Transcript RELIGIOUS PLURALISM IN THE UNITED STATES

RELIGIOUS PLURALISM
IN THE UNITED STATES
By: Patrick Okafor
Denise Lloyd
Alvin Knight
DEFINITION OF RELIGION
Problems with definitions:
• Some exclude beliefs and practices that
many people passionately defend as
religious.
• Some definitions equate "religion" with
"Christianity."
• Some define "religion" in terms of "the
sacred" and/or "the spiritual."
DEFINITION OF RELIGION
Religion is any specific
system of belief about deity,
often involving rituals, a
code of ethics, a philosophy
of life, and a worldview.
COMPONENTS OF RELIGION
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CREED
CODE
CULTS
COMMUNITY
RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD
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Agnosticism
Atheism
Asatru
Baha’i Faith
Baptist
Buddhism
Christianity
Confucianism
Hinduism
Humanism
Islam
• Judaism
• Lutheran
• Native American
Spirituality
• Protestants
• Satanist
• Scientology
• Sikhism
• Taoism
• Unitarian Universalism
• Wicca
• Zoroastrianism
ETHICS OF RECIPROCITY
"Every religion emphasizes human
improvement, love, respect for others,
sharing other people's suffering. On
these lines every religion had more or
less the same viewpoint and the same
goal."
The Dalai Lama
Top Ten ORGANIZED Religions in
the United States, 2001
[Nonreligious, Atheist, Agnostic have been dropped from this list.]
2001 Est.
Adult Pop.
2004 Est.
Total Pop.
159,030,000
224,437,959
76.5%
Judaism
2,831,000
3,995,371
1.3%
Islam
1,104,000
1,558,068
0.5%
Buddhism
1,082,000
1,527,019
0.5%
Hinduism
766,000
1,081,051
0.4%
Unitarian Universalist
629,000
887,703
0.3%
Wiccan/Pagan/Druid
307,000
433,267
0.1%
Spiritualist
116,000
163,710
0.05%
Native American Religion
103,000
145,363
0.05%
84,000
118,549
0.04%
Religion
Christianity
Baha'i
% of U.S. Pop.,
2001
First Amendment of the
U.S. Constitution
Guarantees:
• A Wall of separation between
church and state
• Freedom of adults to follow their
own religious path without
oppression or discrimination
RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE
Religious tolerance means:
To extend religious freedom to people of all
religious traditions, even though you may
disagree with their beliefs and/or practices.
Religious tolerance does not require you:
To accept all religions as equally true.
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
Religious freedom means that you can:
• Without oppression, believe, worship
and witness (or practice freedom from
belief, worship and witness), as you
wish
• Change your beliefs or religion
• Associate with others to express your
beliefs.
RELIGIOUS AWARENESS
• Study of the world's religions will lead
to an understanding of religious diversity.
• This understanding will lead to inter-religious
dialogue.
• Dialogue will lead to peace among religions.
• Peace among religions will lead to peace
among nations."
www.religioustolerance.org
RELIGION AND Sexuality
Commonalties among monotheistic religions
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Sexuality as a gift of God
Condemnation of uncontrolled expression
Sexuality in marriage
Sex education
Violence
Fertility
RELIGION AND Sexuality
differences among monotheistic religions
• Marriage
• Celibacy
RELIGION AND PUBLIC SCHOOL
• Religion and Prayer
• Censorship
• School Vouchers
References
• "Major Religions of the World, Ranked by Number of
Adherents," at: http://www.adherents.com/
• http://altreligion.about.com/library/glossary/blsymbols.htm
• http://library.thinkquest.org/28505/articles.html?tqskip1=1
• Religious Diversity and American Religious History,
Conser, Walter H. Jr. and Twiss, Sumner B. University of
Georgia Press, Athens 2001
• A Beginners Guide To Religion, Forward, Martin. One
World Publications, Oxford, England 2001
• “Exploring Society – Social Institutions: Religion, Family
and Economics” a film by Ken Harrison, Dallas TeleLearning
• http://www.religioustolerance.org
References
• Multicultural Education in a Pluralistic Society,
Gollnick, Donna M. and Chinn, Philip C.
Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall, Columbus, Ohio.
• Film Clip - In God We Still Trust (3:34)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W-9tn2bLkU
• Film Clip - Rejected By Religion (0:26)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmFDLdCO7iM
• http://www.tolerance.org