Prothero

Religion is a species-specific human universal phenomenon, complex, full of paradoxes, and found in all cultures. Social scientists and anthropologists since the late 17th century have attempted to rationally answer questions about religion, and while we can't evaluate the veracity of religion’s claims, we can attempt to understand its functions.

The book, Religion in the Public Square: The Place of Religious Convictions Political Debate (1997), is a presentation of a debate between two foremost thinkers who argue about the place that religion should have in the public forum, more specifically in politics.

Everyone has a worldview, whether consciously or subconsciously. We all have certain assumptions or presuppositions and beliefs about reality and life that alters the way we perceive the world. Without such presuppositions one can’t give a rational defense of their own belief system. Faith and tolerance are generally considered core American cultural values. However, in a democratic society, those who defend the sacredness of religious principles often find themselves in opposition with those who defend the freedom of individuals wishing to express their viewpoints. A healthy Christian worldview can reduce the negative influences of secular worldviews and entrench the positives by respecting, understanding, and appreciating the rich diversity

In the assigned reading, Dr. Wilkens has outlined the “Not-So-Great Divide” that exists between the University and the Church. This divide is the incompatibility of practical education and the theological connections between an institution and a church. Dr. Wilkens has proposed that the contradiction is “not” so great, and it only exists because of miscommunication. Institutions tend to encourage doubt, which harms a student if he or she is trying to avoid questioning his or her own faith. Expectations that do not align with the outcome also leads this division between a student’s faith and education. Students who grew up in a Christian community will attend Christian universities, expecting to encounter a similar environment. The process

The United States is an extremely diverse country representing a “melting pot” of different nationalities, cultures, and religions. Religion has played a crucial role in the development of the U.S. as religious freedom was the primary reason for many immigrants leaving their home countries and journeying to America. The religion that we adopt or are taught affects us on both a small scale in our daily lives and personal beliefs as well as on large scale as a society. While the influence of religion has affected us in a positive way it has also created many obstacles, including impeding the growth of society as a whole.

Religion impacts every society and is impacted by many factors. Over time, religion has both gained and lost power over the choices of people. One person may act one way because of their religious upbringing and a different person another way. This is due to the fact that everyone has a different relationship with their faith. Differences in one’s faith are attributed to a variety circumstances, for example, culture, time period, and access to technology. Nevertheless, faith has the ability to strengthen one’s relationship with God.

Throughout history, society has always had different beliefs regarding the origin of life and the existence of its creator. (Atheism 13). God has been viewed as a paternal figure and the missing link in some people’s lives (argyle 9). On the other hand, there are individuals that do not believe in anything and live their lives day by day. As the world ages, claims stating that religion has had a negative impact on humanity has become a subject of discussion. These claims are mostly supported by the mistakes of the Christian crusaders in early Europe history. Realistically, religion has not brought war and violence, the Crusaders could not accept others' views and became driven by greed, which ultimately influenced them to abandon

In this critical response, I will go over the three consequences regarding secular – religious binary that the author addresses in this chapter. In the examination of world politics in association to secular – religious binary, three consequences were mentioned by the author that I found quite thought – provoking. The first consequence being that many social scientists are being trained to ignore religion and conduct their research and demonstrate their findings on the basis of only the “secular”. The next consequence mentioned was that the study of religion has a tendency to focus on presumed religious practices in addition to religion and secularism.

Smart proposes that religion should be looked at as a worldview because of how the practices and beliefs of any group create the notion of “our” and “we” (52, 2). It creates a collective view that is embedded in everyday practices that are expressed in action, laws, symbols, and organizations (52, 3). Smart’s overarching claim is that when studying religion, it should be looked at on a cross-cultural basis that allows people to experience empathy for one another so that as human race we are able to understand other’s cultural attitudes. Smart has identified

Although there are many means by which social injustice may be encouraged in a society, religion is one of the most often ignored culprits. For fear of offense, few even dare to breach the subject of religion with peers, let alone attempt to understand how it

Flexible. Open-minded. Dynamic. These are all facets of a modern “good society,” or one in which many groups of people can coexist and encourage growth. Religion, with its wide-ranging effects on our society, does not encourage these. As believed by Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion, holy books, such as the English Bible, are very important to literary culture (Dawkins, 2006, 341). While it is beneficial to read some religious texts, one should not become consumed by the beliefs. This essay will assert that religion, although it leads to good neighborliness and social networks, is overall a negative force in society because it can cause harm and confusion for children, biased decision-making, and instills an unquestioning faith.

In recent decades, however, public prominence of religious views has grown even as the nation's religious diversity has increased. In this context, maintaining a pluralistic democracy demands a corresponding advance in our citizens' capacity to understand religious differences, as well as the ability and willingness to engage across differences of belief for the sake of the common good. We are disturbed by surveys that reveal a citizenry inexperienced in engaging others on issues of religious and moral differences and moral debate. It is also worrisome that studies suggest that Americans are increasingly less tolerant of others’ religious views while being less likely to compromise when their religious views are at stake. That all this is happening at a time when an increasingly large segment of the American public is studying in institutions of higher education raises directly the question of the academy’s appropriate response to these

When people are asked how important religion is to them, the answer comes in a variety of different ways. Many would say that religion is vital factor to living a prosperous life. Others may say that religion is the one thing that divided the human race entirely. Religion can be seen as a powerful tool for many people, but it can also be seen as a weapon. Centuries ago, Europeans invaded Africa and used their own religions and beliefs as a weapon to control the African natives. When learned about this fact, one question could become apparent; how can religion be used as a weapon of mass control? To answer this question, we must first understand how religion is taught, and how it can powerful it really is.

Religion is a highly complex and difficult field, constituting, on the one hand, the founding power at the basis of nations and societies, but also, on the other hand, a cause of wars and never-ending conflicts. The disputes on religious matters are far from being exhausted and the issues debated are virtually infinite.

Religion and politics are quite interwoven into society both in the developed world as well as in the developing world. This paper will discuss the major religions of Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism and how these faiths connect to politics of nations.