Friends of God: A Road Trip with Alexandra Pelosi Film Analysis
I am not an evangelical Christian, and I feel that I would be uncomfortable in the presence of an evangelical Christian service. My own religion is Catholicism, so I believe is Jesus, but I also believe in the Virgin Mary. Due to the fact that I was raised to believe in Catholicism, I would feel out of place in a room of people that would refute my beliefs.
The leaders of these mega-evangelical churches have used the principles of socialization, social influence, and conformity to build their communities. For example, they use socialization by holding services in which they discuss the customs, values, and ideology of the Christian religion. In the film, I noticed that when young children were asked if they believe in evolution, they responded with what the sermon had
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I was appalled when the children were told that dinosaurs do not exist because there is scientific evidence that disproves this. I believe it is everyone’s freedom to have faith in whichever religion, but it is not acceptable to discredit hard evidence such as dinosaur fossils. I think that by exposing these kids to sessions like this, they develop an understanding that overrules any other influence in their life. They are told to completely reject ideas from any other religion that does not align with their own. I think it is more morally correct to allow for the children to explore other religions and learn what else is out there. Being open to listening to new ideas or other viewpoints allows for children to decide for themselves what it is they believe or reject. In regards to conformity, the
A Little Respect for Dr. Foster by Nicholas Kristof reveals to the reader that one action can affect a whole. Groups are looked at a certain way for what an individual in that group did. One person’s actions can affect how others perceive them. However, Kristof uses Dr. Foster as a counterargument against the outlook on evangelicals. Kristof’s use of statistics, case studies, and personal opinions argue that not all evangelicals should be looked at a certain way and that they should be respected all the
The question of whether or not religion should be taught in public schools has been an ongoing debate among parents and teachers for decades. In the article “Religion and Education: The Pitfalls of Engaging a Complex Issue” Martin E. Marty and Jonathan Moore express their views on the matter. They express that religion in public schools could potentially bring conflict to families. They also support the other scenario that religion classes would inform students of the different beliefs of the people they will meet throughout their lives. Religion in the public school system is still an ongoing debate, one that needs to be resolved. The children that will be affected by the outcome of this debate are the future leaders of America, therefore, we should not take this decision lightly. Children everywhere and in all schools need to be taught about different religions so they can make a firm stand for what they believe in.
Children may have to attend a school that is associated with their religion. It is always possible that this gives the child a different quality/balance of education. They may struggle to understand other people‘s religion or lifestyle choices. They may become confused or isolated and
The Romantics also appreciated religion. This was in response to the anti-religion aspect of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution. As Romanticism was a rejection of Enlightenment thinking, it stressed feeling and emotion rather than logic. Furthermore, the Romantics emphasized the importance of religion and sought for a revival of religion in the 19th century.
In Element of a Christian Worldview by Michael D. Palmer, it is written that “no worldview can survive apart from a social settings that bridges multiple generations” (pp.58). Palmer also states “the social element is indispensable to the long-term success of
I volunteered at Chiefland Elementary School, under Ms. Sidorenko’s supervision. After doing my twenty hours of volunteering at Chiefland Elementary School, I have gained new knowledge on how religion works in schools. If you grew up in a small town area like I did, you would know that religion around here is not a touchy subject with many people. Many faculty administrators who work in the school system happen to be Baptists or Christians. Therefore, people are able to throw in religious assessments here and there without getting into too much trouble. In this case, at this school, everyone goes to the same church or partners with each other’s churches. Before I go on, let me just say, even though I am a Christian, I think that religion shouldn’t be a topic talked during school hours. My reasoning for this is because children are there to get an education and to learn about the world around them. Teachers barely have enough time to teach the concepts that are mandatory, if we add religion it will just offend students and teachers won’t be able to get their job done. Now that society is changing and is starting to accept individuals more, I have noticed this school is having a hard time accepting that.
Although hollywood movies are well known for their secular nature, The book of eli is an exception. The scenes in which Eli defends the Book(the bible) with his life was one of extreme conviction as a christian and equally thought provoking to non-believers. Through several memorable scenes, Eli begins to show Solara the power of the Bible – “not as a tool for conquest, but as a handbook for living”. Some Bible verses are quoted throughout the movie, and Christian imagery and symbolism are present in many scenes.
Religion is by far the most controversial and non-debatable topic in the world. The topic of religion is hard to speak about and debate because it is solely based on faith. Faith is defined as having complete trust and confidence in someone or something. Everyone has faith in something whether it’s having faith that a loved one’s surgery will go well or faith that they will win a race at a track meet. Many have faith on some things, but not someone like Buddha or Jesus or maybe Muhammad. But why is that? The answer is because the schools aren’t giving these kids any education when it pertains to beliefs and religion. As a result, young children and young adults do not know what they represent. Many atheists say that religion should not be discussed in schools at all because it offends their beliefs of not having any beliefs at all, but freedom of religion should express every type of belief briefly so kids have a true shot at picking a type of lifestyle to live.
Explain whether you agree or disagree with the notion that religion and science can coexist. Name at least two (2) key points from the podcast that substantiate your position.
Buddhism originated in the early Fifth century BCE, from the teachings of Siddhartha Buddha (Fisher, 2005). Plagued by the desire to help end human suffering, Buddha reached a state of pure enlightenment showing him the way to end earthly suffering. Through meditation, people can control the desires of their human nature. By gaining control of our desires we can end our suffering. He taught his wisdom to all that wanted to learn. After his death, three main forms of Buddhism emerged; there was the Theravada’s, the Mahayana’s, and the Zen Buddhists (Fisher, 2005). For the sake of this report, the local Buddhist
Children should always have the chance to make a choice on what they think and not be judged by it. “It’s critical that children understand that there are multiple perspectives on all issues, and that they have a choice in how they think.” In fact, it is critical to children’s future that they have a choice in what they want to think. Some children don’t have multiple points of view, and cant make their own decisions at all. This is why it’s important for children and teenagers to know that they can think what they want to. Religious clubs could help children figure out what they can think. “It’s important for kids to be able to see multiple points of view, to reason things through, to have empathy and feelings of benevolence for their fellow human
As a scholar taking the class ‘Introduction to World Religions”, I had the opportunity to take part in a culture that is not normally found in the western world. I entered the Mon Buddhist Monastery in Akron, Ohio on October 2nd, 2016 only to be amazed at their way of life. Going into the temple, I knew of the basic religious practices and traditions that the monks and Buddhists had participated in daily. When I was coming up to the monastery, it did not look like anything other than an old brick building, but once we were inside it looked like a recreational area. Somewhere where they would meditate, hold daily activities, and teach the younger Buddhist about their way of life. On the far back wall, there was a stunning shrine dedicated to the Buddha where one would pray. Many figurines were displayed as well as flowers and offerings along it.
Arguments can be extremely frustrating. Sometimes no matter how accurate a particular perspective appears to someone, it may be impossible to convince another to feel the same. The differences in fundamental values between people are responsible for the differences the formation of opinions. The manner in which people adopt these core beliefs is no mystery, and is explored in the documentary Jesus Camp. Humans are social animals, and cultural systems have been established since the beginning of humanity to strengthen the quality of interactions. Human babies are unable to raise themselves, and require the care of adults to foster. Throughout the process of development, children adopt the culture presented to them by adults. Children, who are psychologically developing, are extremely malleable in comparison to adults. This makes them an important focus for an adult generation looking to succeed their beliefs. This film inspects the strong Evangelical upbringing several families practice with their children, portraying this in an unflattering manner. All cultures are different, and these differences should be praised as well as made compatible with modern society as much as possible.
Some teachers may have a personal bias against certain faiths or religion in general. These problems can be dealt with. According to this article, “To address the challenge of teaching about religion without proselytizing, we must explore the assumptions and causes underlying each set of factors…” (Passe, J., & Willox, L. 2009). We should ask ourselves what lies beneath the problems of teaching religion. We should look to see if prejudice and impartiality are factors motivating against religious teachings.
To understand the religion as a social control tool, it is necessary to understand the term socialization. Many sociologists have placed more focus on defining the term socialization. Ward (2011) defined the term socialization as the process through which an individual acquires the ways of a social group or a society so as he or she can fit in it. In his invitation to sociology, Koenig (2013) defined the term ‘socialization’ as the process through which acquires knowledge of how to become a member of the society. It is only through socializing that an individual is able to learn normative values, skills, beliefs, languages as well as other essential arrangements of action as well as thoughts significant for any given social life.