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The role of religion in politics
Most widespread religion in the world
The role of religion in politics
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There are three components in the video that Stephen Prothero discusses are; the religious illiteracy problem in the United States, the second is about the past and how it came to be, and finally, he talks about his proposal about the problem of illiteracy and how we can fix it.
Prothero starts by talking about how he had become interested in the topic of illiteracy of religion in united states. he talks about the experience he had with his students who were not very much aware of the main topics of religion as they should be. Then he created an evaluation test to give to his students at the beginning of class to see what they know. He was not very surprised when he found out that students knew very little about their religion, as well as
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He says that he sees two civic or political issues on lack of understanding on world religions, one is domestic and the other in international. He states that domestically; two political parties that are now religious parties in a sense that politicians in both parties are eager to connect religion with public policy issues. Republicans have always used religion as a strategy in their campaigns, but Democrats only started when President Obama was running and they used the bible to take care of the foreigner. The politicians connect their public policy views with the bible. He states that since we have less literacy of religion in the united states it gives our representative more power to control us and we can’t distinguish between people who are genuinely trying to help us or those who are cynically using religion for political game. Per Prothero, we need to start having more conversations about religion that are informed and civil. If the citizens are uninformed, then what is the benefit of democracy. If we look abroad and we try to make sense of what is going on in the Middle East, Kashmir, china, Myanmar or Sri Lanka we can’t do that without the understanding of world religion. we must look at the Hinduism of India, or the Quran of Muslims where president Obama has visited. We had a huge wakeup call after 9/11 that we need to know something about Islam and we didn’t know anything. …show more content…
He says we need to do a better job of educating ourselves and our children about the Bible as well as world religions. He believes it should start in public schools and we should have mandatory courses on bible and world religion. Some people believe that religions are different paths on the same mountain. Yes, there are difference but those differences don’t matter because at the top of the mountain no one knows what there is. Some might say compassion, while others may say it is about the mystical experience. Prothero does not agree when people say that where there are religious differences, there will be war. He says that yes, there are wars and it is horrible. However, just because there is existence of difference it doesn’t mean that there will be conflict. It also does not help when we say that religions are different paths of the same mountain. It is condescending to religious people and it handicaps us. It makes it impossible for us to understand religious conflicts in our world. He does not agree with the statement about paths and mountains and religions. He says the statement that all religions are the same fails to respect and appreciate the beauty of each religion. Because Christian will say why do they have to learn about Buddhism because it’s the same it’s just repeating what they already
Reverend Ambrose is a man of great faith and devotion to his people including Grant. As Grant is grading papers one day is his room Aunt Tante Lou announced that Reverend Ambrose Wishes to speak to him. As Grant allows Reverend to enter, Reverend begins debating the role of education. Grant states, that the purpose of teaching is for money and to refrain from Poverty. Reverend Ambrose responds with saying, that education is an opportunity to gain knowledge, and that with knowledge you can be able to help others in need. Grants Short tempered brings the conversation to a screeching halt stating "I went to college, and I have a college degree." Reverend replies with "But what did you learn" Reverend sees that Grant is an educated man, but he also sees how he use his gift. Grant Doesn 't use his gifts to enrich and uplift until the end where you see how he changes his ways and focuses more on others than himself. While Grant displays more compassion towards the end of the novel he also displays how much respect and honor he has for Reverend fro changing his life for the
Opportunities abound to stamp out illiteracy at the federal, state, and local level. Are these enough? For those in need, maybe not. Most everyone’s needs are unique. National Family Literacy Program helps those families nationwide with literacy problems. In our own state of Florida, Governor Jeb Bush has set up the Governor’s Mentoring Initiative Program which has helped over 9,000 adults and children improve their reading programs.
In the Essay “The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society” by Johnathan Kozol. Mr. Kozol uses quotes, key points, experiences and his knowledge companied by effective forms of rhetoric throughout the essay to speak to highly educated and intelligent individuals who have to power to make a difference. He explains in detail how an illiterate society is affecting not only the illiterate’s life, but also the country’s democracy, and endangering the lives around them as well. He interviews individuals who share their experiences of fear, hopelessness, confusion and frustration when dealing with everyday life situations that most people could figure out on their own.
As the world becomes increasingly more interconnected, differences among the many religions prove to be obstacles to the global society. In an effort to overcome these obstacles, religious authorities propose the essential sameness of all religions (that all religions point towards the same goal); however, this hypothesis oversimplifies all religions to an arbitrary base. On the other hand, Stephen Prothero’s, the author of God Is Not One, proposal for the acknowledgment of the differences preserves the multidimensional aspects of religions. By rejecting the hypothesis of a basic and similar structure of religion, Prothero allows for them to exist as complete entities; however, Prothero also creates false barriers that over differentiate religions.
Although I do not consider myself a radical secularist, I identify more strongly with Walzer’s viewpoints. He stresses the importance of the structural, ritual, and political/cultural aspects of society necessary to successfully separate religion from politics. I strongly agree that a sharp institutional divide between church and state needs to exist, in which the church does not interfere in matters of the state and vice versa. I believe it even vital that countries, such as the United States, possess constitutions that state there will be no official state religion. In this way, religious toleration and equality will be undeniable. In terms of this institutional divi...
In Stephen Prothero’s, Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know and Doesn’t (New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 2007), 297 we discover the average American’s lack of religious knowledge. Prothero discusses religious illiteracy in three ways. How it exists, came to be, and just how to possibly solve this problem. Today religious illiteracy is at least as pervasive as cultural illiteracy, and certainly more dangerous. Religious illiteracy is more dangerous because religion is the most volatile constituent of culture, because religion has been, in addition to one of the greatest forces for good in world history, one of the greatest forces for evil. Religion has always been a major factor in US politics and international affairs.
Philo Judaeus is regarded as one of the greatest Jewish-Hellenistic philosophers of his age. In a majority of his writing he quotes bible verses, speaks of a path to the Lord and does so with such image producing words. While reading Philo it is hard to discern his philosophical views, and surgically placed words, from those influenced of his religious background. He brings fourth an interesting combination of philosopher poet or preacher. Philo Judaeus was very religious and portrayed such in his writings. I believe and assume Philo had as well, that the truly aware man is made up of three parts: the philosopher, the poet and the preacher. Without the other two one cannot truly exist, therefore all of the greats such as Plato, Huxley, Conger and of course Philo must have a been truly aware. For their love of wisdom, endeavor for ultimate reality and their amazing talent for language is unmatched and greatly appreciated all who read their work. Several scholars have used the writings of Philo to explain theological conceptions found in the writings of the Christians, and also to better understand debates and conflicts witnessed in the New Testament.
Throughout this semester I have learned many ways of writing through two main essays literacy narrative and comparison and contrast. These two essays have taught me how to correctly fix my comma splices, thesis statements, and capitalization. I have engaged in numerous learning material during this summer class. Many times when I thought it would be hard to work on those three developments I never gave up. I gain more positive feedback from my teacher because he pointed out most of my mistakes I made on both literacy narrative and comparison and contrast essays to help me understand what is it that I need to work on. My development as a writer became stronger.
He pointed out the flaws of these two models as a failure to “define humanity ‘within a nature that transcends them’”, stating that these approaches “separate ‘culture from human nature’.” The “crisis of the truth” that he speaks of refutes the idea that right and wrong, good and evil, are knowable by human reason. The truth of right and wrong comes from human nature and reasoning, but these approaches to a “civilization of love” and the intercultural approach hinge on individuals determining their own right and wrong and living accordingly. Ironically, the real truth of “Living in harmony for a civilization of love” is synonymous with justice, church social doctrine, solidarity, social charity, and a foundation of peace. All of these things are in direct contrast to the approaches mentioned in the Declaration on Christian
7). Mr. Bell describes deism in his introduction as a view that approximately consisted of the view that what is necessary to hold a religious belief is what can be substantiated about God and his nature, as well as religious duty, by reasoning (pg. 6). He goes on to explain that some deists desired to show that Christianity is a reasonable and analytical religion, others believed that religion was a natural and obvious reaction to attestation of God’s providence. (pg. 7) However, Hume believed deism was an entirely incorrect belief (pg. 7 & 8). He believed that religious beliefs began with emotional needs, such as vulnerability and insecurities, reactions to the hostilities of the world surrounding us, and that religious beliefs are a means of bringing comfort to the suffering (pg. 8). This is a conclusion Hume brings about in Part XII of the Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion. Philo states that the horrors of religion frequently dominate more than its solace, and that men tend to find comfort in religion when they are anguished by depression and ill health (pg. 136). Yet when men are not afflicted by these deplorable states and in a joyful state, that man is suited for the tasks at hand, be they toil, friendship, or recreation, and that he pays no attention to religion (pg. 136-137). Therefore, Philo contends, this is proof enough that religion is allied with sadness more than joyfulness (pg. 136). Throughout the conversation, Philo is referred to as a skeptic, for he questions and argues what the others take for granted as fact, and yet this is also his quality, as he takes nothing for granted as being true unless he has experienced it to be the case. It is no surprise then, Philo’s ultimate admonition: that it is of utmost importance for men of thought, men who love wisdom, to be skeptical. (pg.
For some Americans the solution is to remove all religious affiliation from the state. Upon analysis of Wilfred Cantwell Smith’s discussion of religious diversity, Maritain’s position on the relation between religion and the secular world, and Hegel’s presupposition about abstract rights, this common question arises. Should the secular world be isolated from the religious dimensions of Human life? With so much religious diversity among groups of people could government politics function without any religious affiliation and still represent the will of the people as a whole.
Protagoras is a sophist, he is a teacher of wisdom knowledge and virtue and persuades his students that what he is saying is believable. While Protagoras and Socrates get into an argument
In Heath, Ohio there is a school, which the writer spent most of her life in, named Licking County Christian Academy, and in this paper the school's name will be condensed to LCCA. LCCA, being a private school had at least two hundred students and about twenty teachers including the writer’s mother, but within the past five years, the number of students decreased until LCCA could not afford to pay all of the teachers. Two years ago, half of the teachers we're dismissed and a new type of schooling, that was much like e-learning, was introduced, video schooling. Instead of a teacher serving the handcrafted material to students who each have a different mindset so that they can understand, the students now must decipher the knowledge themselves in coherence with the videos. Though some students are able to process the information swiftly, others may be overwhelmed with the amount of information shown and the short time to
A person must not want to learn about secularity to be able to teach “secular people.” Followers of God think all a secular person believes is nothing. Taylor and different people think “Secularism is its own web of beliefs that should be open to examination.” Next up is the study of secularism.
Prothero, Stephen. "Stephen Prothero: Take Religious Differences Seriously | Faith & Leadership." RSS. N.p., 03 May 2011. Web. 18 Mar. 2014. .