Is Religious Diversity And Religious Influence Good Or Bad For Our Nation?

The negative aspects regarding diversity are generally based on religion, politics, ignorance, jingoism and tribalism. Even considering American exceptionalism, we are human. We tend to segregate ourselves with people of the same financial bracket, belief systems, heritage, and education and are biased even while claiming tolerance of others not

Thomas Mann of Brookings Institutions writes that, “in addition to the decline in competition, American politics today is characterized by a growing ideological polarization between the two major parties”. In addition to his opinion, political data has shown that political polarization is increasing and is more readily seen in the way the American government functions in the political sphere. In an article by the University of Rochester’s Campus Times they wrote “In 1950, the American Political Science Association’s Committee on Political Parties wrote a report called “Toward a More Responsible Two-Party System.” The report said that party leadership in Congress was far too lenient when it came to dissent within the party ranks, allowing members’ difference in positions to not be as important as they should. They said that in order for there to be a healthier democracy in the US, the country needed cohesive, top-down parties with clear agendas that can be carried out when in the majority. It also needed a cohesive minority party to criticize the majority party and act as an alternative.” While both the Campus Times and Thomas Mann suggest that polarization is somewhat necessary and is increasing, whether or not the necessity or increase is beneficial to American politics and government is debatable. In this paper, I argue that while polarization can be both unbeneficial and beneficial, for the most part is has proven to be unbeneficial for American politics and government.

Even though, George W. Bush had become, like some of his great predecessors, the voice of inspiration and hope for freedom not only in America, but in all over the world, he had received many critics for his religious contribution on American politics. In the light of this quotation, Noll shows that the second victory of President Bush was somehow astonishing when we noticed the crucial role of the white evangelical Protestants plays in his second term. Additionally, this quotation shows that if there were no evangelicals’ support, the President would not win the election, it also; strengthens the value of religion and its place in the American political life.

It is important to understand our diverse Americans because our country is full of unique people from across the world. Our society is built with people that celebrate their religion In their own way and our country lets us embrace our religion. Our society is an environment where people can exercise their religion without persecution of religion, unlike in other parts of the world where individuals aren't free to practice their religion. In addition, there will always be that Americans will respect you no matter what your background is, unfortunately there's also a small portion of Americans out there that will disagree with you and the choices you will make. As of right now there aren't many places to go without witnessing diversity at

•Islam: According to the holy scripture, males and females are equal spiritually, as both males and females are

America is a melting pot filled with ethnic groups and peoples from every corner of the globe, and I think that is one of the most special things about our country. All over the country, in every state, you can meet people from across the globe. Each of these cultures has influenced what America is, and what it is to be Americans. From its foundation, America was influenced by Rome. Where I live in Escondido, California, today,we are influenced heavily by European, Native American, and Hispanic cultures. Many of the schools in my area are bilingual schools, where both Spanish and English in school every day. Freedom of worship is a founding principle of our country, and because of this, the United States has incredible religious diversity. Though 83% of people identify as Christians, many other religions are represented, including Judaism, Islam, Hiduism, Buddhism, various animistic religions, and athesim. Each of these religious worldviews influences American lifeAmerica is diverse in many ways, from her people, to religions and culture, and I believe that we are a better nation because of

“[People] may have different religions, different languages, different colored skin, but [they] all belong to one human race.”- Kofi Annan

. 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

In the next years, I believe we will see more and more religious diversity. Fifty years ago religious practices

The South has been experiencing a lot of religious diversity. Specifically in Tennessee, there has been a lot of religious diversity. There have been protests to prayers before football games and bans high school banners with Bible verses on them. Religion experts say that the South is just now catching up to the religious diversity that the rest of the world has been experiencing. The amount of Muslim families has increased a significant amount in the past 46 years. There are many other religions in different parts of the world that people have inherited from family members and continued on with religious family traditions and passing it on from generation to generation.

The United States is a country in which several religions exist, and almost twenty percent of the whole population doesn't believe in any religion. In many other places around the world people do not get the same religious freedom as they do in The Unites States. This is why people from all around the world come to the U.S for bright futures, and determination to perform their religion. Let’s suppose that you were a christian and your government influenced hindu laws on you. Would you appreciate that ? Would you want to live in the U.S anymore ? Some people believe that government should be part of religion; however, a clear separation between government and religion should continue to exist in the U.S for two reasons.

I believe that it is a good incentive to teach and learn about all the different religions, cultures, and faiths that are practiced all around the world. It not only expand one's knowledge about other ideologies, but moreover prevents people from categorizing, and labeling an individual with another faith. We have seen this phenomenon occur in the Sikh community after 9/11, simply because people are ignorant, and do not have any knowledge about other faiths. Now the question is, does understanding religious diversity promote religious tolerance? In my opinion, everyone around the world from different religions and backgrounds should be tolerated. We are all human beings with different goals, and ambitions in life. Howbeit, this tolerance comes to a halt

The author Gary Gutting in his commentary, Should Religion Play a Role in Politics, states many reasons why personal beliefs should impact government policies. He starts of stating that many Americans think that, “Religion has no place at all,” in government policies. As the passage progresses Gutting starts to refute this idea and claims that religion plays a major part in politics. He concludes that personal beliefs are needed in politics because, “different groups of citizens accepted the same conclusion from quite different arguments,” therefore create solutions to major problems.

I grew up in a small town where there was no pluralism, only Christianity. My town as well as the majority of Western Oklahoma might as well have had an established religion of Christianity. Because I have this background I can say that without a shadow of a doubt that if a political scientist were to survey the population of my town, the majority of the residents if not unanimously would concur that the only way our country can be saved is if we foster a more Christian-like atmosphere. Complains would also arise that Christian religious freedom is declining to make room for other religions. Raising children to be so prejudiced that one religion is better than another is absurd, but coming from experience it still happens. I have been privy

In this course, I found the connection between religion and politics the most important concept we’ve studied. With engagement and understanding of politics becoming increasingly important, it’s valuable to study the ways people both interact with politics and form their political opinions—and as we’ve seen, religion can play a huge role in both of these aspects. However, the way religious groups engage with politics can perhaps be generalizing when discussing major religions, seeing as these groups are often widely diverse and brimming with unique experiences. Therefore, I believe it is just as important to discuss the political dimension of religion with the social influences of ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and the interrelations between them.