizing individuality.  Whitman describes each human as divine and that each one of us “ are all expressions of the one everlasting God of the world”. Because we each have different backgrounds, personalities, and stories, we all become an integral part of this world. He describes the word “God” and the word “world” as being two different words with the same meaning. Whitman understands that not all Americans will follow this way of thinking, but he believes that regardless of previous beliefs, it would unite us as “One nation under God”. Although I understand the importance of a nation united under a common belief or idea, I do think that if we strip of a person of their religious/spiritual or non-religious/spiritual identity and replace it with a national identity, we would be ruining the idea of cultivating unity through individuality. Maybe unity could be created through a different aspect of a citizen’s life, but asking to replace personal values with a national value to preserve individuality is unintentionally stripping everyone’s individuality away.

While Pope Francis was traveling from Rome from Sweden, he met with Lutheran Archbishop Antje Jackelen of Uppsala, a woman and the primate of the Church of Sweden.

On the plane, a Swedish journalist referenced the archbishop and asked the pope whether women might be able to serve as Catholic priests in coming decades. “On the ordination of women in the Catholic church, the last word is clear,” Francis said, citing Pope John Paul II’s 1994 letter banning women from the priesthood. “It was given by St. John Paul II and this remains.” Francis had made a statement before in 2013 declaring that women could never become priests.

For some traditional Catholics, these statements are likely a relief, yet 6 in 10 American Catholics think the church should allow women to become priests, according to a 2015 Pew Survey. This came to me as no surprise after reading Chaves’ book “American Religion.” In it, he describes that there is a decline of belief in the Bible’s literal truth. He also says that no traditional religious belief or practice has increased in recent decades. The belief that all priests must be men is a very traditional and literal view of Christianity, yet more people now a days believe in the “modern” view that women are capable of being priests.

USA Today article by Heidi M Przbyla

Throughout out this past election here in the United States both candidates have been met with fierce resistance. On November 8^th of this past year Donald Trump was announced the victor of the 2016 presidential election. On Friday January 20, Donald Trump will be sworn into the office he won to the dismay of many across the nation.

Demonstrations of protest are planned to take place throughout the nation’s capital, in each of the 50 states, and around the world in 32 countries. Many of these protest are focusing on defending the rights of women, other are paying homage suffragettes confirming women’s rights in government, and some protest are taking a more hostile stance against the president elect. Most striking is the unprecedented numbers of participants expected to show. Many are taking note that people who have never been involved in politics before are making moves now to mobilize. 16^th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham Alabama even plans to conduct a demonstration on inauguration day. A significant objective of these protest is to encourage people to get more involved in their community.

As was discussed in class, Separate Realities showed how church and other religious organizations provide a basis for people to get involved and engage their community seen today in church organizations like 16^th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham Alabama.