Assess the View That Religious Beliefs and Practices Are Changing to Reflect a New Era of Diversity and Choice

Many individuals have their own set of theories, experiences and viewpoints on religion, this however has been critical on how individuals vision their own set of concept on religion and spirituality. Kamran Mofid Founder, Globalisation for the Common Good Initiative (2008), argues that Australia is one of the multi-faith, multi-lingual, and multi-cultural nations in the world. This array of cultures conveys countless diversity and disparities including religious beliefs. Thus, a study was conducted in a profane Australian society to examine in what way religion and spirituality is ostensible in Australia

In his introduction to “World Religions in Dialogue,” Pim Valkenberg writes that it is imperative that one does not only “learn about these religions but also from these religions and their adherents” (13). When discussing various religious practices, it is easy to make hasty judgments concerning the validity of traditions. When the traditions of a particular religion differ significantly from one’s own practice, it is easy to dismiss traditions as strange or invalid due to their differences. Particularly in the Saint Mary’s College community, Valkenberg’s assertion holds true that many individuals will approach this topic with perceptions that “are often shaped by Western, often Christian, influences” (14). However, when one is able to acknowledge and avoid the biases they bring to their studies, it is easier to see the value that each religious tradition holds.

Molloy, M. (2012). Experiencing the World’s Religions. Tradition, Challenge, and Change (6th ed.)Chapter 5. Retrieved from https://newclassroom3.phoenix.edu/Classroom

Huffington post says, “religious practice and affiliation has greatly declined in the united states in the last 50 years”(Blumberg). Change has happened and it’s not bad but its evolved into something different from the

While the majority of Americans (almost 80%) identify themselves as Christians, religion in the United States is characterized by both a large diversity of believers and variable attendance and adherence levels (Eck, 2002). However, an August 2010 poll showed that almost 70% of Americans believed that religion was losing influence in everyday life, yet most feel that is a negative thing even though politicians continue to discuss religion while campaigning (Religion Losing, 2012). In light of these statistics, many religious scholars have turned to more quantitative methods to establish ways to both improve service attendance, solidify the financial health of churches, and establish a faith-based understanding of current psychographic trends. One of the predominant ways this is happening is through people like George Barna.

Other critics of the secularisation thesis are Postmodernists, who argue that religious beliefs have not declined, they have simply changed to adapt to modern society. Davie sees religion as taking a privatised form, and although churchgoing has declined, it does not reflect the religious beliefs, as she believes we now have people believing without belonging, where people hold religious beliefs but do not attend church. Davie believes that believing without belonging is a result of change in commitment regarding religion as attendance is now a matter of choice, rather than compulsory, people are adapting religion to suit them, Davie notes that there has been a shift towards vicarious religion, in which people practise religion from a second hand glance, and despite low levels of attendance, many people still use the church for religious rituals such as weddings and baptisms. Therefore these theories suggest that Britain isn’t becoming a secular society, religion is

Using material from item A and elsewhere, assess the view that most people today see spirituality and religious belief as purely private and personal matters.

The United States (U.S.) has always been the melting pot of the world, resulting in a diverse spiritual community. Christianity is still the predominant religion, but a recent survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life details the shifts taking place in the U.S. According to the study, 28 percent of American adults have left the faith of their upbringing for another religion, or no religion at all. The number of people that claim no affiliation with any particular faith is rising, and the number of people practicing non-Christian religions is increasing (Pew Forum 2010).

More and more people are identifying as nonreligious, but the majority of America still aligns with some religion (1). It is theorized that switching of religion is to blame, in that many people that are raised in a religion are changing to become unaffiliated as they get older (1). While the nonreligious population is growing, “roughly seven-in-ten [Americans] continue to identify with some part of the Christian faith,” something that is lacking in the Brave New World society (1). Religion is a still a strong influence in modern day America, with the presence of God affecting our politics, our everyday conduct, even minute things such as the Pledge of Allegiance, with the line “one nation, under God.” However, as the nonreligious population is generally young, with a 20% decline of Christianity in Millenials who are now unaffiliated, it could come to change as the older generation begins to die (“Religion” 1). For now, though, regarding religion, we are not living in a brave new

Religion has changed dramatically over the past few decades. Where years ago, it was limited to a few specific set of beliefs in which the majority of people conformed to and few people deviated. Nowadays, religion is immeasurable and varies depending on where you live. Despite all the changes, there are a few basic elements that every religion follows such as; a set of stories, sacredness, community, belief of a higher power, rules/ethics, offer hope and a way to connect with the divine. Although the building blocks are the same, each organizations, religious practices and beliefs are unique.

Modernity is the ongoing changes in society that are breaking away from the traditional life we knew it and the continuing plans for the future (Macionis & Plummer 2012, p.140). Features of modernity include, industrialisation, urbanisation, secularisation, individualisation, consumerism, globalisation and rationalisation. In this case study we will focus specifically on secularisation and rationalisation and the influence these processes had on John’s life.1 Secularisation is the drop in religion follower numbers and decrease in religious influence, which has been more prominent in some regions then others (Van Krieken et al 2010, p.361). The other process of modernity we will be looking at is rationalisation, this is the increased

. Religious diversity in America alone is too great to justify one sector determining the lawfulness or morality of anyone else’s beliefs. There are several practices that are not allowed by various religions, yet they are not outlawed. For example, The Jewish and Muslim faiths do not permit the consumption of pork, but anyone can still go to the supermarket and buy bacon. Catholics are not allowed by their faith to use contraception but condoms and birth control pills are still available to whomever wants them. So, many views of human cloning are influenced by

Religion and spirituality reach into the depths of the human psyche and strongly influence a nation’s way of life.

Consequently, the Church of England is linked with the state, showing that the church has a historical link with the UK. Even in the increasingly secular society, this link is still noticeable due to the influence the church has on the structure of our country; the laws enforced within the UK are partly determined by the House of Lords, who offer a religious perspective on all proposed bills. Thus, it could be suggested that the impact the church has on civilization is larger than the impact civilization has on the church. In addition to this, the largest faith in Britain is Christianity, with 59% of the population associating themselves with the religion (Census Data, 2011). However, it is suggested that many people belong without believing (Weller, 2005, P.9) but even if this is the case, the nominalism shows that Christianity is a faith British people identify with, possibly due to the historical link the country has with the religion.

On July 12, 2007, for the first time in American history the Senate session that day was opened by a prayer; unlike any other prayer, it was given by a Hindu priest. At first sight, it would seem as though the ideals designed by the framers of the Constitution were alive and well; the pluralization of the United States of America, the land of freedom of religion, and the right to worship without persecution. However, the Christian right wing religious group Operation Save America entered the Senate floor and began to heckle Rajan Zed, the Hindu priest, perpetuating that Hinduism is an “abomination”, as Hindus do not worship “The lord Jesus Christ”. This leads us to ask the question: Is America a land of religious pluralism, or is it a