Culture as a Mirror of Religious Beliefs

Paper Summary:

The paper shows how religion is one of the defining aspects of someone's life, and their culture. A lot of races, nationalities and countries are founded upon the beliefs of their religion. Their culture becomes mirrored in those beliefs, as does the structure of their society. Four religions with such influences - Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Shinto - are explored in this paper.

From the Paper:

"It is unfortunate that so much of the history of Judaism, and its influence on civilization is surrounded by a lot of negativity. Of course, the Holocaust is by far the cruelest genocide in history, and the cause of the many Jewish immigrants to America. Adaptations of their beliefs and culture have formed the different divisions in Judaism Reform, Conservative and Orthodox. There are many cultural characteristics that can be attributed to Jews, but their food, their holidays (Chanukah, Yom Kippur, Purim), and their coming of age parties (Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah) are some of the more notables. Their food is kosher, and that has brought an entirely separate type of butcher, markets, etc. Some ballparks even serve kosher hot dogs! Synagogues, much like churches, are also architectural statements in their community. Jewish holidays are not as recognized and celebrated nationally as Christian ones, but there are now changes being made in school curriculum to allow for observance of their many festivals."

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