Stereotyping In Religion

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Stereotyping is a natural human response, as a way of categorizing the unknown. The Oxford Dictionary defines stereotyping as “A widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing. (Stereotype, n.d.)” By definition of the word, stereotyping is an over simplification of a group of people and it can be an uphill battle to convince people to change their views. Essentially birthed of ignorance, stereotyping can be a way of coping with the unknown or in this case, people whose customs may seem strange or different at first glance.
The two religions we have studied that are most interesting, from a stereotyping perspective, are Islam and Buddhism. They are especially interesting as a pair because they happen to fall on opposite ends of the spectrum. Islam, the way of submission, has taken the blunt of stereotypes in recent years due to terrorist connections to radicalized groups like ISIS and the Taliban. In a post 9/11 world, it can be very easy to think that these groups speak for the majority of Muslims but that would be a very oversimplified image of what the religion and its people as a whole are about. Buddhism, on the other hand, is more exoticized. Without holy wars to be reported about on the news, stereotypes of Buddhism come more …show more content…

In fact, it’s easy to view Buddhism as more a form of self-help than a religion. Buddhist beliefs do not necessarily conflict with those of Christianity either. This is why I think it’s so easy to pick and choose Buddhist principals, buffet style, to subscribe to. The image most Americans have of Buddhism ranges from the infectious smiles of the Dalai Lama and Buddha, to the calming peacefulness of Buddhist monks, both of which are very serine and

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