Role Of Religion In American Culture

In American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation, Jon Meacham explores the dynamic relationship between religion and government in America in the hope that contemporary America can learn from the past. The period covered by the book spans from 1620 until Reagan’s presidency in the late 1980s. However, Meacham focuses on the Founding Fathers stances and their continued impact on American politics. More specifically, the book details the conflict over the separation of private religious expression and the more neutral ‘public religion’.

History shows a pattern of change in relation to religious involvement of governmental affairs. As religion becomes less a part of American life, the court develops new laws to accommodate our new society. Look to the communities we live in presently and ask yourself if the American people are facing oppression of religious freedom, a freedom listed in our Constitution under the First Amendment. This spirals into an abyss of politics. Is same-sex marriage a personal matter or a public one? Is the Republican Party fair in opting to end abortion? Should a woman have contraceptive included in her health insurance plan despite the religious views of her employer? This is one of the areas in which

Believing in an idea that regulates everyone’s life, will influence all aspects of everyone’s life. One simply cannot live a “Christian life” solely involving religion and divide themselves when they deal with politics. Thus believing in anything shapes each individual as a person: creates their boundaries, defines morality, and what is just and unjust. Therefore, religion will always be tied into politics. Consequently, I am researching the inevitability of the two seemingly separate ideas overlapping and impacting one another.

Lofgren points out that republican leaders are often encouraged to share their religious views and feelings regarding their respective faith, and as of relatively recently, “the republican party has reignited the kinds of seventeenth century religious controversies that advanced democracies are supposed to have outgrown” (Lofgren, 2012 p. 129). More so, there appears to be a cookie-cutter mold which major candidates must adhere to, to have a successful career and impact on their constituents. Despite the prevalence of religious opinions and faith-based values aired out to the populace, Lofgren does point out the unique points that we [as a nation] are lucky that our foreign policies and national decisions are not based on one’s adherence to faith or religious scriptures, and that we should keep it this way. In doing so and in letting “someone’s tendentious reading if the bible” dictate test for office or formation of legislation, our great nation will be destined for demise (Lofgren, 2012 p.

Since the birth of America men have divided themselves into different parties to come up with ideas that would better the nation and themselves. George Washington, in his farewell address, warned Americans about the problems that would accompany political parties, but no one listened. Instead many different political parties began to slowly develop overtime causing many major and minor divisions. The rise of the Republican Party came about at the nation’s darkest and most divided hour, but they began the hard, war-torn steps of putting the Union back together.

Evidence throughout American history confirms religion has significantly contributed to the evolution of our culture. Multiple events have contributed, including politics, people and weather. Politics and people are widely impacted by religion. Religion is the primary cause of most wars in countries across the world. Many historians believe America was formed on the basis of religion. In this research paper, I will illustrate the impact religion had on American History to 1877. Specifically, it will examine: 1) Major events impacting traditional religious beliefs in America, 2) Religious disputes which impacted land development, and 3) The impact religion had on slavery.

The notion of whether or not politics should be kept separated from religion is one of the highly controversial issues in today’s world. Already, while religion is mostly ignored as a significant political influence, it still plays an essential role in international and domestic politics. In a society where religion and politics go hand in hand, most of the people, explicitly politicians, have some kind of faith that they believe in and that guides them to make critical decisions, thus it is impossible to have a true separation of church and state. But, what I am trying to suggest is that currently, Americans support a system in which political decisions are made based upon valid arguments that stand on their own. These decisions do not require religious support. Government and religion should be kept separated because the overt relationship between religion and government can inhibit freedom of conscience and its extreme form can lead to violence and oppression.

As the authors contend, the purpose of a democratic government was not to produce moral citizens, but rather, moral citizens had the duty of preserving and acting as the custodians of democracy. In this regard, the business of morality was effectively relegated to the realms of private concerns (Kramnick and Moore 151). Midway through this penultimate chapter, the book turns to demonstrating the problems created by the religious right. The discussion provides a historical account of the debate concerning the separation of the state and the church, and contends that the present religious right misapprehends American history, especially with regard to the framing of the constitution, and endeavors to distort both religion and politics by using religious or spiritual ties in achieving political

There are multiple reasons the Anglo-Americans began to turn on their mother country. I suppose it all starts with the cultural changes during the 18th century. These new ideals began to cause controversies among society. As time evolved, tension grew larger during the Seven Years War, which then led to the American Revolution. The Revolution is like a snowball effect. All the prior events built up causing Americans to turn on their mother country during the American Revolution.

America’s politics and electives have been split between two major parties: Democrats v. Republicans. Through political parties, citizens were able to have a voice in government by voting for their representatives, advocating their “self-governed” trait. Competition between parties allows the government to be influenced by the individual. A party realignment involves a dissolving party, an election with shifting voters, and a change in policy. After the Civil War, Republicans replaced the Democrats.

With the mention of religion, what first comes to mind? Despite the initial thought, image, opinion, or experience that makes itself known, the response likely varies, even across time and place, and this can be reflected in the fact that America has no specific definition for religion. However, to assist in laying a foundation, the definition made clear in Dr. Koch’s Religion in America class lecture is “a discourse, a set of practices, a community, and/ or an institution” in which allows for analysis, discussion, practice, and thought to then take place in order make sense of how this man made principle was woven into the foundation of American society (Koch). Studying the history of religion in America, a common theme prevails: the relationship

In American history, voting has been a direct involvement of the public with the government. Patterns based on the structure of voting have emerged to demographically section the voting population. Scholars have found that these voting patterns can be followed by studying the political activity of different religious groups. From the 1960s to our most recent elections, voting patterns among these groups have fluctuated as well as stayed constant. The reason for such changes, or lack thereof, can be credited to a number of social issues such as abortion, gay rights, and other major secular controversies as well as the historical context from where their political decisions arise. These patterns show that some people experience pressure from

Does American culture influence religion? American culture influences religion in many ways, whether we want it to or not. Present-day churches have been influenced by the American entrepreneurial spirit, government, family system, and by social media. Culture is extremely hard to exclude from religion because it is how we as an American society are used to living our day to day lives. American culture has influenced the Christian churches to morph into what is more similar to a business, where head pastors are more similar to CEO’s.

“American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us,” by Robert D. Putnam and David E. Campbell, and “America and the Challenges of Religious Diversity,” by Robert Wuthnow, give different thoughts to religion and politics in the United States. Putnam and Campbell utilize the concepts of shocks and aftershocks to highlight religious changes in the United States. On the other hand, Wuthnow uses observations to focus on the encounters of religious diversity in the United States. Wuthnow compares American Christianity with other popular religions in America and how Christianity has affected the perception of religion. Putnam and Campbell’s “American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us” is a more persuasive assessment of American religion and politics.

America wastes a lot of time trying to create a democracy completely absent of the moral expectations that our ancestors have put into place. Our founding fathers’ dream of establishing a country in which all people would be accepted has begun to fall. In our attempt to rid our country of a democracy contaminated with any belief in a supreme power, we have rid ourselves of many of our values and morals. Perhaps it is impossible for religion to dominate our political country, but we have misinterpreted the original intent of “separation of church and state” and taken this concept too far.