A review of the book ?A New Religious America: How a "Christian Country" has now become the World's most Religiously Diverse Nation? by Diana Eck about the growing diversity in religious affiliations in America especially among its immigrants and native
Abstract This paper gives a brief history of immigration to the U.S. and discusses whether "religious pluralism", a term used by Diana Eck in her book to describe America's "melting pot" of various Western and Eastern religions, serves as a unifying factor to the Americans (native peoples or immigrants) or not, especially in the light of the events of September 11, 2001.
From the Paper "In the first chapter of her book, Eck provides a brief summary of the historical background of the new surge of immigrants, and thus, the new surge of different Western and Eastern religions in the US. She further tells her readers that this surge of new immigrants, and the increased diversity of the religious and cultural traditions of America, started when the US government encouraged immigration of people from all over the world into the United States, as mandated by the new 1965 Immigration Act. This act paved the way for Asian, Arabs, and other nationalities in Eastern and Pacific Island nations to take part into the country's opportunities as the ?land of the free.? "
Tags: 911 culture tradition democratic state christianity islam judaism, buddhism hinduism
Abstract This research paper explores the claim that celibacy within the clergy results in sexual deviation. The paper begins with an elucidation of the problem within the Catholic Church and an explanation for the propagation of celibacy in Catholic theory. It then goes on to list the three main myths associated with celibacy; namely, that Catholic priests are more likely to become pedophiles than any other group of men, that the celibate state of the priesthood leads to pedophilia and that married clergy would make pedophilia and other forms of sexual misconduct cease to exist. The paper then proceeds to explore both sides of the argument of whether a relationship between celibacy and sexual deviance exists, and in doing so, the writer brings in the opinions of various experts. The paper continues by looking at the treatment of sexual deviance by the Catholic Church and concludes by deducing that there is no connection between celibacy and sexual deviance.
From the Paper "In today's society, the Catholic Church is confronted with two important issues regarding sexuality. The first is the scandal of sexual abuse of children by priests, which is a highly publicized issue that it damaging the reputation of the Catholic Church in the United States. The second is the question of whether priest should take a vow of celibacy and remain unmarried."
From the Paper "The essence of Hasidism is both its orthodoxy and its passion. Although there are many sects of Hasidic Jews, they all share the fundamental idea that the soul must be on fire for the creator, not for anything else. It is the creator who is at the center of life and all of life is lived in accordance with principles, commandments, and guidelines that have been long-established as likely to lead the community closer to the time of the messiah and the beginning of heaven on earth. With this as its goal, the child-rearing practices of Hasidic families differ from the average American family in many ways. The goal is to mold an observant Hasidic Jew, with understanding of his..."
From the Paper "Islam was instituted by Muhammad as he created both a new religion and a new social order. In doing so, he developed as a human being from the contemporary society that then prevailed and reacted to the social forces around him.
The main sources for the life of Muhammad are the Qur'an, the life written by Ibn Hisham, the section of the Annals of at-Tabari, the history of Muhammad's campaigns by al-Waqidi, and the Tabaqat of Ibn Sa'd (Watt xx-xxi). However, little is known of the early life or ancestry of Muhammad, and much of the data of the Muslim tradition has been questioned. The primary story of Muhammad is embodied in the Qur'an. He received the call from God when he was nearing his fortieth year. His early preaching was seen as harmless by the Meccans, though any idea he had of founding a new religion was thwarted by the..."
From the Paper "All too frequently, "Gnosticism" is referred to today as though it were a single, distinct system of religious thought, often in terms which attempt to describe it as a heretical Christian sect. Indeed, some of the writings of such early apologists as Irenaeus, Hippolytus, Origen, Tertullian, and Epiphanius were intended as counter-arguments against Gnosticism and Gnostic literature. But a closer examination of their works reveals that, by the time of the second and third centuries C.E., "Gnosis" was a generic term broadly applied to a wide variety of groups which were commonly lumped together because of their beliefs that they had a special knowledge of the nature of God and mankind and the relationship between the two. The term "Gnosticism" would not be coined until the eighteenth century. The problem which confronted the early Christian church..."
From the Paper "In a culture which traces back its roots to the most ancient of civilizations, Jewish tradition has only relatively recently begun to interrogate its own historical positioning of women. Defining the appropriate sphere for the operation of a woman's influence and range of activities within a tradition-bound culture has proved to be tumultuous within this century.
To establish an accurate appraisal of women's status and role within Judaism currently serves as two of its most compelling tasks (Ghatan xvii). Understanding the radical alterations in Jewish women's roles may be most appropriately handled in..."
From the Paper "By most accounts, Hinduism was established in India by the Aryans from Central Asia sometime between 2000 and 1000 B.C. As the religion developed over the years, it became highly ritualized and dependent upon the power of Brahman priests. These powerful priests then became a very powerful force, but it was not a group into which everyone could enter. Consequently, Indian society and religion became highly stratified into, on one hand, the priests and those who could afford their services and, on the other hand, those who could not.
In reaction to the exclusionary nature of Hinduism, Buddhism was born around 500 or 600 B.C. Its originator was a man named Gauttama Siddhartha, the Buddha. The religion he created did not..."
Examines political, economic, social & religious conditions conducive to teachings & leadership of Muhammad & subsequent military conquests in Arabia in 7th Cent.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 5 sources, 1997, $ 47.95
From the Paper " RISE OF ISLAM
This research paper analyzes the circumstances that led to the rise of Islam. It focuses on the following: (1) the underlying conditions prevailing in the early seventh century which predisposed the society of western Arabia, especially the towns of Medina and Mecca, where the Prophet Muhammad was born in 571 A.D., to be receptive to his religious teachings; (2) the reasons why a religious polity arose there and in the surrounding areas under the Prophet's inspired leadership until he died in 632; and (3) the factors which facilitated the rapid spread of Islam in Arabia and elsewhere by military conquest under the rule of his immediate successors (633-661).
Pre-disposing Circumstances
Political, economic, social and religious conditions in.."
From the Paper ' RELIGION IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
This research paper discusses separation of church and state and other issues relating to religion in the public schools in the United States. A number of factors determine the ground rules for the handling of such issues by teachers and school administrators --school policies, state and federal legislation and rulings by state and federal courts. The ultimate arbiter is the United States Supreme Court the decisions of which have been clear in some areas, such as school prayer and less clear in others, such as the permissible limits of public aid to religious institutions and school dress codes.
Basic Constitutional Framework
The First Amendment of the United States Constitution provides: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment..'
From the Paper "The purpose of this essay is to discuss the arguments that St. Thomas Aquinas presents for the existence of God. It will first list his five arguments briefly, then present a brief explanation of three of them. Of these, one will be chosen for discussion in depth. It will be evaluated and discussed in relation to Aristotelian theories and arguments and in relation to other Thomistic theories.
Aquinas's five basic a posteriori arguments for the existence of God (as summarized in Summa Theologica, Part I, Question 2, Article 3) are as follows.
First is the argument from motion, which he attributes to Aristotle, according to which all motion must ultimately be caused by an unmoved mover.
Second is the argument from the nature of an efficient cause, that.."
From the Paper "The purpose of this research is to examine the influence of religion on politics from 478 to 399 B.C., the period of the Peloponnesian War in Greece between Athens and Sparta. The plan of the research will be to set forth the context in which religion intersected with Athenian public policy during that period and then to discuss specific features of such policy that reflect or that seem predicated of religious praxis or belief. The principal historical point to be derived from the course of the Peloponnesian War is that by the time it ended, the political hegemony and leading cultural status of Athens were by and large in the past, absorbed by the ethos and governmental form of Sparta. But the war depleted both Athens and Sparta and ended the Golden Age of Greece. It cannot be said that religious belief and worship somehow "caused" the decline of Greece.."
From the Paper "The Confessions of St. Augustine is a portrait of the inner world of Augustine of Hippo. The author was the bishop of Hippo in Roman Africa for 35 years, during the time of the decline of Roman civilization on that continent. Augustine is considered one of the important Fathers of the Church in the West, and he helped form Christian theology in the early history of the church. In his Confessions, Augustine shows the depth of his religious belief and writes extensively about his own inner turmoil about such events in his life as the time when he was a child and stole pears from a neighbors tree, a crime that haunted him for the rest of his life. Augustine borrowed heavily from Plato. He agreed with Plato about the status of transcendent Ideas, but he did so in an altered form. Augustine agreed that the Ideas constituted the stable and unchangeable forms of all ..."
An analysis of how Islamic people are depicted by U.S. and Western mass media and its effects on Americans of Mid Eastern descent. It discusses cultural bases of biases & stereotypes with examples and political aspect.
3,375 words (approx. 13.5 pages), 25 sources, 1999, $ 119.95
From the Paper " Media Portrait of Middle Eastern Peoples
Introduction
This research discusses the way in which the peoples of the Middle East of Muslim origins are portrayed in the American and other Western mass media, the effects of this portrayal on persons of Middle Eastern descent who live in the United States and the complex psychological, political, economic reasons for such treatment.
On the whole, the Western mass media--the movies, television, radio and other publications--portray Middle Eastern peoples from predominantly Muslim countries, including those who have emigrated from the region, in a stereotyped, biased and derogatory manner. The effects of that treatment on public opinion are to predispose the American public to expect the worst..."
From the Paper "This paper is an examination of Buddhism's future in America. An ancient religion founded in India and very popular throughout Asia, Buddhism has travelled outside Asia as its practitioners have immigrated to other parts of the world. In some places, it has expanded beyond ethnic bounds, and it has found especially fertile grounds for growth in the United States among followers of widely different ethnicities, races, and cultural backgrounds. As a number of American celebrities have embraced Buddhism's meditative approach to life, the religion has achieved a higher profile. China's aggressive attempts to take over Tibet, home of the Dalai Lama, the religion's most prominent spiritual leader, have also raised awareness of Buddhism and encouraged more Americans to study it and consider following its precepts. Buddhism has already established a strong foothold in..."
From the Paper "The Confessions of St. Augustine is a portrait of the inner world of Augustine of Hippo. The author was the bishop of Hippo in Roman Africa for 35 years, during the time of the decline of Roman civilization on that continent. Augustine is considered one of the important Fathers of the Church in the West, and he helped form Christian theology in the early history of the church. In his Confessions, Augustine shows the depth of his religious belief and writes extensively about his own inner turmoil about such events in his life as the time when he was a child and stole pears from a neighbors tree, a crime that haunted him for the rest of his life.
His Confessions is an important work detailing the inner life and of the religious man. It is also a book that links the sinner with redemption, for Augustine presents himself as a great..."
