As Stephen Prothero states in the article “Blind Faith” that Americans are some of the most religious people in the world, but that they are also the least knowledgeable about their religion. He states that
“Americans are also the most religiously ignorant people in the Western world. Fewer than half of us can identify Genesis as the first book of the Bible, and only one third know that Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. These are just two of the depressing statistics in Stephen Prothero's provocative and timely Religious Literacy. The author of American Jesus (2003) and the chair of the religion department at Boston University, Prothero sees America's religious illiteracy as even more dangerous than general cultural illiteracy ‘because religion is the most volatile constituent of culture, because religion has been, in addition to one of the greatest forces for good in world history, one of the greatest forces for evil’” (1).
Recently, The Daily Show did a stint where one of the reporters interviewed several people about the Rapture. Many of them believed heavily that followers of Christianity would be saved from the eventual end of days while those that did not follow Christianity would not. One interviewee was Scott Butcher, the creator of Raptureletters.com, a site that would email anyone that was left behind after the Rapture and would explain what had happened. He could not even answer a simple question when asked about a specific detail about the prophecies regarding the Rapture. The video is shown below.
It is finally the end of the year, and I found myself learning a lot in the Secular and the Sacred. I learned more about religion. I learned about stereotypes and how it can affect people. I even learned about how our generation is when it comes to technology. As a lot of our blog posts have been about texting and how are generation is dependent on being around people. I found an interesting article on cnn.com called "CNN 'twitterer' completes London Marathon." I found this article interesting because it was about a CNN journalist who decided to twitter about his London Marathon experience. Peter Wilkinson the CNN journalist, basically ran in the London Marathon which is just over 26 miles and while running he was texting to his twitter to update people about his event. While reading this article it made me wonder what this world really has come to, I use to run in high school and I cannot even imagine running and texting at the same time. The fact that he still ran the marathon in about three hours and 30 minutes still amazes me. I have recently learned about Twitter and what it is. What I have learned is that it is a way for people to "tweet" about what they are thinking or doing. It is a new form of Facebook and Myspace but a little more simpler and with less features. When reading the article and just learning about Twitter, it brings me back to one of our course readings, "The End of Solitude" by William Deresiezwick. In his article he explains how our generation has a really hard time being alone. He mentioned how some students have to have someone talking to them while they are trying to do homework. He also mentioned how we are scared to be alone, and how we rely on technology. In the article it shows that its not just our generation who is relying on technology. I find that a lot of the older generations are starting up Facebook pages, and are starting their own Twitter accounts. I am even finding that instead of a parent calling their children they text.
Twitter Fever! Dir. E! Perf. Joel McHale. Youtube. 23 Apr. 2009. .
In the video above it shows how a lot of celebrities are becoming a part of the Twitter community. When you look at the different celebrities talking about Twitter they are a part of the older generations. Also, it is a video to show how everyone seems to be a part of Twitter, and a lot of them are telling people to look at their Twitter page to get updates. It is basically a reach to the fans. But just as our generation alone it seems like another way to stay up to date with our friends, and to meet new people.
For months I had wanted to see the recently talked about film “Religulous” starring Bill Maher. The film goes on a journey throughout the United States and other countries to examine and satirize religion. Bill Maher does not necessarily refute religion, he just questions it. Maher believes that since he does not know if there is a God or an afterlife, he wants to hear from people who believe they do. He wants to see if there is someone out there that knows something he does not. Through these interviews, he attempts to prove his point that since we do not know what happens in the end and there is no possible way anyone else could. On the Jimmy Kimmel Show, Maher discusses that he wants to apply to the people who just claim, “I do not know”. He questions the turmoil religion creates. He claims that since each religion hypothesizes the end of the world or Armageddon, the followers of these beliefs are in reality going to cause this end because they are not in touch with reality. Since he is human along with the followers of these religions, if he lacks these examples, then so do they.
Although he uses the interviews to prove his point, he uses nearly lunatics of certain faiths to interview. One reverend that he interviewed told Maher that he was a pimp of the faith and that God wanted him to decorate himself with gold jewelry. He barely uses people who were devout, but did not push extremist ideas on others. My favorite interview that he did was with an Italian priest in front of the Vatican. It had to be in front because Maher had gotten kicked out. The man was about 80 years old and I could tell that Bill for once throughout the entire movie somewhat respected his beliefs. Instead of answering as many others did by saying his religion was right and Bill was wrong, all the man said was, “We live and die with our own stupid beliefs. Who are we to say they are correct?” This idea resonated with me and followed a somewhat similar belief. I have belief in something that watches over me, but I have no idea what it is. I can really follow Maher’s idea that since we do not know for sure, how can we fight and push for our beliefs to be in the forefront? Also, how can religion be so influential in government especially concerning large issues such as abortion and gay marriage?
An aspect that I disliked about the film was its reference to the Islamic faith being violent. Maher’s view of this religion was extremely Americanized. He used only examples of terrorist groups who followed Islam and completely dismissed the Muslim woman he interviewed. The woman attempted to talk about a similar theme that we have seen in The Secular and the Sacred. The idea that there are many different views and interpretations in each religion and the only part that is exemplified in American culture of Islam is terrorism.
Last week in class we were discussing how children should be raised. Does it matter if a child is raised by a mother and a father, or by a mother and a mother, father and a father? We came to the consensus that it really did not matter the sexual orientation of the parents, it is how the child is raised. When I was looking on CNN I came across this article. In the article by Jack Cafferty he is saying that there is no such thing as a perfect family. There is always going to be a level of dysfunction, and there will always be negative character traits. Also, in the article he talks about how parenting skills have been one of the reasons to why the school dropout rate is higher. Parents are lacking the skills of teaching their children manners which makes it hard for them to do well in school. In my opinion, it is how the parents raise their child. It does not matter what the parents sexual orientation is, it is how they decide to raise their child. Marriage today, does bring together a mother and a father, but it should also bring same sex couples together. In Mark Lilla's book The Stillborn God, he discussed that his book is about "how we perceive God and how it affects government." He goes on to talk about how religion has had such a huge impact on the government. Sometimes religion having an impact on the government can have a negative impact, there should be a limit to when religion should not be thought about. In this case, religion should be excluded to what marriage should be, if there is such a huge deal that marriage should only be of a man and a women then there should be another term for same sex marriage even though it would mean the same thing. If the couple are compatible and are functional enough to raise a child that is what is important. People get married because they feel that they are right for each other, then they have kids and feel that they still have to stay together because they do not want to hurt the child. When in fact it is hurting the child. The divorce rate today in America is high, it makes me wonder how many children are involved with the divorce. For me personally my parents are divorced and because I was at a older age when it happened I was able to understand the situation. But I wonder how other children take it and how it hurts them emotionally.
Eastwood, Matt. "What Children See Children Do." 6 Dec. 2006. Youtube.
In the video it shows how children see what their parents do and they copy. I have always looked up to my mother, and always watched how she responded to situations and how she carried herself. But I myself can say that I do have negative qualities, some I picked up from school, and others I have picked up from my living condition. Do you feel that the way you were raised has a bigger impact on your life? Or is it through your own life experiences?
This week in class we focused on Mark Lilla’s The StillBorn God. Lilla talks about this tension between government and religion. They seem to overlap making it very hard to keep politics out of religion and religion out of politics. We are having this issue right now in Vermont with legalizing same sex marriage. Many people are outraged at this proposal, supporting pins that say marriage = 1 man and 1 woman. One couple interviewed said “marriage is between a man and a woman that’s the way Gog designed us”. How do they know what God designed? Why is their religion right and others not? I am honestly outraged that people are involving themselves in matters that have no effect on their everyday life. While this may go against their religion, we live in a world where you are free to choose your own religion and should not force your religion on anyone. They should have no say over another’s happiness. This bill will give same sex couples more legal rights and the “pride” that comes with saying you are married. They are having a meeting tonight that is open for people to talk about the issue in Montpelier. This seems to be a problem for older adults who cannot accept a totally new idea that was banned during their era. I feel it is time for this change because it creates happiness for more people with little to no negative effect on others lives. Click here to watch video Here government is trying to pass a bill they believe will create marriage equality. If this bill is passed we will be the fourth state to legalize same sex marriage falling behind California, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Will this bill be able to pass and not let religious beliefs stop it?
I was really intrigued by the historical scale that was developed by Polybius. In today's government we see three prominent types of government working together to create our nation, we are not solely a democracy. Our democracy stems from the Legislative branch in which we have the good rule of many whom we elect. The President can be seen as a Monarch but again we elect him but we don't give him all the power. The Aristocracy can be seen in the Judiciary branch of government. They all work together to function as best it can without developing an oligarchy, tyrant or mob.
I was researching trying to find a children or young adult game that brings any one of the government forms into play. I came across a very interesting game called Civilization IV. "Indeed, while Civ IV deserves praise for integrating non-material elements like religion and culture into the game play, in the end these pieces suffer the same fate as the rest of the game's components. Civ IV, ultimately, is less about the development of civilization than it is about the expansion of imperial tyranny,"(Ballor). I think that games like this are educational but it's also rated E for everyone. I don't think that little kids should be playing games like this, they tend to have the disadvantage of having the power go to their head. I remember growing up my little brother started playing a karate video game and then started running around the house kicking everyone for about a week until my mom finally took the game away.
The idea of manipulating a society by means of religion, culture, money and economy sounds fascinating. It would be really cool if you could choose and manipulate the types of government played in the game. Having one ruler makes the game controller be either a tyrant or a monarch, I think that they would inevitably become a tyrant since the game is all about war and conquering land.
Ballor, Jordan J. "Power and Tyranny in Civilization IV." Home @ Blogcritics.org. 07 July 2008. .
I've always been interested in religion, but it hasn't been until recently that I've started noticing the subtle hints of it more main stream culture. While flipping through my music list, I happen to come across certain bands listed as Christian Rock that previously, I had believed to be completely without religious connotation.
A band called Demon Hunter, which I had originally thought was of the metalcore genre, is actually classified as Gospel music. The members themselves are Christian by faith and if you listen closely, you can hear them express. At first, I didn't believe it. I thought it was a misinterpretation by crazed evangelists trying to rationalize lyrics, especially since the instrumental portion was influenced by Machine Head and Living Sacrifice, both well established metal bands.
I listened more closely and realized that these weren't such stretched theories. In their song "Through the Black" much of what they're singing about is religiously affiliated.
In the lines "I follow the downside, I'm waiting for something else. I know that you'll be here and I'll be waiting," it can be inferred that the wait for contact from God, or the rise to heaven is what is being sun about. The entire song goes on in this manner, addressing the belief that God is always watching us, and that we'll be redeemed when he finally comes again.
Another band that threw me for a spin genre wise, was Blindside. Although they have a very alternative/metal feel, Blindside is classified as Christian Metal. In their album "About a Burning Fire," their spiritual side can be clearly seen through their lyrics. One of their songs, "Shekina," is actually the Jewish and Christian name for the outer presence of God's glory.
I also looked into their lyrics more deeply and realized that once again, religion had snuck it's way into my play list. The most notable song was the first song on "About a Burning Fire," called "Eye of the Storm."
This entire song is an allegory to religious growth and experience. The chorus reads "Please come closed, 'cause I don't even touch you anymore. Please see I'm walking into the eye of the storm, and I'll still come out loving you even more." To someone not looking, this may just seem like a love song, and in a way it is. On a deeper level it's about the experience of moving away from the your comfort zone, and still feeling him in your life.
These are only two examples, but there are many other bands that also have more secretive Christian roots. Anberlin, which was originally called Servants after God's own heart when it was only the bassist and singer, have Christian Punk roots that show in many of their lyrics. Skillet, which also has a rough sound bordering more on the Alternative/Industrial rock side, is also a Christian Rock band.
Some would think that with the name of Christian rock behind them, these bands would sell less because of their religious connotation, but in fact they are some of the top selling and most popular bands. As McDannell states in Material Christianity, "The commercial fascination with the material culture of Catholicism is currently widespread in the U.S." Religion has become fashionable, and even though we may not realize it, we're sporting it more now than ever. It's become an accessory, a genre, a culture outside of it's original contexts.
Coming from a person who is not spiritual, or even religious, this class has been an interesting experience thus far. In last week’s class my mind was able to reflect on what the meaning of religion is. Before coming into this class I thought that people turned to religion because it was a chance to be a part of something, and to be in a place of comfort and peace. Also, I saw religion being used by my family during a time of death, and a time for a family get together. But I learned that there may be more reasons to why people turn to religion. It may not be because people want to belong to a community that shares common beliefs, it may be because our society has made it so that religion is part of our everyday lives.
As McDannell had said in Material Christianity, “one of the reasons why the material dimension of American religious life is not taken seriously is because of how we describe the nature of religion.” I think that one of the reasons that I am not very spiritual is because I fall into number of Americans who don’t take religious life seriously. I was not pushed by my parents to go to church, or to learn the bible. My mom did not have me baptized because she wanted me to have the choice of picking the denomination of what I want to be a part of. One of the reasons I have yet to be baptized is because there are a lot of religions, and within these different religions there are different beliefs, and norms. I do believe in a higher power, but because there are a lot of religions and it is hard to find something that shares my personal views. Sometimes I wonder how many people are in my shoes, and do not have a religion to conform to because they cannot relate to their religion.
Hannah and Her Sisters. Dir. Woody Allen. Perf. Woody Allen. Youtube. 5 Feb. 2007.
I am at a point in my life where I can make my own decisions. However, I have yet to find a religious group that I fit into. I have the chance to question what religion means to me, and what it will do for me. Today, in America I feel that people do not have this opportunity because many people either are not raised with any kind of faith, or they are and have difficulty casting aside the faith their parents gave them. I feel lucky because my mom told me she wanted me to have the chance to choose my religious beliefs. As in the video above Woody Allen’s character is trying to convince his parents that he wants to follow Christianity but they have a hard time understanding his explorations because they were raised Jewish and did not ever worry about anything else. It is obvious that Woody Alan’s character wants to know more about life than what his current religion is offering.
If given the chance, would you choose to erase your religious background and start exploring faith anew?
This past week, we have been discussing a lot about symbols; ones that are important to us versus ones that are important to our major. As we outline our altar projects, we explore the significance of them. Symbols in general are used very frequently in our society, whether it be some association, group, league, organization or club. They are used to represent something other than what they appear to be. They represent events, places, people, groups and ideologies.
We use symbols very often, more than we actually realize... like metaphors! A metaphor expresses something unfamiliar in terms of something familiar. For example, "having a broken heart." You wouldn't think that just because a person's heart isn't literally broken in two that they're not experiencing any emotional pain. The untrue assumption that if an image isn't factually true, then the idea it represents must also be false. Likewise, from our reading in Material Christianity by Colleen McDannel, the author proposes that in Christian faith there are ideas that have been represented by all means of fictitious imagery. Some of it is for sure metaphorical; and some of it is reprehensibly literal. But the question of whether these images are just simply metaphors or literal descriptions of fantastical facts is a question completely separate from whether the ideas that the images represent are true.
Something important to me AND my major would be my degree. A degree, to me, symbolizes an education, career-orientation, focus, drive, motivation, and ambition. It also symbolizes an advantage. It's important to me because when my future employer looks at my resume and sees that I have a degree, I am for sure going to be getting the job over the other guy who doesn’t have a degree. Having a degree symbolizes the extra million dollar that I will be making versus not having one.
"According to the Census Bureau, over an adult's working life, high school graduates earn an average of $1.2 million; associate's degree holders earn about $1.6 million; and bachelor's degree holders earn about $2.1 million (Day and Newburger, 2002). A number of studies have shown a high correlation between higher education and cultural and family values, and economic growth. According to Elchanan Cohn and Terry Geske (1992), there is the tendency for more highly educated women to spend more time with their children; these women tend to use this time to better prepare their children for the future. Cohn and Geske (1992) report that "college graduates appear to have a more optimistic view of their past and future personal progress." Public benefits of attending college include increased tax revenues, greater workplace productivity, increased consumption, increased workforce flexibility, and decreased reliance on government financial support (Institute for Higher Education Policy, 1998)." (http://www.ericdigests.org/2003-3/value.htm)
...So does that mean that our failing economy may be symbolizing that we're not doing something right??
