RAP
Religion
After listening to the presentation on religion, some new thought arose concerning the American view on religion. I have come to realize that Christianity is not the only practice of religion in the world, although as far as people in this country see it, it is the majority, and the correct religion. However, I have like to agree with Laura Johnson’s idea that Geography determines a person’s religion, which tends to skew any perception of having Christianity as the one true religion just because it is what we have been exposed to. I am seriously thinking about investigating some of these other religious thoughts, because they all have some value. I guess that I was enthused to see the Unitarian view of religion in the hand out, because it was so open to personal beliefs, and personally I think that the world needs to keep an open mind on issues like religion, so I find this group to be especially interesting.
My feelings about this
presentation range from slightly disappointed to frustrated, and back to
confused. I was so stoked to listen to
this presentation because I am always interested in hearing religious views,
and I was disappointed that the group could not go deeper into some religions
instead of scratching the surface, and then telling me more about
Christianity. As far as Kelly Ewest’s
part in the presentation, she struck a nerve with me big time. It annoyed me that she performed a baptism
into her chosen faith on her dead grandma, even though that was not her grandma’s
chosen religion. This women is dead,
and it is just disrespectful to push your religion off on her when it is not
her choice. Granted I want to keep an
open mind, but the LDS view is just so Americanized, with the place where Adam
and Eve lived being in Iowa, and Jesus is coming back to the world in the
U.S. This just plain ticks me off, why
do we have to claim everything to be ours, in our country, with our ideas, and
our likeness. This just gets me
stirring about other ideals we have concerning religion in our society. God is white (why wouldn’t he be, I’m
white). Jesus is white (even though he
was born in the Middle East). Adam and
Eve lived in the U.S. (sounds right, that’s where I’m from). When Jesus comes again it will be in the
U.S. (duh, I live in the U.S).
Christianity is the correct religion Catholicism being the most accurate
(what a coincidence, that is what my family is. These are the things that just plain frustrate me, why do we as a
society only see things through our narrow perspective. I cannot get past this, and these ideas that
I have stated are so engrained in our society that we will never see it any
other way.
As far as actions go, right
now I am keeping an open mind towards all religions, and consider all of them
as having validity. I cannot yet say
what religion I am, but this gives me a very open mind to others faith. I will take action against religious
oppression simply by not tolerating or associating with those narrow minded
people who are so quick to tear down and knock a religion that is not their
own. In the future as an educator, I
plan to reduce oppression by keeping religion out of my classroom. Keep in mind I am not saying faith is not
allowed in class, just the endorsement of it by me or any of the students.