Religious Influences

Religion serves as a gatekeeper for most communities and for intercultural and interracial marriages and relationships. Religion help people define there social group identity and influences how individuals perceive

     Religion plays a part in a person's identity structure. It is the search of what one calls faith in one's self and the worship of either one supreme being or numerous beings. But religion comes in different formalities. There are those who were raised practicing their religion, those who were influenced and converted, and those who were brainwashed. People who practice a certain religion will more likely raise their children under that same religion. Being raised practicing a religion creates the virtues and morals for that person's identity from an early stage. It helps parents create a sense of direction and inflict the core values their children need. Some people have

The fight for religious freedom in America is tough for people who do not participate in the religion known as Christianity. Since America is a large and culturally diverse land, the United States of America’s government has to be religiously tolerant to every belief system. Throughout America's lifespan, the subject matter “Freedom of Religion” has increasingly gained attention from the American Act. Thecitizens. In order to protect the religious liberties of American citizens the government has put into place a free exercise clause in the year of 1878, this allowed American citizens to practice religion freely in America. However, many issues have risen and promoted the creation of America's Religious Freedom Act.The largest issue surrounding religious freedom in

America today is permeated with natural law. Our founders were subscribers to natural law and believed that man’s inner morality can lead to sustaining a civil society. The forefathers of America were from different denominations that ranged from Presbyterian to Catholism. Some were even Deists. Even though their denominations varied, they all united under the idea that their Creator was the source of their reason (Levin 2009, 26). The result of these beliefs produced a religious liberty throughout the country. That liberty still stands today. Natural law, contrary to the thoughts of its non-supporters, does not make a country into a theocracy. Since God’s laws are universal, the creed of a person does not change the fact that they entitled to their God-given rights. The founders were extremely foresighted because they acknowledged that liberty is inseparable from religious liberty (Levin 2009, 29). Another example of how natural law is in America’s founding is the right for citizens to disobey man-made laws that tyrannical in nature. All laws that are not given by the consent of the governed have the potential to be overthrown. America’s Declaration of Independence even says that the people should go as far as overthrowing the government if it becomes too powerful (Levin

Indeed, the conviction of religion gives humans the ability to stand against anyone and anything thus making religious groups a force to reckon. Religion is a symbol that acts to “establish powerful, pervasive, and long-lasting moods and motivation in men formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that they seem uniquely realistic.” Examples of this influence include the Islamic movement, the strong influence the Pope has on the Catholic movement, and the impact the Pentecostal movement had on the US government. The worldview contributes to the aspects of living, which include lifestyle, customs, thoughts, philosophies, beliefs, and culture. These aspects seem to change with different generations causing even greater conflict amongst interest groups in policymaking. Indeed, individuals in opposite factions or groups may agree based on facts but sharply differ on conclusions simply because of their different worldviews. A classic case of the worldviews influence is gay

The U.S government allows the protection of religious belief, which means people have the right to believe in anyone they chose. The government cannot not deny or interfere with a person's religious belief. People think that since they have the right to religious belief than they have the right to perform religious practices that can be against the law. The U.S government has the right to interfere because certain religious actions can disturb the peace or harm people. When looking at the Reynold vs. U.S case. Reynold had the right to

America is a home for people to be free from religious persecution; or at least that is what the nation was found on. As time goes on, it seem as if the foundation of religious freedom that the United States of America was found has been forgotten. The United States government at its earliest establishment had set forth a set of freedoms for all people to feel safe from any persecution. In order to make these a set of established rights, the founding fathers created the U.S. Constitution that holds within itself the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights was a call for greater constitutional protection for each citizens, or immigrants, individual civil liberties. During the twentieth century, The United States Supreme Court had a very

Religions affect the lives of its followers greatly because if you're a Muslim you have to pray five times a day, if you're a Jew you can't have any other gods, and if you believe in Buddhism you have to follow the middle path to stop suffering. All these rules you have to follow can take away time from you and can make you give up stuff you have, even make you leave money behind.

In the US in specifically, we know that Christianity is the dominant religion practiced throughout the country—with Catholicism being the highest practiced denomination. Religion is so embedded in our culture that the Constitution gives you the freedom of practicing any religion without being persecuted.

The idea that the United States is a Christian Nation has made religious minorities feel excluded. Many of these individuals challenged practices which they considered forms of formal religious establishment. The First Amendment says “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” This clause protects the citizens of the United States from laws which promote one religion over others. Several challenges have made their way to the Supreme Court who tend to protect religious minorities from this harmful assumption.

Religion, whether we realize it or not, is a major element of American society (and also worldwide history). For many, religion is a significant part of their cultural identity. Religion plays a part in all levels of politics and is often an aspect of community events and organizations. Everyday, we all interact with people who have different religious backgrounds and personal beliefs. Children born into religious families are very connected with their religions from birth and this affects the way they will see the world for the rest of their lives. Even those who later explore other faiths or convert to other religious ideas will be affected in

Religion has been a powerful force in human history. Mankind has longed and searched for the answers to its purpose, the reason for being and the possibility of life after physical death. They reasoned that an afterlife would be a place of accounting and reckoning for the life they lived on earth. Religious belief systems seemed to give the answers as to how to prepare for the afterlife. Religion became the means of giving answers to those basic yet deep-seated questions of both life and death. Religion provided a format of rules and laws for conduct and treatment toward others based on the desires and wishes of a god or gods that people envisioned, imagined or invented. Religious belief systems have been a powerful force for good and bad...good in the sense that it provided a measure of individual behavior and order in society for the wellbeing of the whole, but bad in the sense that men of ambition who craved power and control over others would often use religion as a tool of manipulation and fear. A casual glance of history tells us that complete civilizations have been built, grown and maintained around elaborate religious systems, ancient Egypt being a prime example.

Morals are norms of behaviour that the society acknowledges. Religion sets rules and customs for its followers. These religious rules influence the legislative system. If religion plays a role in government policies, it would also influence laws. For example, religious beliefs and morals influence abortion laws in many parts of the world. It is still looked upon as morally wrong on the basis of religious ideas to undergo an abortion procedure. Phillip Montague points that “legal and political debate and decision making should be governed by standard criteria for assessing reasons and reasoning, and when religious considerations fail to satisfy such criteria, they should not be allowed to influence matters of law and public policy” (Montague 17). He further states that these matters consist of abortion, capital punishment, and euthanasia along with numerous subjects of social justice such as welfare policies. Montague claims that in comparison with secular reasons, “religious reasons fail by a wide margin to deal adequately with the complexity of such issues” (Montague 17). For instance, a person who argues that homosexuality is morally wrong for the reason that it opposes the divine law would be referring to religious grounds to support his argument and not secular. Individuals should not be arguing for restrictive laws or policies if they do not have secular grounds to support them. They should only put across views that are

The influence that Churches have created throughout the course of history has greatly impacted lives of many people. Catholic, protestant, Christian, and Islamic churches have all had an effect towards the way their people live, think, and behave. Churches in each society have an effect that positively influences people. When people know that they have a God and savior who is at their side they feel comfortable, this keeps people together. Many societies base their whole life around their religion. Their religion is the rulebook, their faith, and their go to when in need of help.

I have come to know of religions other than my own, and each has different ways of worship. By taking the time to learn the different religions of the world has helped me with understanding what others believe. In learning of others beliefs will help me in recognizing the way they dress, act and respond. Religion runs deep in different cultures all over the world, and with many it is sacred, symbolic, and law. Religion brings people together in time of need such as deaths, destruction or pain, also in celebration of birth and marriage.