What is the main point of Eck's article? The main idea of Eck's article is to put the ever growing religious diversity of the United States into question. Eck goes into the definition of plurality and questions whether the United States can ever truly achieve it. She highlights that during the last couple of years, there has been an increase in the amount of religions and cultures in the country, but questions whether we are truly at the point of plurality or if there is still progress to be made. Have you seen examples of this pluralism in your community? Growing up in Miami my entire life, I have been subject to a wide range of cultures and religions. Miami is known to be one of the most diverse cities in the entire world, so I have not
only met, but also became friends with people from all kinds of religious backgrounds. I would say that my community definitely has examples of pluralism. Is it visible or invisible? I would say that in my community it is definitely visible. Since Miami is such a diverse city, it comes as no surprise that there would be a wide range of religions represented. I have seen a number of Catholic Churches, Protestant Churches, Mosques, and Synagogues to name a few. There are also a lot of signs on the street of places of worship all across the city, but I know that not all places are are diverse as Miami when it comes to this. Look in your community newspaper, phone book or online resources. Do you see evidence of religious pluralism? In the newspaper and online resources, I somewhat see pluralism. There are really three religions that stand out with a lot of announcements and advertising. The religions are Catholic, Jewish, and Muslim. The Jewish community is very strong and popular in Aventura, which is where I am from. How has the religious landscape changed in the past decade in your community? To be honest, the religious landscape has been very diverse in my city for as long as I can remember. I have gone to school with people from all kinds of religious background my entire life, and everyone was always very open about it. I think Miami is very particular and advanced when it comes to this aspect.
I like that Moore is not hesitant to express thoughtful criticisms about the pretensions of the church and the undemocratic ways that Protestants have sometimes attempted to dominate American society. His commentary stimulates constructive discussions about what should and should not be the proper role of Christianity, especially Protestantism, in a religiously pluralistic culture that has constitutional guarantees for religious freedom and the separation of church and state.
From a very early age, perhaps the age of six or seven, I realized that I enjoyed disputing things. As I grew older, I attempted to curb this tendency, since I thought it might negatively impact people’s views of me, but I never intended to stamp it out, as it was too integral to my nature.
Living in a city like Houston, diversity is present in every corner. From different races and beliefs to different sexual orientation. However, having grown up in Miami, diversity was not present in most situations. Most of the people in my community were mostly Cuban or from Central and South America. All my friends knew how to speak Spanish and shared similar cultures.
With sounds of youthful laughter, conversations about the students’ weekends, and the shuffling of college ruled paper; students file into their classrooms and find their seats on a typical Monday morning. As the announcements travel throughout the school’s intercoms, the usual “Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance” becomes no longer usual but rather puzzling to some students. “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, indivisible, with liberty, and justice for all.” Confusion passes through some of the student’s minds. With the reoccurrence of “God” in the backdrop of American life, the relationship between church and state has become of little to no matter for American citizens just as it has with American students. While congress makes no law respecting an establishment of religion, the term “freedom of religion” presents itself to no longer be the definition of “free”, while also having its effects on debates today. According to Burt Rieff, in Conflicting Rights and Religious Liberty, “Parents, school officials, politicians, and religious leaders entered the battle over defining the relationship between church and state, transforming constitutional issues into political, religious, and cultural debates” (Rieff). Throughout the 20th century, many have forgotten the meaning of religion and what its effects are on the people of today. With the nonconformist society in today’s culture, religion has placed itself in a category of insignificance. With the many controversies of the world, religion is at a stand still, and is proven to not be as important as it was in the past. Though the United States government is based on separation of church and state, the gover...
A functioning society seeks to work together in harmony to maintain a state of balance and social equilibrium for the whole. There are thousands of different types of religions in the world. So how do they maintain this ability to function and to keep a society functioning. Not all religions are as harmonious. Berger states there is a crisis of credibility a loss of religious legitimacy and plausibility. Pluralism threatens to rip apart a
In his 2006 “Call to Renewal Address”, Barack Obama gives his thoughts on the role of religion in democracy through a response to earlier accusations of his un-Christianness during his 2004 Senate race against Alan Keyes. He addresses both his accuser, who suggested that Obama's views disrespect his faith as a Christian, and his liberal supporters, who urged him to ignore these statements because “a literalist reading of the Bible was folly” (2). In his speech, Obama recommends a middle ground between these two views, in which “the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values” (7), as the only way to connect religion and politics in a “pluralistic democracy” (7). This attempt, motivated in part by the role of religion in his own upbringing, is his way to “bridge the gaps that exist and overcome the prejudices each of us bring” to debates in which “faith [is] used as a tool of attack, … to belittle [and] to divide” (8). However, contradictions in his speech prevent his vision from becoming a useful model for religiously-motivated political action. Moreover, the fundamental nature of religion, which he admits “does not allow for compromise” (7), makes such a vision impossible.
Eck, Diana L. A New Religious America: How a "Christian Country" Has Now Become the World's Most Religiously Diverse Nation. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2001. Print
The culture of Miami has various influences, but for the majority it is Latin. People from Latin America including places like Cuba, Haiti, Puerto Rico and many others have inhabited Miami for many of years now. While over half of the population were born in a foreign country it is common that people speak English just as much as Spanish. A key part to the Cuban community is called Little Havana, which gets its name from the Cuba’s capital city. This is a place fu...
Thomas, Oliver "Buzz". "How To Keep The 'United' In United States: Coping With Religious Diversity In The World's First 'New' Nation." Church & State Feb. 2007: 19+. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 1 Mar. 2013.
America is full and rich with diverse people, religions and values; they make America great. Just look at Riverside, California, there are over fifty churches of different denominations of Christianity, three synagogues, two temples, and one mosque; all coinciding peacefully in the city (Yellow Pages). Because Riverside is so diverse, religious pluralism and religious tolerance are two steps in making Riverside more connected. The first step is tolerance, a reflex that acknowledges a person will come across people of a different faith. The second step is pluralism, which is a better understanding of a person’s religion as well as the other religions around them. Many believe pluralism is the better of the two, because of the interaction involved and the creation of harmony, but pluralism’s faults are greater than the benefits. Currently religious pluralism is quality America should strive for, but America is not ready for pluralism yet, so religious tolerance is best for the diverse population of America today.
United by Faith main objective is to convince the reader to embrace a multiracial formation within their congregation, but it does provide a good balance on why some favor segregated congregations. Five main categories are presented in favor of this. The five are pragmatic reasons, theological reasons, cultural reasons, activist reasons, and sociological
This was the second time I watch this documentary. Accounting to Richard Kuklinski psychiatrist he interprets an Anti-social behavioral disorder and also shows psychopathic behavior. As I was watching this video I couldn’t help but deny that in fact, these actions are a result of a genetic pre-disposition. I’m reminded that this isn’t the first time I’ve viewed this video. However, I strongly believe if you are susceptible to bad behavior and suffer from mental illness indeed you are a product of your environment. Richard endured a great amount of abuse by both his parents. When a child endures abuse from his parents it can persuade the child to feel empty. Eventually, the will feel un-human and become un-human. I repeatedly tell myself he
I begin by describing the Hickean account of religious pluralism. Essentially Hick aims to explain religious plurality through the shared salvific experiences and values of the Real. I then give Hick’s conception of what the Real is and how it relates to major religions. Hickean religious pluralism faces what I consider to be fatal criticisms with regards to the nature of the Real, the result is that either the Real is contradictory or fails in its explanatory value. I, therefore, conclude that Hickean religious pluralism is not a plausible philosophical position.
The United States was founded on six essential values liberty, equality, the pursuit of truth, respect for dissent, self-reliance, and tolerance. Each of these values is not only evident today but is necessary to the future success of the United States. The philosophy of our democratic representative government was established based on ancient concepts, and execution of these values. However, as a society we do not always incorporate these values in our decision making process. This is evident in the debates regarding our racial and ethnic history, equal rights (women), immigration, and the role of religion. While, the Constitution of the United States would not have had the breadth and depth without the vast experiences, respect for dissent, and tolerance that the founding fathers displayed, as a society we do not always display the same qualities. This essay will cover how the six essential values should guide us in the debate of racial and ethnic history, equal rights (women), immigration, and the role of religion.
Going to school with many different cultures is exciting. I get to learn about cultures I have no clue about, such as Buddhism, Chinese, even Japanese. Going to a school that is very diverse makes me able to talk to others and learn about their cultures, and maybe even make friends with people I thought I would never make friends with. It also goes to show that everyone was not born the same, and no matter what a person’s differences are we should respect them and have no problem conversing with them. As with me, I consider myself a diverse person. My mom is Irish/American and my dad is Lebanese, so coming from a family where two cultures come together is really interesting. We celebrate Ramadan which is the fasting during the holy month for Islam, and we also celebrate Christmas, the birth of Christ in Christianity. Getting the best of both worlds is really intriguing, because I can celebrate two totally different holidays from two different religions and now how to respect both. I know for a fact that I do bring diversity to University of Toledo because not most people know an American-Lebanese.