Religion And Prejudice Summary

“This model declines the claim of the Enemies model that psychology and Theology are connected exclusive, although it recognizes that there have been tensions and misunderstandings that have fostered such antagonism. The Allies model agrees with the Spies model that good psychology can be found in religion, but it categorically rejects the claim that religion is only valuable as a vehicle to express psychological truths and to foster psychological benefits.” (Entwistle, 2015).

For the entirety of the United States’ existence, freedom of religion has been a guiding principle for the nation. Despite, or perhaps because of, the deep, varied religious heritage of many Americans, America was the first country in history to abolish religious qualifications for civic engagement. However, paradoxically, the United States also has a history of discrimination based on religion, as seen in historical bigotry towards Catholics, some Protestant sects, Jews, Atheists, Mormons, Muslims, and other marginalized groups. Indeed, a common theme in American history, continuing to this day, is the conflict between America’s secular ideal and its often faith-dominated reality. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, religious

It is impossible to get at the roots of one’s religious attitudes without taking in account the psychological and historical factors that play upon the individual.  (Hamilton 19).

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

Prejudice influences the historical record because those opinions and beliefs are handed down through the generations and believed by others due to the influence those that express those views have on others. In the context of the Understanding Prejudice quiz about slaves and their treatment, the textbook states that “contemporary institutional and individual racism, which is central to today’s conflicts, has its origins in the institution of slavery” (Schaefer, 2015, p 168) which was embraced by many of our past presidents and which allowed long-standing prejudice and discrimination to occur against black people. The prejudicial theories of authoritarian personality, exploitation, and normative come into play as well as the theoretical perspectives of functionalist and labeling.

Today, religious tolerance is considered a social norm. However, it hasn’t always been this way, and some groups were certainly more persecuted than others. In the early 1960s people of America connected with their religious roots, exercising a freedom that was under threat by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Two decades later in the mid-eighties, certain groups, conservative followers of Reagan and the moral majority in particular, rushed forth the ideas of a wholesome modest family, contrasting from the changing social climate. More recently in the 2000’s people have begun to relinquish and get away from their religious roots, which some could attribute to the increasingly immoral behavior. It seems the pattern history takes with religion

Knoll (2009) described minority religious groups as religions with U.S. membership not surpassing 5%. Mormons and Jews, both minority religions, were found to have positive attitudes toward immigration. These findings showed support for marginalization theory, which hypothesizes that members of minority groups have faced “political and social discrimination” and therefore “feel a sense of shared experience with other marginalized groups,” (Knoll 2009). This supports the idea that members of the Mormon and Jewish religions share characteristics with immigrants making them more likely to feel empathy for their marginalized status in the U.S., resulting in more positive attitudes. Additionally, those who identified as nonreligious were more tolerant than Protestants, the most common religion in the United States (Brenneman

Religion, in this study, will generally refer to either Christianity, Islam, or Judaism, or some combination thereof. Discrimination will refer to the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things with respect to religion and intolerance is the unwillingness to accept views, beliefs, or behavior that differ from one's own. Both will be used in reference to the attitude and actions of the American people. While it is incredibly difficult to generalize about the attitude of an increasingly diverse and divided American population, the actions and attitudes of a few often come to represent those of the whole in the eyes or the less-attentive viewer, and it is these attitudes I will be using in my research. Each of the above terms are directly linked to the independent variable, which is religion. The dependent variable of this study is rate of military enlistment, which I will define as the percentage of the total population that makes the decision to initially enlist in the U.S. military; therefore, I will not focus on the data representing those who complete basic training. This information is valuable, however, and it will be analyzed

The world has operated on a mixture of hate and envy. The United States alone has continuously had issues of prejudice – which contradicts what the nation stands for. America symbolizes the freedom, equality, and peace that people worked so hard to attain. With racial hatred and discrimination lingering in our communities, love and the principles that were fought for have not seen the light of day. It goes unnoticed by an overwhelming majority, yet there are groups of people that see this phenomenon daily and try to spread awareness. Love has the ability to fix long-lasting problems, but society’s ignorance and greediness gets in the way and clouds our understanding of how to deal with situations. A universal flaw in the human condition is

While Jews, Christians, and Catholics are received favorably in America, Muslims and Atheists are often received unkindly. According to research, evangelical Christians and Catholics are thought of more highly within their own groups than they are to the public. Not only this, but having a relative or a linkage with a particular religious group, means they are likely to have more positive views of that particular group. Shown in the Pew

“A Suspension of (Dis) Belief: The Secular – Religious Binary and the Study of International Relations” by Elizabeth Shakman Hurd is an intriguing chapter that questions the relations between the secular and religion. Shakman Hurd argues that most individuals have unchanging meanings of what the secular is and what religion is. Shakman Hurd states that the analysis of the secular and religion in world politics needs to be re-examined in terms of the beliefs (political and religious) that support the secular – religious binary. To clarify her argument, Shakman Hurd uses instances that have took place in world politics to address her argument. By looking at the relationships between the United States and other countries, Shakman Hurd claims that the secular-religious binary should be considered as being a concept that is

Supporting Evidence #2: “In Campbell's book along with co-author Robert Putnam the American phenomenon was explained that individuals felt more compassionate to others religions based on the more exposure they had to it. In addition, they said when Americans add other religions to their “social networks”their understanding and tolerance increased which lead to the unique combinations of more religious devotion and diversity in the U.S”(Hanes,

About half a decade ago John F. Kennedy spoke these famous words: “tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one's own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others” (1930). Nowadays the issues of tolerance, oppression and persecution are still relevant, especially with regard to religion. Even though globally and nationally religious restrictions are increasing, without most Western people’s awareness, there is hope for an increase in religious freedom in the future.

Generalities and blanket statements can be refuted because of the “all or nothing” aspect, and this certainly is the case with the statement that everyone is a little bit racist. Racism does exist; that is without question. However, I am not willing to say that every human has racist tendencies within his/her heart.

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.