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Mr. Reidy

Religion in American Culture -- Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life - 14 views

shared by Mr. Reidy on 02 Dec 13 - Cached
  • Based on interviews with more than 35,000 American adults, this extensive survey by the Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project details the religious makeup, religious beliefs and practices as well as social and political attitudes of the American public.
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    Hello APHUG! I hope you all had relaxing breaks. Looking forward to our upcoming chapter on Religion. As will be mentioned on Tuesday, I would like you to 1) bookmark and annotate (either in comments box or post-it note or both!) at least one SPECIFIC part of this "Religious Landscape Survey" website that helps you understand the geographical perspective of religion the most.  2) Explain your choice. 3) Create an authentic, relevant and real-world project task for this religion chapter that would require students to use the "Religious Landscape Survey" website. 4) Comment on at least one other person's response.  Due on Diigo by Thursday 11:59 PM.
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    http://religions.pewforum.org/maps, This is a map of the United States displaying the distribution of Evangelical Protestant Tradition. 2. I chose this map because Evangelical Protestant has one of the highest percentages for a denomination in the United States, meaning it is very popular. I thought it was very interesting how this tradition has a higher percentage in the Southeast regions of the United States, rather than the North or the West. This fits with many stereo-types about the South, which I also find interesting. 3. Analyze the map of Evangelical Protestant tradition in the United States and form a hypothesis explaining your results. Then explain whether or not this hypothesis applies to other dominant denominations in the United States and other places in the world, and why or why not. Is this specific to the United States? Maybe the students could even find research/surveys done on people's opinions of Southern people and how the data of their religion fits with these stereotypes.
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    Excellent explanation and project idea!
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    1. http://religions.pewforum.org/comparisons#, these charts show what people's affiliations are in terms of political party and important issues such as abortion and homosexuality. 2. I chose these charts because they really demonstrate the views people have based on their religion. Many religions have beliefs concerning different issues. Christians are normally don't support abortion because in the Bible it talks about a baby in the womb is already precious to God and thus it is a sin to kill the innocent baby. Christians are often times than not more conservative thus they are Republicans. Other religions are more liberal and thus they are affiliated with Democrats. 3. Pretend that you are trying to become the perfect president. What qualities and view points would you support or not support in order to please most of the population? (Yes it's not possible to please everyone, but how would you secure the majority of the population for voting you into office?) Think about issues such as abortion, homosexuality, size of the government and U.S. involvement in international affairs.
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    http://religions.pewforum.org/maps# a map of frequency of prayer accross the U.S 2. I chose this map because it displays how religious america is, as it shows high percentages of praying per day especially in the south, steriotypically the most religious area of the U.S. 3. Look at this map and explain what this map implys about this country and if that was what you expected
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    1. http://religions.pewforum.org/maps 2. I chose this map because it showed the frequency of attendance at religious services. I thought that was an interesting topic to examine because it shows how many people actually go to church, as opposed to people claiming they are a part of a certain religion, while not being active in the church. That is a powerful distinction. It showed that the Southern areas have higher attendance of religious services. 3. Look at the map about frequency of attendance at religious services and compare that to the different religions present in those areas. Is there a correlation between attendance and the type of religion practiced in a region?
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    Allyson- I thought your project idea was a fantastic idea. It was very creative and well thought out. Nice work.
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    1.http://religions.pewforum.org/comparisons# 2. I found that age affects the population of certain religions to be fascinating. It was interesting to see the way age affiliated with religion. Younger people (18-29) tend to have equal numbers between all religions but when they become older (30-49) they tend to move towards Islam, Hinduism, and Catholic Christian. 3. Examine the data shown on the affiliation between religion and age and explain why each age differs in their religious practices.
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    Nicole- Your project idea is great and I like the explanation you gave on the views of the political parties when discussing religion.
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    Nathan- I like your task. It does a good job of using the map and another map to make connections and comparisons to figure of the why of where!
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    1. http://religions.pewforum.org/comparisons# (Make sure to click on the tab labeled "Income distribution of Religious Traditions) 2. I had chosen this particular topic because I wanted to debunk many of the stereotypical associations we as a society put on numerous religions. For example, I wanted to find proof that linked Jews with large fortunes or discover some statistic that linked people of color with poverty. To my surprise, the above statements held some truth. Over 46% of the people that practice Judaism hold a job that makes them over 100,000 dollars a year and about 47% percent of those who attend historically black churches make less then 30,000 dollars a year. 3. Explain the connection between a particular group's religious beliefs and how much money they make within a year. Make sure to include details about their lifestyle(Simple or Hectic), the value they put on education, and types of jobs each group holds (White or Blue Collar and examples).
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    Nicole- I enjoyed your reasoning regarding the information you discovered detailing religious beliefs and their connection with political views. Also, I find your project very creative and rather challenging.
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    1) http://religions.pewforum.org/maps : This is a map of the United States showing the where the Mormon tradition is most prominent. 2) I decided to look at Mormons because it is a religion that is not very popular, and I am interested in learning more about it. By the website, it says that it is a sect of christianity, though many would think otherwise. Also, my friends have been watching 'The Book of Mormon' on Broadway. The percentage of Mormon's in the US is around 2%. Most of the country remains relatively lacking in this religion...until you reach West. Salt Lake City, Utah is considered the hearth of the mormon faith in the US. Here the population is 51-100% Mormon. Around Utah, especially Westward, Mormonism becomes more popular, most likely spreading through relocation diffusion. 3) Explain the success of Mormonism in the West versus the East. What are some of the reasons that would make the East less open to the Mormon tradition. Explain why Mormonism has a stronghold in Utah
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    Clay-I liked your project idea! Good job!
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    1) http://religions.pewforum.org/maps This map portrays the importance of religion in one's life across the United States. 2) I chose this map because I found it interesting how religious importance varies across an area. The most dramatic difference in religious importance is between Mississippi and neighboring states, such as Florida and Georgia, for Mississippi views religion being involved in daily life as vitally important, believed by 81% of the residents. Viewing the United States as a whole, 56% see their religion as crucial in everyday life, while 26% see religion as somewhat important, 16% view religion as not very important, and 1% as refusing to practice a religion. This describes how various religions in diverse regions cause differing views on the importance of religion. 3) Explain the correlation between the predominate Protestant areas of Central and Southeast United States with the differentiating views of the importance of religion in one's life. Also, when told that Utah is inhabited by numerous Latter-day Saint members, but surrounding states, such as Nevada, are mostly Catholic, explain the relation of Utah encompassing a different value of the importance of religion from other Western states.
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    Jared- I like how your task relates analyzing religious beliefs to income and style of living, such as a person's job or their value on education. I find this intriguing, but also challenging.
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    1)http://religions.pewforum.org/maps 2) This is a map of frequency of prayer. I think that it is interesting that, even though most Americans believe in a God, the percent of those who pray (a way of practicing religion) goes down. Also the percent of those who pray vary on the area, for example in the South the percentage ranges from around 71-80% but in the New England area it ranges from around 41-50%. This has a lot to do with the way parents raise their children and how influenced from the outside world the children are. The reason the number in the south may be so high is because of isolation allowing traditional customs to continue on without influence from those who practice different religions. Barriers that restrict language in the past unit can also work to restrict religion. 3)Compare other areas of the United States and try to access why they practice their religion more so than other areas. Use geological features and factors that might hinder diffusion or allow it to occur at a faster rate.
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    Jared- I liked your assessment and I thought it was clever that you chose something relatable to most Americans. Also I liked your task idea and how it will get people to think about religion and it relating to other aspects of life.
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    1) http://religions.pewforum.org/maps 2)This is the map of the percentage of Mormons in Utah. I find this interesting for the fact that I do not know very much about the Mormon faith. I also chose Utah because I know that is the area that is suppose to have the highest amount of Mormons since their main temple is in Salt Lake city. Also my interest comes from the fact that many people consider Mormons a cult. In fact that does not to be true at all. Mormons have a significant amount of followers. This consists of 58% of the people in Utah and 2% of the entire United States. It is for this reason that I chose to look at the Mormons in Utah for the sole reason that it interests me to learn more about what I don't know about. 3) If I were to give an assignment to the class involving this data I would ask that the class look at the percentage of Mormons in Utah and then look at other states and look at their percentage of Mormons. Then I would have them record the highest and lowest three percents and form a thesis on why these areas have the amount of Mormons present as they do.
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    To Jared- I can see why you'd want to look at certain stereotypes involving certain faiths for it is an interesting topic that is a matter of debate and tension among religious groups. As for your project I think it would be very interesting to see how the characteristics of faiths could affect their financial standings. In other words I like it.
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    Nick- I think that the correspondence between age and religion is very interesting as well. Great project idea!
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    1. http://religions.pewforum.org/maps# This is a map showing the amount of people that practice Hinudism in America. 2. I wanted to check out this specific part of the website because I was curious about the statistics of Hinduism in the US, if any. I wasn't surprised to find out that only 0.5% of the American population practices this religion because it's considered an ethnic religion and is therefore tied to one location, which is primarily India. This also means that it doesn't diffuse to other areas very often. 3. Examine the map that breaks down the different religions that are practiced in the US and explain why they do or don't make sense from a geographic standpoint as well as a cultural standpoint.
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    Ally- Your project idea is so thorough and carefully thought out. Well done!
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    1. http://religions.pewforum.org/maps 2. This particular map drew my attention, because many believe in God, but not everyone carries out the duties of their religion. It was surprising to see that just 58% of people pray at least once a day. Knowing that Christianity is an extremely dominant religion in the US, the percentage should be higher. Prayer is an important part of any religion, and certainly Christianity. This stat shows America is not very devout. 3. Compare America's average amount of prayer with that of countries on multiple continents to study how closely certain religions are followed and practiced in different places in the world.
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    Nathan- Your project was clever and it would be very interesting to view the results
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    1) http://religions.pewforum.org/comparisons# 2) This particular set of percentages really helped me to understand how religions are really spread throughout the US. I think that it is amazing how many people actually are Christians in the US. I feel like the percentage should be higher, compared with the video of the spreading religions we watched in class. There are many people who just don't worship a God, and I feel like that is a large part of our country's identification now. 3) Look at how the different denominations and branches of Christianity compare to the rest of the religions in the US, such as Islam, and Buddhism, and show how they relate to each other in many different ways.
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    Isabella - I really liked your project idea and I thought that it was very well thought through. I also liked how you connected everything together with your paragraph.
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    Nathan: Cool project Idea!! I love it! That would be a really interesting overlaying of maps. You could get a map of average times people spend per week on religions services or things to do with their denomination, and then overlay it with the churches of that region. That would be totally interesting. Good job!!
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    Isabella~ I think it's interesting how faiths differ- both internally and when compared to other religions. A denomination like Catholicism seems to be so strict and almost confining, and adherence to the rules is of the highest importance, while other Christian denominations are more open to individual views and interpretation. In comparison to the Muslim faith, where one even has to change the way they dress in some circumstances, it feels like Christianity isn't strict at all! These factors concerning strictness of religions can be connected with how often followers pray and attend services.
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    Hayley- Analyzing the reasons for the distribution of Mormons in the U.S. would be really interesting, especially why people in the west would be more willing to accept Mormon beliefs than in the east. In relation to that topic, you could also research whether there are Mormons outside the U.S., how many, and why and how the religion diffused there.
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    Nicole your project idea is fantastic! I love how you described it and the whole idea in general. I believe that the project would be difficult enough for an AP class but you described it perfectly.
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    http://religions.pewforum.org/comparisons# 2) This is a chart of the income distribution between the different religions. I choose this chart because I think it is interesting to see the distribution of wealth between different religions. 3) The students would have to compare the differences in wealth between universalized and ethnic religions. Then the could research a religion with an abundance or wealth and one with poor wealth and find out what job(s) the majority hold.
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    1. http://religions.pewforum.org/portraits The map shows that 52% of people attending evangelical churches are conservative which helps me see the relationships between evangelical churches and political views. 2. I chose this map because I practice Lutheran which can be closely tied to evangelical churches and sometimes are combined. It is interesting to learn what political views can be related with the Evangelical church 3. Using this website students could take a map of the US and the areas where different religions are found. Then compare this to a map of political views for those religions. The students will determine any patterns between religions and their political views and where they are located in the US.
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    Olivia it is interesting to see what religions have more wealth and possibly where they are located. Also for your project it would be cool to compare the US Christianity and say Africa's Christianity and find the wealth for both. Obviously the US would have more wealth but it would be interesting to see if Chirstianity in the US has the highest wealth compared to other religions in the US and if the same things works for Christianity in Africa.
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    http://religions.pewforum.org/portraits 1) With a visual representation with a pie graph, this shows how specifically how Muslims live in the United States, for example, the different regions such as the Northwest, Midwest, South and West. Though the numbers of Muslims in the United States are small they still practice what they believe and the numbers are growing, with the biggest group being in the ages of 30-49. 2) I choose this religion primarily because it is a growing religion in the United States and it is interesting to see the demographics of the people who practice Islam. I choose this section also because I could compare the Islam to other religions such as Christianity, and what surprised me was how many Muslims there are in the Northeast. 3) Why is the religion of Islam growing in the United States? Use examples from the Demographic Transition Model and the Migration Transition Model to explain your answer. Explain where this religion is found outside of the United States and how it spread from its hearth to where it is today. Is political and social unrest common in regions with this religion? Explain why/ why not this may be the case.
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    http://religions.pewforum.org/maps and select, "Mormon Tradition" under the section of "Religious Groups". This map is the percentage of the U.S. adult population that is affiliated with the Mormon tradition. 2.) I chose this map because I was interested where the most concentrated area of Mormons in the U.S. was. I do not really know that much about the Mormon faith and was wondering if there was a large population located near us. I found this not to be the case because the state with the largest Mormon concentration is Utah. All the other states where the population of Mormons was larger than 4% were all found in the east of the U.S also. 3.) My project would be for students to first learn about the Mormon tradition compared to other dominant religions in the U.S. The students would then take the things they learned about Mormons and study this map of their distribution. The students would then be required to apply their knowledge of Mormons and explain why the largest percentage of the population affiliated with this tradition is located in the West compared to other regions in the U.S.
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    Jared- Your project is very interesting and is a great idea! I really like how you want students to connect a group's religious beliefs to their lifestyle and how they value education, and the jobs they have. Great choice!
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    Kelly- it is interesting that you chose Hinduism as religion to study and prove that it is not a common practiced religion in the United States. I enjoyed your project idea because it is a different point of view trying to find whether or not a religion makes sense in a certain region or not based on the distribution that occurred in the past.
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    http://religions.pewforum.org/maps - This is a map that shows the percent of each states population that believes in God. 2.) I chose this because I was interested in seeing where the most concentrated percentages of people that believe in God occur. The map showed that the south east region of the U.S except for Florida had the highest percent of people that strongly believed in God. It also showed that the west coast had the lowest percent. This is interesting because the south east is considered the bible belt and this area has a reputation for being predominantly Christian. 3.) For my project I would have students look at the different percentages of religious beliefs and practices in each state and compare it to the religion distribution in the states. Then the student would have to explain why or why not the percentages of religious beliefs and practices make sense or not compared to the main religions belief.
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    Cameron- I think it was good that you connected this website back to the demographic transition model and the migration transition model. This is the kind of thinking the Mr. Reidy would be proud of.
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    Nicole, I love your idea! Not only are you learning about a majority of faiths in America, but you get to attack certain issues head on! This certainly beats just writing a paragraph!
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    http://religions.pewforum.org/comparisons# This graph shows what political parties a certain religion is most affiliated to. 2. I chose this because the beliefs that a specific religion has affects which political party they affiliate with. They would choose a party with similar views as themselves. Most of the religions have a majority in the Democratic Party, but Jehovah's Witnesses have a majority in no proference/don't know. This group is the "odd man out" as it has relatively low percent of followers that are affiliated with the Democratic Party. 3. I would have students look at this data and a map of the U.S. of where each religion is mostly located and what political preference they have at election time, and determine if the data with the religions matches up with the data of the political parties of each state.
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    Olivia- Interesting project idea. One would believe that universalizing religions would be tend to be wealthier, but then to find ethnic religions that are wealthy, or universalizing religions that are poor when researching. Also to find differences in wealth of the same religion, but in different areas of the world.
willowyorlets

Jerusalem: Don't call it a religious conflict - Opinion - Al Jazeera English - 0 views

  • Those who insist on stressing the religious dimension are bolstered by the reaction from Hamas to this attack, as the Islamist group has, with bleak predictability, praised and celebrated it.
  • For some months now, this hard right coalition government has not just tolerated but actively supported a movement agitating for "Jewish prayer rights" at Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif - a sacred site to both Muslims and Jews.
  • This movement goes against a long-established status quo agreement, whereby non-Muslims can visit, but not worship at this holy site housing both the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. 
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  • the issue is political, not religious
  • But pushing this conflict into the religious realm, defining it as a "religious war", serves a clear political purpose. It means the Israeli government can bind its cause with the "war on terror", claiming that Palestinians are just like ISIL in their motivation - a hyper-violent, hyper-fundamentalist jihadi mission rather than a quest for self-determination. It deprives Palestinians of cause or motivation, save for just one factor: religious hatred.
  • religious-hate
  • with religion so rampantly abused to weaponise increasingly brutal wars in the Middle East, the worst thing we could do is to frame the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as religious. Now more
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    These territorial conflicts are coming to be due to the fact that Islamic and Jewish Holy Lands are build right on top of each other and these two groups have to fight for control. Why can't Jerusalem just become a non governed state? Why do any of the conflicting religions need control?
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    My article relates similarly to your article. Religions have different beliefs and outlooks on certain things and it gets in the way and causes problems. All over the world there are tons of religious issues, but I think this is one of the most important since it has been continuing for many decades. What will they do to resolve the issue? How will they solve it?
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    I think its cool that your article, Lexi, connected to willows! This whole issue is fascinating and scary! Great article!
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    Eena - Why is this issue fascinating and scary to you?
dknepper

Jerusalem synagogue attack sparks fear of descent into religious war | World news | The... - 0 views

  • four rabbis and a Druze policeman were killed by two Palestinian cousins in a morning attack
  • bullet hole
  • No one expected this to happen here. We are religious here. And we believe God has a plan. Which is why you will not hear people here shouting for revenge and arguing about whether we should talk peace or not talk peace or fight. We leave that to the politicians.”
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  • Pope Francis voiced dismay at the “alarming increase in tension in Jerusalem” and appealed to both sides to take the “courageous decisions” needed to achieve peace.
  • much of the tension since the summer was being driven by still strong anger among Palestinians over the murder of teenager Mohammed Abu Khdeir, as well as a deep anxiety over perceived Jewish encroachment into the Noble Sanctuary, known to Jews as the Temple Mount.
  • The situation is worsening already hostile relations between Israel’s prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas.
  • “wave of Palestinian terror starting to resemble a religious war”, Amos Harel in Haaretz has blamed both sides, the Israeli government for contributing “to the emphasis on the religious component of the conflict by demonstrating helplessness in the face of recent efforts by right-wing [Jewish] activists to change the status quo regarding Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount”. On the Palestinian side, he added: “Defending al-Aqsa Mosque [on the holy site] provides an appropriate excuse for the recent terror perpetrators.”
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    This article discusses the Israeli-Palestine conflict and how that has turned into many cruel acts of violence. What would possess someone to kill these men, especially on the stairs of a holy place?
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    Four rabbis and a policeman were killed by 2 palestinians inside of a jewish synagogue, and many people fear that the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is becoming a religious war, since they have different beliefs. Why would the Palestinians decide to attack the Israelis?
baileyanderson

Fear of deadly 'religious war' between Jews and Muslims raised after synagogue attack -... - 2 views

  • far-reaching religious confrontation between Jews and Muslims.
  • “All of us are scared that there will be a religious war, that extremists from both sides will start fighting each other,
  • Jewish activists have been pressing the Israeli government to insist that Jews be allowed to pray on the raised esplanade, which also harbors the al-Aqsa mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam.
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  • ade clear that they wanted to end the Israeli occupation of what they consider their lands.
  • We condemn all acts of violence,”
  • . All it does, the imam said, “is make the people more angry.”
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    This article talks about the ongoing religious conflict in Israel and Palestine. For decades they have been fighting over the land that holds there holy spaces. I wonder if this conflict will ever end.
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    I feel as if this conflict will always be around no matter what the situation is like. In this case, I don't know if there is any way to make all involved happy, since the Muslims and Jews have strong religious ties to the area.
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    Emily- I agree, I think believe that it will take a very long time for this conflict to be resolved. I know earlier in the year attacks between Jerusalem and Palestine were vast and prevalent. Since both religious groups have ties to the land it will be very hard to achieve peace.
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    Sadhana- I agree that peace will be very difficult to achieve. They both want different things for themselves and the conflict will take time to resolve.
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    Bailey- I agree that the conflicts end is to be questioned. The idea shown in the article that neither side is willing to compromise is one of the largest issues in my opinion. The holy sites are so close together which makes both sides want the land enough that they will go to extreme lengths to defend it.
jlandis3

Gov't plan to select Syrian refugees by religion criticized | Ottawa Citizen - 0 views

  • UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres has not commented on the Conservative government’s push to prioritize religious minorities as a condition for resettling thousands more Syrian refugees over the next two years.
  • UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres has not commented on the Conservative government’s push to prioritize religious minorities as a condition for resettling thousands more Syrian refugees over the next two years.
  • Instead, the UN has been quietly resisting Canada’s request, as its policy is to help the most vulnerable, no matter their religious background.
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  • In his letter to Guterres, NDP foreign affairs critic Paul Dewar notes the UN urges countries not to select refugees with “discriminatory selection criteria” such as ethnicity or religion.
  • In his letter, Dewar says the NDP agrees with the UN that “refugee applications should be assessed on the basis of need, not on the basis of religion, ethnicity, or any other characteristic.”
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    The article specifically relates to why territorial conflicts arise among religious, ethnic, or national groups, in this instance it is more focused on religious groups, because it shows that these conflicts sometimes come from feelings that certain religions attract conflict, so there is a desire for a country to separate themselves from religions associated with conflict. Will any countries place sanctions on Canada, if they feel that Canada is being discriminatory?  This current event connects to a main APHUG concept of asking the why of where.  Why is Canada discriminating against certain groups with certain religions from Syria?
alexandergray

Religion makes Israeli-Palestinian conflict more volatile | CCTV America - 0 views

  • Religious leaders have asked both sides to back away from a blood feud based on religion.
  • Muslims and Jews feel threatened by a possible loss of control over sites that both consider sacred. Both turned houses of worship into battlegrounds.
  • “A religious war usually is motivated by a belief that God is on your side. God is a very potent actor in international relations. You are ready to make great sacrifices. You have great patience, which means you are ready to fight for a long time if God is on your side,”
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    The religious aspect of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is explored in light of a recent firefight. Why would both sides take shelter in their respective religious places of worship? Wouldn't that be against the rules both religions have to bring a conflict into a religious place? 
Padraic Manning

Religious Affiliations and Percentage Practiced In the United States - 3 views

    • Bronte Lebo
       
      2) This map is very interesting because it shows what the majority of Americans in different reasons believe about their religion. The unique thing about this map is that it represents all religions, not just one. I looked in particular at the map of how strongly people view their religion as the one true faith. A relatively low number of people agree with this, which is probably why there aren't many huge religious conflicts in the United States. 3) For a project, I would ask students to look at this map and identify the states with the highest percentage of people who believe that their religion is the one true faith. Then I would have them research religious conflicts in these areas. We would then compare this research with data about states that had the lowest percentage of people who agreed with the statement. This would show if there is a correlation between religious conflict and the belief that a certain religion is the only right way. 
    • Bronte Lebo
       
      Elina: your observations make sense because the South East is the Bible belt, so there are probably a lot more people there who believe in God. It's interesting that Colorado is so much lower than all of the states around it too.
    • Mr. Reidy
       
      Good observation, Bronte. Why does Colorado seem to be not as "mainstream religious" as other states?
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    1) This map depicts the various religions, denominations, and sects within the United States. It shows how these faiths are distributed across the nation and how dense they are in their respective locations. This map is invaluabe in describing what Americans believe and where they do so. 2)I chose this map because of how helpful and powerful it is. It does a fantastic job at being straigh forward in showing the geographer where different faiths reside. From this information, the human geographer can make powerful inferences on why things are the way they are regarding religion. 3) Using the "Religious Landscape Survey" website, the students should write a well-thought-out response answering the prompt "How are different faiths distributed across America?"
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    I agree with you, Liam. The map does an excellent job of showing the distribution of the different religions across the United States. The maps themselves would help others to preform your project idea. It would involve what we have learned in the past about migration, but would also tie in what we have learned about religion so far.
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    1.) The map on this webpage displays the distribution of certain religions within the US. For example, it shows that Protestantism and Catholicism are the two most dominant religions within the US. 2.) I chose this part of the survey because it provided me with a visual aid of the distribution of religions within the US. Also, it shows the distribution of specific religions within certain states. 3.) Create a visual representation of the distribution of a religion of your choice within the US, and provide some insight learned from this unit (and others) in order to explain the cause of the religion's distribution.
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    Liam, I agree that the map has power in the way it displays the distribution of different faiths. The visual representation is helpful in understanding a religion's distribution.
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    Very impressive, APHUG! It's a pleasure reading all of your online text transactions. I'm recording these excellent task ideas, too. See you all Friday.
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    This map portrays the percentage of each state in which citizens answer whether religion is "very important" in their life or not. 2. Not only can we learn the number of citizens who truly value their religion in either a widespread or specific area, but also come to some conclusions on what possible dominant religion that area is ruled by. For example, the states of Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Louisiana all have very high percentage rates in which the citizens say their religion is very important in their life. From prior knowledge we know this is around the "Bible Belt" area, and can assume that these states are predominately Protestant. In state such as California and Nevada, the percentage rates of the citizens who feel that religion is important to their life is relatively low. Especially on the West Coast, religion isn't well known. 3. A project I feel that would be beneficial and "real world" like would be to survey students at our own High School, asking the same question; whether religion is "very important" in their life. Of course you can't force students to take the survey, but it would be interesting to examine the results gathered from responses of fellow classmates.
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    Nathan V- I really like the creativity of your project. There are definitely a few important correlations between amount of attendance at services and the predominant religion in the area. Great connection.
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    1. This map shows all the religions practiced in the United States and exactly what percentage of people practice each religion. You can also click a link that shows us how many people actively practice their religion. 2. I chose this because it is interesting to see exactly what religions are being practiced and if people are actually practicing their religion. 3. I think an interesting project idea would be to first, take a survey of the people in your neighborhood of what religion they practice. Secondly, take a survey of how many actively practice their religion. Then look up the same statistics for 2000 and compare the results to see how it has changed. After make a presentation/power point showing these results seeing whether more people practice their religions or not now a days as opposed to 13 years ago.
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    Brendan- I love your project idea. I think it would be more beneficial than just writing or creating a visual representation because it would be more like you're doing real field work and it would be more real life than writing about the map.
rscolforo

Atheists: the new persecuted minority, international report concludes (COMMENTARY) - Re... - 1 views

  • Atheists, humanists and liberals are now the targets of hate campaigns, according to a new Freedom of Thought Report, which found that some countries find the idea of atheism as a popular movement a threat to the prevailing order.
  • And in a more widely reported story in June, Egyptian authorities proposed an organized campaign against atheists.
  • To some readers, maybe this won’t sound very controversial. But imagine the developments above, applied to other groups: The Jews are “deviant.” The Muslims are a kind of “new religion” that will bring down the state. Or, Christian thought is a form of “terrorism.”
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    This conflict connects to territorial conflicts among religious groups because it talks about how various countries are starting to persecute Atheists and target them with hate campaigns. Why have countries started to bring up the past of Religious prosecution if it destroyed so many lives in events like The Holocaust?
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    This is different from the religious conflicts we discussed in class because the conflict between Palestine and Israel is mainly over the land, whereas this example of persecution is a result of the concept of atheism. In addition, Saudi Arabia, one of the countries mentioned in the article, is almost all Muslim and religious freedom is virtually nonexistent. Of course a country like this one will not tolerate atheists as other religions and freedoms are also extremely restricted.
loganknepper

Religious Discord Menaces Mideast as Israel-Palestinian Peacemaking Fails - Businessweek - 1 views

  • An undercurrent of religious strife has burst to the fore in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, threatening to turn a political battle over land into a war of faiths between Muslim and Jew.
  • “If a political conflict is transformed into a religious war between Muslims and Jews, it becomes impossible to solve since religious problems tend to be absolutist.”
  • The radicals’ growing influence has changed the face of the Arab world, a change that “is also happening very quickly now in Palestinian society,” Ben-Zur said. In this combustible environment, Israeli officials must avoid actions or comments that can be interpreted as anti-Muslim, especially where the Jerusalem shrine is concerned, he said.
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    This article is about the Palestinian conflict we have been discussing in class, and how it seems to be turning from a racial to a religious war, changing from bad to worse. How much longer can this region go before full-out war begins? What other countries may be dragged into a possible war?
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    I think because of the histories of the two places and the fact that what is happening now is because of years of increasing tensions and dangerous conditions, this conflict will not be solved soon, and because of that, it will only get worse. Both groups want the territory, but one group was placed there (the Jewish people by the British) so they spread and began to dominate, claiming it as theirs.
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    I agree with Alex, the tension in this region is historic and recently rekindled with the insertion of Israel back into this area. The conflict there is essentially a time bomb on its final countdown and is not likely to be dismantled before it goes off. From my perspective there is no way to stop it unless one religion is removed which is even more impossible.
bbaker2

Sectarian tensions high, say Australian Muslim leaders - CNN.com - 0 views

  • Muslim community leaders in Australia say sectarian tensions are soaring, as radicalized Sunni youth, inspired by ISIS, seek to import the religious conflicts wracking the Middle East.
  • a 47-year old Shia leader was shot in the shoulder early Monday morning, as worshipers observed the Shia ritual of Ashura.
  • Shia community focused around the Islamic center in Greenacre, south-west Sydney
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  • "Anyone who speaks against the fighting in Syria and advocating the government to take action against people in Iraq and Syria -- they are threatened and attacked."
  • brutal Syrian conflict, and the appeal of ISIS to radicalized Sunni youth in Australia.
  • Sunni extremist group, which controls large swathes of Syria and Iraq.
  • Sectarian tensions were a new phenomenon for Australia's Muslim community
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    Sunni extremists, who are supporting ISIS, have launched attacks against Shia Muslims in Australia to bring religious conflict from the Middle East. Why are they launching attacks on groups within the same religion as them? Why do Sunni extremists feel the need to get Australia involved in the religious conflicts from the Middle East after they've managed to avoid conflict for a long time?
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    The Shiites and Sunnis have been fighting ever since the death of Mohommad over who would be Mohommad's sucessor.
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    I think that Sunni extremists and Shia Muslims, even though they are both Islamic, have different beliefs, and they each believe that they are correct. The Sunni extremists, are exactly what they say they are...extremists; AKA people who will go to extreme measures to fight for what they believe. If something the Shia Muslims are saying or doing is counteracting what the Sunni extremists believe, they will quickly result to violent action to try to put an end to it. Also, if they can "take over" Australia and make it Islamic, more specifically Sunni, then they will have more money and power...which is the reason this is such a large territorial conflict.
ecahill1

Religious conflict in global rise - report - Telegraph - 0 views

  • Violence and discrimination against religious groups by governments and rival faiths have reached new highs in all regions of the world except the Americas, according to a new report by the Pew Research Centre.
  • Results for strong social hostility such as anti-Semitic attacks, Islamist assaults on churches and Buddhist agitation against Muslims were the highest seen since the series began, reaching 33 percent of surveyed countries in 2012 after 29 percent in 2011 and 20 percent in mid-2007.
  • The five countries with the most government restrictions on religion are Egypt, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia.
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    Religious conflicts are reaching new highs around the world as the government puts more restrictions on the faith of the people.  Why does the government restrict religions and what do the people or government gain from these restrictions?
adamlaudenslager

The Daily Tar Heel :: Religious beliefs create conflict over gay marriage for NC officials - 2 views

  • Six county magistrates have resigned from their positions, saying they can’t grant gay marriage licenses due to religious convictions.
  • She said she thinks magistrates have a right to sue the state for violating their religious freedom.
  • “Even those magistrates who may be uneasy or reluctant about it will see that the ceremonies have become even more common. They’ll probably see people they know getting married. Folks will get used to it.”
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    This article relates to the religion of Christianity and its belief of disapproval of gay marriage. Why will the magistrates not marry gay couples if it is legal, but even still it is not the magistrates who are gay, it is only the people they are marrying?
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    Putting personal beliefs aside, if North Carolina were to ban gay marriage like this for religious reasons, it would be a violation of the first amendment. There should not be a conflict if one side violates the rights of people.
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    In my own opinion, and this is something I fear will happen frequently, is that America is slowly becoming less of a country that has freedom OF religion and more of a country where there is freedom FROM religion. I think the magistrates should be able to practice their own beliefs even if there are some who disagree.
fruszkowski

Taliban school attack: 145 killed in Pakistan siege - CNN.com - 1 views

  • By the time the hours-long siege at Army Public School and Degree College ended early Tuesday evening, at least 145 people -- 132 children, 10 school staff members and three soldiers
  • The attack drew sharp condemnation from top Pakistani officials, who vowed that the country wouldn't stop its war against the Taliban.
  • But he said the ambush at the school is another example of how great his nation's sacrifices have been in fighting that's raged for more than a decade.
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  • Peshawar, an ancient city of more than 3 million people tucked right up against the Khyber Pass, has often found itself in the center of it all. Militants repeatedly targeted the city in response to Pakistani military offensives,
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    The extremist Islamic group Taliban has attacked a Pakistani school for religious purposes. These conflicts occur because of strong religious opposition to modern government.Why would they target children of all people.
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    I know that the extremist group, the Taliban, hate western views because they are very religious in the Islamic faith, but I also find it strange that the Taliban would attack a school full of children. Maybe it was to really cause an impact on the people living in Pakistan and to make those people scared.
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    Its such a shame that the Taliban commits these kinds of acts because it gives muslims in general a bad reputation even though REAL muslims condone their acts and have no affiliation with them. This also causes racism towards muslims because unfortunately the Taliban is the only thing we hear about that is affiliated with muslims from western media.
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    The Taliban are a vile extremist group of Islam, and unfortunately very loud, we sadly only hear horrible, violent things from such a peaceful religion.
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    I also agree with Alec, people are racist to those who look middle eastern, just because of the horrible terrorists out there. It doesn't even matter if they are Islam, let alone extremists.
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    Nice thread of discussion. How are stereotypes formed?
smarikunte

EU parliament backs Palestinian state 'in principle' | World news | The Guardian - 3 views

  • Israel has been hammered by a series of diplomatic rebuffs across Europe after the European parliament voted overwhelmingly for qualified recognition of the Palestinian state.
  • Palestinian statehood and call for an end to Israeli occupation.
  • The rare international meeting in Switzerland of the high contracting parties to the Geneva conventions was boycotted by Israel, the US, Canada and Australia.
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  • 498 votes to 88, stated: “The European parliament supports in principle recognition of Palestinian statehood and the two-state solution, and believes these should go hand in hand with the development of peace talks, which should be advanced.”
  • The Jordanian-backed draft, which the US is almost certain to veto, sets a November 2016 deadline for an Israeli withdrawal.
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    To achieve peace in the Middle East, the European Union voted on a bill presented by Jordan. The bill states that Palestine should be recognized as a 'principle state'. The US and Israel both strongly oppose this bill. The conflict has escalated in the past years. This territorial conflict is occurring because two religious groups want the same sacred holy land. How is the bill going to affect Israel and Palestine in the future?
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    This is a fascinating conflict. Why do you think that the two opposing religious groups cannot agree to share the Holy Land and thereby resolve the conflict? Will there ever be a solution to this?
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    Sadhana and Jenna - I don't think there will ever be an end to this. If one side gets control, the other will never be happy and they won't stop until they get it, and so on. I don't think they can ever agree because they both feel that it should be their own and don't want the other to get the land. I almost feel like because its been going on for so long, there will never be an end since they are both so determined to control it.
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    Jenna, I think that the two opposing religious groups cannot agree to share the Holy Land and create a resolution because both have significant holy sites that are close to one another (e.g. The Dome of the Rock is close to the Western/Wailing Wall). I think that there could be a solution to this because if some Palestinian areas could see the need for Israel to have the land that it does currently and its right to exist, then the problem could be resolved.
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    Jenna, Since both religions have holy spots in this area, what do you think the best way to solve this issue would be? Is the U.N at a place to solve this conflict or should people who are more directly involved with the conflict be the ones who have more of a say in the peace talks?
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    I only see two possible solutions, both flawed. Somehow, I believe that the two religious groups could find a way to coexist, allowing them both to have access to their holy sites, but this would mean accepting the fact that the other is there. This seems unlikely to happen. Another option is to not let either group have it, and that way neither could be angry that the other possesses it. This, however, is also unlikely seeing how each group strongly refuses to give up its sites. They would fight until death for access. I really don't see this conflict ending any time soon.
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    Interesting solutions to the conflict. Why do you think the United States government has been pro-Israel since the creation of the state in the 1940s?
pekeefer

Taliban Suicide Bombers Strike at Bank in Southern Afghanistan - NYTimes.com - 3 views

  • Suicide bombers attacked a bank in a provincial capital in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing at least 10 people, officials said
  • The last attacker’s suicide vest did not explode, and he was shot dead.Given the number of staff members and customers present on the second floor, the police said that the number of dead would have been far higher had the attackers succeeded in getting there.
  • A Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, said that the group claimed responsibility for the attack and that the targets were government officials who were at the bank collecting their wages.
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    The Taliban attack on this local bank has to do with religious values because they are willing to go to extreme measures,much like suicide bombings, as they are considered extremists. One question I have is why would a spokesman for the Taliban admit to the attack?
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    The Taliban attack on this local bank has to do with religious values because they are willing to go to extreme measures,much like suicide bombings, as they are considered extremists. One question I have is why would a spokesman for the Taliban admit to the attack?
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    I think your question was very good and sensible, because who would do something like that. He's risking so much! This article was very interesting and related strongly to class. Great job!
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    I have the same question! Why would they admit to the attack and put a target back on themselves? If they want to go kill people and people gave their lives to the attack, why would their organization admit to it? It was a waste of the bombers' lives.
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    I agree with all of you! Why would they admit to the attack? That just seems stupid on their part. It's just going to hurt them more. I like what Kyra said about how it's a waist of bombers lives and I totally agree. Great article, it really related to religious conflicts!
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    This article connects to the APHUG vocabulary term of monotheistic/monotheism, because the Taliban practices the Islamic religion, which worships one God, Allah, and a monotheistic religion is one that believes in only one God. This article could also connect with a past world event, regarding religious conflict, when the Crusades occurred, and Christians tried to conform others to Christianity.
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    Pretty sure they admitted to the attack because the Taliban is all about terror and it will actually help their organization not hurt it. They do this to let people know the extremes they'll go to to get their way. So any one, or thing, they don't agree with, they feel that the only solution is to blow them up, because of course that is the solution that gets the most results since they don't have the power of a large group of people. Everybody knows they are terrorists so it's not like anything has changed in peoples viewpoint of the Taliban. Meaning not much has changed in the military or political actions against them.
lqmorris

Boko Haram attacks aim at Islamic 'establishment' - CNN.com - 0 views

  • Boko Haram has targeted the Muslim "establishment" in Nigeria, accusing it of not defending the interests of Nigeria's 80 million Muslims, of corruption and of "perverting" Islam.
  • The group has also assassinated senior Muslim political and religious figures in northern Nigeri
  • the Nigerian military faces multiple problems. It has been plagued by indiscipline, desertion and mutinies, with some commanders attacked by their own men.
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    The conflicts have resulted in Nigeria from religious extremist groups whose beliefs may not fall in line with the places they are invading and taking over. Why is the president doing little to help and why has the military collapsed? 
kharlacher

BBC News - The Russians fighting a 'holy war' in Ukraine - 1 views

  • Even when the morning sun catches the gold domes of its Orthodox churches, the Ukrainian city of Donetsk, stronghold of the pro-Russian rebels, doesn't look much like Jerusalem.
  • And the defenceless, for him, are the citizens of eastern Ukraine, mainly Russian-speaking, who are under attack, as he sees it, by a ruthless Ukrainian government intent on wiping them out culturally, or even physically.
  • Why do I say Donetsk is Jerusalem? Because what's happening here is a holy war of the Russian people for its own future, for its own ideals, for its children and its great country that 25 years ago was divided into pieces," Pavel says.
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    This article is an example of territorial conflicts and religion, because the Russians believe the reason they are fighting is for religious purposes, and that their war in Ukraine is a holy war. How do the Ukrainians view the conflict and it's involvement in religion?
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    The Orthodox population of Ukraine is fighting for their churches and religion. These people are fighting against the Ukrainian government which is looking to overtake any religious land in order to wipe out the culture of eastern Ukrainians. The people of Ukraine are comparing their fight to the Crusades, so will they manage to take over their holy land like the Christians did?
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    I really liked the way that Katie described the crusades and how they are really involved in the conflicts in Ukraine and Russia. Why do Ukraine and Russia have bad history together?
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    Ukraine has been part of Russia several times and has fought for their freedom from Russia in several wars. Currently, they have only been independent since 1991.
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    Adam brings up a good point, the history of the Ukraine and Russian conflict must be deeply rooted in historical conflict over the centuries. It would be neat to dig into the history, particularly how the ethnicity differs between the two countries.
attomasko

Northern Ireland hears an echo of itself in Israeli-Palestinian conflict - 4 views

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    3 main ideas of the article: -Ultimately, Northern Ireland is a very small place, with a lot of madness, and in this sense it is also very similar to Israel. -Peace in Northern Ireland is there, but it's an unsettled peace. -Protestants, many descendants of Scottish and English settlers, see themselves in the Israelis' position - staking a righteous, ancient claim to territory in defiance of a force they view as bloodthirsty insurgents, the Irish Republican Army. This article talks about how there is still some unsettled people in all of Ireland, regarding religion. Also, during the unsettled peace, there are some incidents between Protestants and Roman Catholics, that connects to the Palestine-Israel conflict today. Will there be another religious war in Ireland?
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    I liked this article because it talks about how the Ireland and Israeli-Palestine conflicts are not much different. With Catholics acting as Palestinians and Protestants acting as Israelis. In my opinion, the dispute will most likely keep getting worse until it hits a climax and a war between the religious groups over the land will break out.
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    It reminds me of the book I read, "Angela's Ashes" where the author mentions the stereotypes about Protestants that the Roman Catholics held even though these people weren't part of the conflict so long ago. The article is a reminder that history often repeats itself.
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    I liked how this article talked about two different conflicts and made a connection between the two. I also read Angela's Ashes, and it discussed the same religious conflict between Catholics and Protestants. Both of these issues signify the importance or meaning of territory to a religion, especially universal religions because of the hearth or birthplace. They have expanded and now try to return to the hearth which creates conflict as there are already people who have inhabited the area.
Matt Juliana

Demographics of Catholics - 2 views

    • Mr. Reidy
       
      I am not suprised that most Mormons would be considered Republicans. Both groups value conservative ideas.
  • 79% Very important
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    Here is another example of what you can check into on this Religious Landscape Survey site. ***By the way, make sure you Tag ... "Religion" and Share to a Group... "APHumanGeography" and unclick "Private."
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    1 & 2) The section of the portraits focusing on social and political attitudes was most relevant to me. Noticing trends in this information helped me to understand how religious beliefs affect other cultural beliefs, especially political affiliation. 3) A possible project using this information would be to choose two different religions or two denominations of a religion, compare and contrast the major views of each religion on each of the topics listed, and then give possible reasons for why these views may be similar or different. Choosing two religions or denominations that are closely related but still have some significant differences would provide the most potential for analysis. For example, comparing Catholics and Evangelical Protestants would reveal a greater tendency in Evangelical churches towards conservative political beliefs; however, many Catholics (36%) are also conservative. An analysis would compare this trend with the beliefs of Christianity and consider the differences between Catholic and Protestant beliefs.
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    1. These graphs show the views of different people inside of the sects of different religions. They also display the basic information of the structure of the sects themselves. 2. I selected these graphs because they helped me to better understand the different levels of devotion that sects from the same religion felt. It also helped me to see the political and social views that people have on the outside world, and how they would want to help a cause. 3. Students could research the views of different sects on political and social issues. Then, they could use the given information to compare and contrast different sects and then the views of other religions, too.
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    1.) http://religions.pewforum.org/portraits - This link leads to several pie charts that show statistics on the different kinds of people that all belong to Catholicism. 2.) I found these charts to be very interesting, because they showed trends of how most Catholics live. It showed percentages of different races, ages, and social statuses that make up the Catholic population of the U.S. I was fascinated by all the differences and majorities of the demographic statistics, even just in America. 3.) Compare and contrast the statistics of different branches of Christianity- Which denomination has the most young followers? The most older? Which has the highest/lowest education and income? Compare and contrast Islam, Christianity, and Judaism- Are the stats very similar, or very different? Which has the oldest/youngest adherents? Does one stick out with a very high/low education or income?
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    I think that comparing and contrasting the different political opinions and spiritual devotions of each denomination would be really interesting Katelyn! I wonder if the political opinions would line up with the general trend of the region/state that most of the adherents are from? Also, would the political views be connected with their religious teachings, and could we see either a conservative or liberal approach shown in these teachings?
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    Veronica - Excellent project idea with the analysis.
mkuhn24

Syria Explained: How it became a religious war - 0 views

  •  
    The existing war in Syria is expected to become more violent due to the major religious grudges that have increased over time. What other reasoning do you think supports the fact that religious wars are twice as likely to recur and twice as deadly to combatants?
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