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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
In 2000, Christians made up the majority of the population in America. Shown by the American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS)...
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
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.
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
Understanding religious beliefs other than one’s own is a key element of tolerance, since faith traditions often define a significant part of a person’s identity. In the United States, the spectrum of religious diversity is a part of our culture as a whole, and religions can sometimes be at the center of political debate. By examining these different religions we can better begin to understand what motivates certain people and learn to hopefully live together in peace.
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.
It is understood that religious beliefs should be excluded from consideration of public policy because it leads to the ignorance of many religious minorities in the face of dominating religious groups. Most people believe that the question on whether re...
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.