The Character of Religion, Coursework Example

The Character of Religion in the Early and Contemporary United States

American history is rooted in the desire for religious freedom. However, the character of religion in the early and contemporary United States was significantly different than the character of religion observed today. There are several concepts concerning the character of religion in society, particularly regarding the individual and government, which became dominant in early American history. Many American colonists immigrated or descended from lands that prohibited them from practicing their religion. As a consequence, a major concern of our forefathers was to establish a nation in which citizens would be permitted to practice the religion of their choosing. Precursors to the Constitution of the United States, such as the Maryland Toleration Act, stated that every individual would have the right to practice any religion (Maryland Toleration Act, Wikipedia). Therefore, there were great efforts to ensure that there would be a separation of church and state, and this requirement would later be recorded in the Constitution. The enforcement of separation of church and state, however, was difficult due to the ability of both the federal government and states to make laws regarding its regulation. To resolve this issue, several statutes were passed to further define the meaning of religious freedom and what this would mean for the states. The most significant of these documents is the First Amendment to the Constitution. The establishment clause states that Congress will be unable to pass any laws regarding the establishment of an official religion of the United States (Freedom of religion in the United States, First Amendment, Wikipedia). In addition, the free exercise clause states that the government is not able to intervene in the practicing of any religion. However, these statements have been altered over the years in order to ensure that religious practices remain lawful.

While the dominant conception of religion in society was that every American citizen should be able to practice any religion of their choosing, this freedom became associated with several problems. Firstly, the forefathers were mainly of the Christian faith and many of the laws that were included in the Constitution were based of this doctrine. Therefore, law enforcement was biased towards Christian principles and the early United States was more accepting of individuals that shared these beliefs. For example, many states used to require religious tests before an individual would be able to run for office (Freedom of religion in the United States, Religious tests, Wikipedia). These requirements would later be deemed illegal by the U.S. Supreme Court, but even though these biases aren’t legally prohibited, similar acts of religious discrimination still occur today.

The primary reason that Americans today support religious freedom of individuals and the religious neutrality of government is because contemporary Americans recognize that our country was built from many different cultures and that it is beneficial to accept their religious views even if they differ from our own. Early Americans would have likely preferred that the nation remain exclusively Christian, although various Christian faiths would be permitted. However, once America began to be identified with religious tolerance, many different immigrant groups travelled to the nation in order to seek safety against religious persecution. Today, we accept that religious freedom is valuable and are able to appreciate many different ideas that stem from many different cultures. As a consequence of this religious acceptance, we benefit as a nation because it allows us to be more educated about other people and our collaborations can make great things.

There are certain concepts about the role of religion and society that I think is best for everyone to endorse in American society. First of all, there is an interesting connection between an individual’s religious values, who they are as a person, and their culture. Since America is such a diverse nation, people should take a greater advantage of the diversity of their friends and neighbors and use these connections to learn more about the religious and cultural philosophies of others. Not enough people take advantage of this opportunity, and many cases avoidance of this topic leads to bigotry and hate due to a lack of understanding. Learning about a different religion is unlikely to convince someone that this is what they should believe. Rather, it will help them understand why different people believe different things and draw similarities between religions that they never knew existed. This knowledge will strengthen the community and people will be more likely to live in peace with one another or at least understand the rational between certain behaviors. An alternative concept would be that individuals should continue believe what they believe, without questioning others about the rationale for their beliefs. However, this would not be beneficial because this would cause a reversion to the religious tension faced in Europe during the colonial period. While Americans don’t have to believe that each other’s religion is valid, it would be helpful for everyone to have enough information about a variety of religions so that religious tolerance could be promoted.

Societies where there appears to be religious intolerance, persecution, or conflict generally stem from an attempt from the government to promote only a single religion. For example, there has been a long-running conflict between Shia and Sunni Muslims living in the Middle East. These two groups have nearly identical religious views with the exception that the Sunni Muslim’s believe that Mohammed’s most competent follower should be the head of Islam, while the Shia’s believe it should be his closest male relative. While these groups were able to live in relative peace for many years, the Middle East became a war ground for these people when majority rule attempted to dictate what the people should believe. A prime example of this occurred in Iraq; when Saddam Hussein was in power, Sunni’s had the majority rule and Shia’s were persecuted. Now Shia’s have the majority rule and Sunni’s are persecuted. The only way to put an end to this constant conflict would be by implementing a democratic government in which citizens are free to practice either religion and are protected against persecution or execution for their beliefs. It is possible that if action had not been taken to ensure religious freedom in the United States, we would be facing a similar conflict.

We should apply the lessons of 500 years of Western history regarding the changing character of religion in society to the current religious intolerance, persecution, or conflict in that same non-Western society by promoting the value of certain freedoms to suppressed peoples. The major conflicts prohibiting the evolution of religion in certain regions, such as the Middle East, stems from their inability to tolerate one another. In the case of the United States, people of many different faiths united as one country due to a shared oppression. It is essential for many nations to recognize that unless they are able to unite similarly, there may be no hope of peace in their future. Advocacy of individual religious freedom and governmental religious neutrality involves some universal values that should be acknowledged and promoted by everyone in all societies. For example, the Protestant Reformation taught us that there are certain negativities related to the complete control of religion. The Roman Catholic Church was taking advantage of its followers by convincing them that church donations would clear them of sin and allow them into heaven (Freedom of religion, Religious intolerance, Wikipedia). Members of the clergy would then use this money to live a lavish lifestyle, contradicting their oath. Martin Luther made it clear that even religious leaders are capable of abusing their power and that it might be worthwhile for individuals to worship without governmental regulation. To ensure the government is unable to take advantage of its people, it is essential to separate church and state because this is the only way to ensure that all people are treated fairly.

Despite the need for separation of church and state, there are some situations in which limitations on religious freedom should be imposed. There are many Supreme Court cases in the United States that have clarified when these limitations are necessary. For example, if an individual’s religious practices are capable of harming someone, they will not be permitted. Such practices include violent acts such as human sacrifice and body mutilation. It is therefore clear that religious acts will not be permitted if they violate other areas of the law. This is essential for the protection of individuals who do not practice the religion and may be harmed in the processes. However, there are several limitations that should be acknowledge due to their questionability. One such issue is the ability of members of the Latter Day Saint movement to have multiple wives (Freedom of religion in the United States, Situation of Mormons, Wikipedia). United States law does not permit polygamy, so this act is considered illegal. However, moderns Mormon men bypass this regulation by marrying only woman legally while living with several others. This is technically legal, but many states are attempting to stop even this act. Therefore, it is necessary for all countries with religious freedom to further examine what is meant by this. In this situation, no one is being harmed and all members of the relationship are consenting; therefore, these individuals cannot be prosecuted for this practice. The failure to be able to define certain religious practices as legal or a violation of law is a severe limitation in the promotion of religious tolerance. It is difficult to ensure that citizens are permitted religious freedom if it is difficult for us to define what freedom actually is.

Although there should be limitations involved, all countries should protect the values of individual religious freedom and government neutrality. This is the only way that we can ensure individuals are being treated fairly. Furthermore, large scale cooperation of this effort would lead to the reduction of war. Since a majority of conflict stems from religious turmoil, enforcement of religious freedom would lessen this burden. Ultimately, however, this goal seems impossible for the near future. While the United Nations has attempted to bring democracy to many nations, these attempts have failed. Rather, nations that support religious tolerance should act as models for the rest of the world with the hope that one day, they will follow this example.