Similarities Between Religious Community And American Individualism

Searching back to its beginnings, religion has a profound impact on cultural identity through the presence of deep and ancient roots that connect a people to their glorious, memorable and often idealized histories. By equating a given religion with the success of a society often times national pride and religious pride become intertwined. Though this manifests itself differently in each country, throughout all four surveyed this attribute seemed to be present.

While many are unaware, the Protestant Reformation continues to be impactful in how people in America today view freedom, government, and rights. In general, the Reformation has played a role on the construction of America’s social order and diversity, the day-to-day natural life, and religious freedom. Beginning with the American Constitution, the foundation of Christianity (unversed in any other part of the world), unites religious moral standards with the American way of thinking regarding cultural diversity, equal rights, religious belief, and sexual characteristics.

Individualism is often viewed as a positive trait in America, suggesting a certain level of personal confidence. American society tends to reward independent thinkers and those who decide autonomously. To this end, individuality has become a value in many American homes. Although individualism is widely received and respected in American culture, it is not as well respected in other cultures. One culture in particular which frowns on individualism is the Asian culture.

The decline in religion across America is most likely related to the increase inIndividualism, among many Americans in the 21st century. “The decline in religions practice has gone down 29% from the Silent generation to the younger Millennial” (Decline of mainline Protestantism and Catholicism). Many argue that culture influences, portioning to college and other environments, would be the greatest factor in the big question as to why Americas on a religious decline. However Individualism seems to be the greatest contributing factor. Individualism highlights selfish motives, only caring about ones self, and laziness. All things that religious believes takes away from a individual.

When studying American culture, Tocqueville (1840) noted that religion acted as the first social network that promoted equality among its members. People have individual freedom, but an individual does not have a sense of equality because the individual has no one else as an equal. Dooley (2014) illustrates how religion and European philosophy had a substantial impact on the formation of institutions and equality in the New World in the 1600’s. For Tocqueville (1840), religion provides that sense of equality among individuals, which binds them into a community or social network. Social networks promote political discussion and the merging of resources to act in ways in which individuals have less impact (McClurg 2003). According to social capital theory, individuals in a group are more likely to conform to societal customs when exposed to a particular group and cooperate for a mutual utility (Putnam 1995). Some scholars suggest that individuals with friends that participate in social networks have a higher propensity to participate in such groups (Kenny 1992). Putnam (1995) established that societies with improved social capital leads to the development of social trust. He further explains how social trust promotes collective communication and action to be resolved when individuals trust, or believe, in the other individuals within the social network (Putnam 1995). These arguments are important in the context of religiosity and political engagement because religious institutions function as social

Religion unites American citizens in our beliefs and values. This plays a major role in our social development as a country. These values from religion become a foundation for our lives. It is because values make up our moral character. An example

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

The main idea in Eitzen and Zinn’s article is that religion is shaped by society. The social groups that shares the same norms are connected as they are taught what society portrays as the acceptable way to behave. However, religion is also the leading cause of separation in communities due to believes being imposed upon non-believers whose preferences differ from the mainstream.

Thenature of this paper, which deals with the presence of a subconscious set ofparticularly American beliefs, inherently involves more reflection than thegathering of data. Whatsimportant is the way we live, not the historical manufacturing of facts whichis more evidence, not description, of the current Religion of the AmericanEconomy. And while most ofthese truths should be self evident (like any good preamble), some statisticswill be cited to illustrate their culmination in everyday life. To set this new dogma in context, Iwill also describe the founding principles of Christian living, with particularattention paid to the

For most of the 20th Century, America’s Faith Community enjoyed the luxury of reposeful sanctuary within their Houses of Worship. Such places were considered “off limits” for acts of crime and mayhem by most Americans. Reality often mirrored this anticipation. Even the criminal element looked with great disdain upon those victimizing churches and synagogues. However, immunity to the problems slowly began to deteriorate. The lawless began to view holy and sacred locations as merely wealthy soft targets overseen by the forgiving and the naive. The general respect that was once accustomed from American culture started to erode as well; only exasperating the situation. By 2001, the reality that world level terrorism could also

Religion and the United States have an interesting relation over the history of the United States. Religious conservatives portray the United States as being God’s chosen nation and that religion influences every facet and procedure of the United States. Liberals try to contend that the United States is a bastion of secularization and that the founders were not particularly religious. David Sehat in his book, The Myth of American Religious Freedom, shows that religion has played a significant role in the United States, but that interaction is not always good in terms of individual actions and actually put the individuals of losing life, property and limb. Overall, Sehat’s books detail the moral establishment that was created around the time of the American Revolution and the various methods that were used in order for them to maintain their power. The book also details the way that religious and secular dissenters tried to push back against the moral establishment.

Abstract: The Moralistic Therapeutic Deism is a religion invisibly growing amongst U.S. teenagers. It is an interfaith religion which is has been developed on a book by Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton called Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers. The article on “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism” as U.S. Teenagers ' Actual, Tacit, De Facto Religious Faith ...

America is a unique nation with a diverse population, a unique culture, and an irreplaceable history; America has it all. Like every country, questions about America’s origin, values, and core beliefs continue to arise with a common question being “Is America a Christian nation?” There are those who profess with certainty that America is a Christian nation and there are those who proclaim profusely it is not. American history has been used by both sides to prove America’s religious or irreligious heritage. Which is it, Christian or non-religious? Based on overwhelming evidence displayed throughout America’s extraordinary history, America is indubitable a Christian nation and has been since its foundation. Displayed in historical American documents and in modern American emblems, America’s ties to Christianity are astonishing, and accurately represents the truth of America’s heritage, as well as what America is now.

“Religion is a ritualized system of beliefs and practices related to things defined as sacred by an organized community of believers.” (Basirico et.al. 379). Religion is an important element in the society because it influences the way individuals act and think. It has shaped the relationship and bonding among families as well as influenced the decision made in economics and politics. Religion in general has contributed to shape a society and a government structure which will influence the way the individuals under certain governmental structure behave. Sociologists are interested in religion mainly because religious belief is heavily rooted in individuals’ lives and it helps sociologists to interpret human’s actions, expression, and

Putnam and Campbell’s “America Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us” does a better job of foreshadowing the future religious landscape in the United States. The two authors use the concept of ‘shocks, aftershocks, and earthquakes’ in order to convey religious turbulence in the United States. The earthquake of the 1960s was the most significant indication of change in which there was a steep decline in religious observance (Putnam and Campbell, 97). The 1960s was a transitional time for the United States as the Civil Rights Movement, immigration reform, and the sexual revolution dominated American culture. These events displaced religion from the lives of Americans and thus became a clarion call for the transition away