American Religious Diversities - Ally Will

      The Vatican is concerned about the dangers of the Prosperity Gospel Movement and the messages that it spreads. Two of the pope’s advisers spoke out about how this theology puts humans and their well-beings at the center while God is seen “at our service,” and views the Church as a “supermarket of faith.” This theology is more about people’s likeness from God as opposed to the Bible’s views, and it makes people think that a lack of faith leads to poverty and illness. It is more about the “American Dream” and looking up to those who are succeeding materialistically and looking down upon those who are poor or sick. It makes it seem as if the U.S. is growing and successful under God’s will and other places are living in poverty because they are not in God’s likeness.

      In class we learned how this movement is a religious belief among some Christians, who hold that financial blessing and physical well-being are always the will of God for them. It pushes that faith, positive speech, and donations to religious causes will increase one’s material wealth. It pushes that it is not in God’s will for you to be poor or sick or ill, technically, if a person is sick or ill, then they’re not in God’s favor or will. In a way this theory shames people who are in bad health or not as successful because it means God doesn’t want good things to happen for them. It pushes that people need to have faith to access the fate of God, but it also claims that we should wait around because Jesus decides what will happen for us.

      The problem is that it focuses more on wealth and health, and therefore people will go to church or make donations not necessarily because they want to be more faithful, but because they want to receive. It turns more into a selfish approach of people expecting things for going to Church and being “faithful,” but they’re being faithful for the wrong reason. Additionally, Church leaders of this movement are taking advantage of people and taking the Church's money to benefit themselves, which doesn’t seem like something God would approve of. This religion also interprets the Bible differently than most and makes it seem as if Jesus was wealthy, therefore we should be too. Overall, this religion doesn’t necessarily sound as much like a religion but more of a business like the article claims, and it pushes people to be faithful and go to Church for the wrong reasons and encourages them to focus on their successes of health and wealth.

       A couple was sent to court and order that their five year old son with sickle cell anaemia be allowed a blood transfusion if the doctor called for it, but the parents refused for religious reasons. Even after the order the parents still refused because members of Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the Bible prohibits the ingestion of blood. Instead the child had an alternative treatment that raised oxygen levels in his blood from 3.2 to 8, thus the parents claimed that he didn't’ need a blood transfusion as this method worked.

       It was said that the parents weren't acting in the child’s best interest and the child was at risk of a stroke or death without the blood transfusion. The Children’s Act, states that parents can’t “refuse children medical treatment on the grounds of religious beliefs,” unless there is an alternative that is medically approved.

       In class we learned about how Jehovah’s Witnesses have very strict rules - they must knock on doors 8 hours a month to share their beliefs, set aside politics and not vote, and they don’t take blood transfusions. The take the Bible and Scripture very seriously and they don’t accept blood transfusions because they believe that the Bible prohibits ingesting blood.

       While freedom to exercise religion is in the Bill of Rights, this situation is similar to snake handling and how that’s illegal because the serpents are venomous and have killed people in the past. While I respect others’ religious beliefs, I think there needs to be a line drawn when it risks someone’s life. I think Jehovah’s Witnesses can still refuse blood transfusions when it comes to donating blood or some checkups at the doctor that aren’t crucial, but if it’s a medical emergency the doctor’s say should come before religion. 

        Additionally when it comes to children, they are too young to make decisions for themselves and are preaching religions that they don’t fully understand. With minors in any case, I believe that the doctor should have authority since a minor is too young voice rational thoughts and choose for themselves, and the parents should not put a minor’s life at risk. If a legal adult needs a blood transfusion but refuses because of their religion I think it can be tricky because they’re old enough to make their own decisions, but I still don’t think religion should come before one’s health and life. If they can come up with a medical alternative then I think they should have the right to refuse the transfusion.

       A two-year study has concluded that religious education in schools should become more diverse by including atheism, agnosticism, and secularism. With the addition of these studies, students will grow up with more respect and understanding for religions other than their own as opposed to shunning and disapproving them. They think it should be called Religion and Worldviews and focus on all religions from an open mind and point of view so people can see different beliefs and spiritual approaches to life, and grow up being more accepting of people who have different beliefs than their own.

      They want people to study it up to their junior year of high school, however there has been a decline in the number of people taking religious courses by 22% in the last year, and less schools are teaching it. These classes don’t only want to teach people about other religions, but life skills for “young people to develop greater respect and empathy for others” and learn how to deal with controversial topics positively. Overall this study pushes for an increasingly diverse society.

      I strongly agree with this article and think it’s a great idea. In class we learned about how atheists are one of the most hated minorities, but how can others judge without getting to know them? I remember in 7th grade we learned about some diverse religions and when it came to atheism people approached it almost as if it was associated with the Devil because they didn’t believe in religions or God necessarily. People polarized the issue and made it seem like you’re either Christian/Catholic or Jewish, etc. and if you don’t believe in that then you’re an atheist and going to Hell. Personally I’m not religious so I always felt like I didn’t have a place and maybe I was an atheist because I wasn’t religious. But how can you expect someone to be Christian if they haven’t grown up their whole life being told to believe a certain way?

      I remember also having a talk with one of my best friends who was Christian and her telling me about her beliefs and me wondering how she can have such strong beliefs about something and pushing it as factual even though there really isn’t proof. She tried to tell me that her beliefs were right and basically if you don’t believe that way then you’re wrong.

      I’ve always been confused about other religious beliefs and had misunderstandings of what certain religions believed in. I also think people who are religious and have strong beliefs might be disapproving or judgemental of people with other beliefs as they think their own beliefs are the only right answer. Having a religious diversities and worldviews class would teach people that they may have misunderstandings of what certain religions are and help people grow to be more accepting of others who are different than themselves.

        As the midterm elections came around, thousands of Black Churches called for a “Call to Conscience/Day of Action” on September 5th and 6th. Their goal was to send a message to the White House and others as they were upset with the President’s racial tendencies and inability to tell the truth about racism in America, as well and economic inequities.

        Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, chair of the Conference of National Black Churches, preached before the rally in Lafayette Park on September 5th about how racism isn’t dead in the least bit in America, and talks about we live in one of the most racist times in the history of America. They describe why it’s so bad and worse than slavery in a way because their oppressors are hidden. In the article the describe how Trump speaks for oppressors and haters, and fears other politicians will be like him in the future and slow the process of equality. Richardson also made a parallel of African American struggles today to suffering Israeli children in the Book of Jeremiah during an economic crisis, as he talks about them working and planting but not getting any of the harvest they worked for. At the rally they included prayers and songs to call for social justice and to encourage others to vote in hopes of more Democrats and African Americans in Congress.

         In class we learned about how most African Americans are Christian (45%) and how important songs are in the Black Church as they sing spirituals like the slaves on plantations as an escape route, similar to members of the Black Church singing at the rally for change. We also learned about the importance of Martin Luther King Jr. as he was a central force in the community of African American religion. We learned about his determination for social change to push for racial equality and fight against discrimination, as well as his principles of nonviolence. King was most upset by members of the white church who did nothing and believed that the problem is people of good conscious who do nothing about it.

       Cody Coots was a snake handler in Kentucky and became a pastor at his church, Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name in Middlesboro. His father, Jamie Coots, was a snake handler and pastor and was bitten in 2014 by a rattlesnake while leading a service and died from the snakebite. Despite his father’s death from a snakebite, Cody Coots continued to be a pastor and lead services for other snake handlers.

       During one service shown in the documentary “My Life Inside: The Snake Church,” Cody Coots was yelling into a microphone how he believes in the God Almighty and he can hear him because God wants him to, and everyone is there because God wanted them there. He is swinging the snake around and looks away for one second when the snake strikes him in the side of the head. He looked shaken up for a second as blood squirt from his head onto his shirt, but he still refused to put the snake down as he yelled that God would heal him because God is the natural healer. Some people in the audience were begging him to stop and other members were concerned and later guided him out of the church as he could barely walk. That wasn’t the first time he was bitten by a snake while leading a service either.

       I thought this article was interesting considering that snake handling is illegal and a felony by law, but this pastor still practices snake handling and it was included in a documentary. We learned from class that it is a Pentecostal tradition and that you pick up serpent when God tells you to, and put it down when He tells you to. Therefore it makes sense why Coots didn’t put down the snake despite being bitten. Snakes present holiness and obedience to God when handling them. It almost seems like snake handlers are brainwashed to potentially risk their lives for their religion and break the law because God tells them to. I also think when you grow up with that religion, you think it’s more normal and feel like you have to. Cody Coots was a fourth generation pastor for snake handling and it’s all he grew up knowing, so I think that pushes him to not stop despite his dad’s death. From what we learned in class, I’m guessing Coots assumed his dad’s death was because God thought it was his time to go, and he risks his life because if he dies he knows God is telling him its his time and if he gets bitten, God will heal him if he’s not meant to die.

https://www.worldreligionnews.com/religion-news/new-study-reveals-evangelicals-dont-understand-christianity        

        Ligonier Ministries conducted a survey in which they found that a large proportion of Evangelical Christians are confused about the fundamental beliefs of their religion, as they were asked questions about the Bible. This survey focused on 3,000 people who considered themselves Evangelical Christians and tested to see how much they knew about the Bible.

        The article tells how most Evangelical Christians hold three sets of beliefs - the belief that the majority of people are fundamentally good, that God worship regardless of what religion the worshipper believes in, and that Jesus was the greatest and first human created by God. It then states how these beliefs clash with Christian faith and what the Bible says, which claims that every human being is corrup, no one is good by nature, and the only way towards salvation is through the gospel and God doesn’t like when people worship other faiths. There are also disagreements on if justification can be achieved by faith alone and Christs status in the Bible. The big disagreements come upon the holiness of God as many didn’t think sins deserved eternal damnation and didn’t think church gatherings were as important to worship God. 

        From this class we’ve learned that Evangelical Christians spread good news and the message of Jesus Christ to the world. We learned that they believe that people crave strong faith, concrete answers, and tight bonds in the community. They believed that you can be “saved” to be born-again, and they have a high view of the Scripture and Christian Orthodox beliefs. There are also four branches of Evangelicals: Fundamentalists who tend to remove themselves from society and not get entangled in this world, Pentecostals who speak in tongue, Mainstream, and Left who believe in gays, pro-choice, liberal. 

       Actress Leah Remini from Kings of Queens was raised as a scientologist and finally decided to leave after more than three decades. She has a TV series “Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath” and exposed the Church in her “Ask Me Anything” Reddit in which she told how the Church is a scam because there’s no end to it. She describes how it’s a ploy to get money and once you get to the top bridge they tell you how God is a lie for the founder, Hubbard, and more levels will cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars. She also talked about how when you talk against the church you’re seen as an “enemy,” which I thought was really interesting in regard to how one of the leaders of the Church of Scientology reacted when Leah was mentioned. Someone asked a question about Leah and the person giving us the tour of the Church gave an analogy of a friend stabbing you in the back and how you don’t like things spread about you that aren’t true, and seemed genuinely angry when Leah’s name was brought up.

       Leah also claimed that the Church denies abuse that occurred within the Church, and that the Church denies that mental illnesses exist and tries to have people fix their own problems with scientology's technologies. She described how she was more open to other religions and accepting once she left the Church of Scientology, which she said made her think of non-church people as bad people and prejudice against other people's' religious choices. Jada Pinkett Smith and Leah Remini allegedly had a feud regarding the Church of Scientology. Leah claimed to see Jada all the time at the Celebrity Centre and said how they had opened up a Scientology school, but it has since been closed. There was also speculation that Will and Jada opened up an academy that spread scientology views. Despite their disagreements and disputes over scientology, they have resolved their feud and Leah claims that they were broken girls inside.

       I thought this article was interesting because of how the Church talked about people leaving the Church and the different views from someone who experienced scientology growing up her whole life, and why finally she decided to leave because she didn't agree with its views.

https://www.ibj.com/articles/70371-amish-couple-sues-us-government-over-photo-requirement

This article discusses an Amish couple, John and Jane Doe, and how they’re suing the U.S. government for violating their constitutional rights of free exercise of religion, as they insisted that they provide photographs for the Canadian wife in order for her request to be a permanent U.S. citizen to be approved. They claimed that it would reveal their identities which would force them to compromise their religious beliefs. The only options are for the wife to leave the U.S. and her husband and 13 children, or for the whole family to leave.

I understand why the U.S. government would need a picture of someone to approve their request for U.S. citizenship, but at the same time it goes against the First Amendment’s free exercise of religion, as it would force them to go against their religious beliefs. As we learned in class, the Amish are very traditional and don’t like technology. Specifically they don’t like to have their picture taken because it accentuates individuality and calls attention to oneself. Additionally, they believe it violated the Biblical commandment, "Thou shalt not make unto thyself a graven image."