People of the Faith–A look at the world's religions
Beginning soon in May, we will commence a multi -part educational series that looks at and explains the major tenets of the world's religions. Our tour will begin in North America, where we will look at the faiths of Canada, the United States, and Mexico. It is important, in this day and age, to learn as much as we can about religions as religion is a major player on the world stage. It is involved in politics, literature, and culture. The religious illiteracy in the United States alone is staggering. Dr. V.S. Harrison of the University of Glasgow, in the Department of Philosophy states in his article "Narrative, Postmodernity and the Problem of' Religious Illiteracy' in the academic journal Black Friars (Volume 89 Issue 1023, pp. 591-605, 31 January 2008) in the abstract presented before the article:
It is popular nowadays to claim not only that narrative is the most effective way to communicate religious knowledge but also that narrative provides the framework within which religious lifestyles and practices are meaningful. However, many today lack familiarity with the narratives of traditional religions. In other words, they suffer from 'religious illiteracy'. This article considers the problem of how religion can become meaningful to such people. The view that religion can be divested of its outdated cultural accoutrements and presented in a form that resonates with postmodern secular culture is considered and found to be problematic. If acquiring a religion is like acquiring a culture, or a language, it seems unlikely that a deeper appreciation of a religious tradition will be facilitated by divesting it of its traditional cultural expressions. Moreover, the view that religious lifestyles should be emphasised rather than religious belief seems to be more a symptom of the problem of 'religious illiteracy' than a solution to it. The article concludes that both of these responses fail to provide a solution to the problem and that an alternative strategy is urgently required.
In accordance with Dr. Harrison, Dr. Stephen Prothero, Chair of the Religion Department at Boston University, in his book Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know–and Doesn't, observes that most Americans, including Christians, know very little about their own faith; he administered a knowledge test to his students in his survey of world religions course for many years, and found that his students could not name the four Gospels, did not know who the major and minor players of the Bible were, and knew little to nothing about Islam or the major world religions. Americans have been subjected by and large with so much disinformation about Islam that it is nearly impossible to re-educate the public because of such systematically engrained pre-conceived notions. The Pew Forum, in a 2007 survey found rather puzzing numbers– 58% said they knew very little or nothing about Islam's practices, and more surprisingly, that 51% are not aware of the tenets and practice of Mormonism. More alarmingly, the survey found that American believe Christianity has little or nothing in common with both faiths, even though Christianity, Mormonism and Islam are related and share many similarities. The survey goes on to say:
Despite these similarities, there also are clear differences in public attitudes about Islam and Mormonism. These are reflected in the single-word descriptions people use in summarizing their impressions of each religion. Twice as many people use negative words as positive words to describe their impressions of the Muslim religion (30% vs. 15%). The most frequently used negative word to describe Islam is "fanatic," with "radical" and "terror" often mentioned as well. Among the positive terms, "devout" or some variant is the most frequently cited.
The words that people use to describe the Mormon religion are, on balance, more positive. Nearly a quarter (23%) gives a positive word to describe their impression of the Mormon religion while 27% use a negative term. Although the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints banned polygamy almost a century ago, many Americans still associate the church with this practice. The most commonly used negative words to describe Mormonism are "polygamy," "bigamy" or some other reference to plural marriage. Among positive words used to describe the Mormon religion, "family" — or some variant of the term — is the most frequent response. (http://pewforum.org/surveys/religionviews07/)
What to do about the confusion the American public has regarding religion? How to combat the stereotypes, the media (not only news outlets, but also disinformation and negative hype from televangelists and politicians)?
The answer, I believe, lies in self-education, and in encouraging the teaching of secularized religious studies in the public schools, but until then, this site aims to educate the public at large what various religions practice, and debunk myths perpetrated by groups that wish to twist faith for their own political and social agendas. To commence, we will start with a group that is often admired, and that many people share a fascination with. We will look at the Amish and Mennonite peoples, discuss what they believe, what they don't, discuss the various sects of the Amish, how they live, and why they live that way. We will talk about the differences between the Amish and Mennonites, and hopefully, you will enjoy the article and understand these groups better. You will also be referred to good books if you wish to learn more.
Thanks for coming along for the ride.
Related posts:
- World Religions and Cults 101 – A Guide to Spiritual Beliefs
- ET's and Religion: Mormons Win
- The Worlds Religions – Our Great Wisdom Traditions
- People of Faith Series–Jainism
- The Internet: Where Religions Come to Die
- People of the Faith Series: The Amish
- Pew Poll Shows Fewer Americans View Islam as Violent
- Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions – Jehovahs Witnesses, Mormonism, Mind Sciences, BahaI, Zen, Unitarianism In Defense of the Faith Series 2
- Living Religions, 7th Edition
- Living Religions – 7th Edition, Paperback
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2 Responses to “People of the Faith–A look at the world's religions”
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Here in the States, a growing number of people are no longer affiliated with any religion. Yet, there are some Christian groups who continue to insist on blurring the lines of separation between church and state. For the non-churchgoers and freethinkers worldwide, this site features news, reviews and editorials on just about anything regarding religion. Your opinion is always welcome here, either as a columnist or commenter. Hey, this is not church -- you are allowed to speak your mind and think for yourself!
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This sounds like a great series! Thanks Dakota — I'm looking forward to reading your column.
Thanks Urbain! I appreciate your support, and am really looking forward to writing. I learn so much from writing and reading on this site, and your articles are also well worth the read!