The care of every man’ sou belongs fo himself. Thomas Joflorcor (1743-1826) How has religion shaped American values and what is the role of religion in the lives of Americans today? The Amercon Religious Hesloge % 5BEFORE YOU READ Preview Vocabulary ‘A. Read the following sentences from the chapter and notice the words in italics. Use context clues t> help you figure out the meanings. Then choose which definition is best for the italicized word. These key AW/L words will help you understand the chapter reading _— 1. Although the overwhelming majority of Americans are Christians, all religions make important contributions to the American culture. a. thingsyou give or do in order to help make something successful b, officia! statements made by religious leaders to inspire people —— 2. Inplace of the power and authority of priests, Protestants substituted ‘what they called the priesthood ofall believers. a. used something new or different b, fought against the idea of —— 3. Theidea of mixing materialism (Love of things) and religion may seem contradictory. Religion is considered to be concerned with spiritual matters, not material possessions. a. different or opposite b, similar or almost the same _—— 4. Many businesses encourage their employees to do volunteer work, such as helping clean up parks, helping a child who is having, difficulty in school, or working in an animal shelter. a, without being paid b, necessary or required —— 5. Peshaps the most dramatic example of the idea of self-improvement is, the experience of being “born again.” a, uncertain or undecided b, exciting and impressive —— 6. America’s religious heritage seems to have encouraged certain basic values that members of many diverse faiths find easy to arcept. This has helped to unite many different religious groups in the United States without requiring any to abandon their faiths. a. to leave behind or give up e . to try to convince others to jon B. In this chapter, there are words dealing with religion, such as priest, soul, and church. Other words have to do with wealth, such as money, financial, and sum, Look at the words below and classify them into one of two groups. Write R next to words dealing with religion and W next to words dealing with wealth — 1 bless —— 9. prosperity — 2 faith —— 10, Protestant denomination _— 3. forgiveness —— I. riches 52 % Chopier 3| —— 4. fortune —— 12. save and invest — 5. holy — B. sin —— 6. material success —— 14. soul —— 7. missionary —— 15. spiritual —— & pry —— 16. evangelical Preview Content ‘A. Think about these questions. Discuss them with your classmates. 1, Read the quotation by Thomas Jefferson at the beginning of the chapter. ‘What do you think he meant? How could this belief affect religion in the United States? 2. What do you know about religion in the United States? Do youthink that the United States has the same religions as your country? Fill in the Venn diagram with the names of religions found only in your country, only in the United States, cr in both countries. In both countries Inthe Unitec States B, Before you read the chapter, look at the headings of each section. Which sections do you think will have the answers to these questions? Write the heading of the section in the space below each question. 1. How many Americans say they believe in God? 2. What are the most popular religions in the United States? 3. Do Americans have an official national religion? 4. How has religion shaped American values? The Anarcon Regis Here % 5| L 1 The United States is ard has always been a religious nation, by a number of ‘measures. Ninety percent of Americans still say they believe in God, or a higher power/universal spirit, although their beliefs and practices are quite diverse The majority of Americans are Christian, Duta the major religions of the world are practiced in the United States. In some parts of the country, large numbers of people belong to churches and many attend worship services more than ance a ‘week. Other areas are more secular, with fewer people who are active in churches. Increasingly, young people do not belong to any church or other religious group, but ‘most still say they believe in God. Many refer to themselves as being “spiritual,” not “religious” RELIGIOUS PREFERENCES IN THE UNITED STATES Unaffiliated 20% ther religions 5% Jewish 2% ther Chitin 38 2 The landscape of religion in America is complicated and constently changing, Dut i hes always been 2 very important aspect of the culture. In Chapter 2 we introduced six basic cultural values— individual freedom, selF reliance, equality 54% Chopter 3 Protestant 43% —-Many of thecities were named by THE RELIGIOUS HERITAGE OF THE UNITED STATE STRENGTHENING AMERICAN CULTURAL VALUES of opportunity, competition, material wealth, and hard work. These values developed in and were strengthened by the nation’s religious heritage. Several of these values—individual feedom, self-reliance, ‘material wealth, and hard work—were particularly affected. In this chapter, we ‘will first examine how the historical context staped the nation’s religious heritage and helped aroduce and reinforce these cultural values Then we will look at how these values afect the religious landscape today. From the beginning, religion played an important role in the history of the United States. The Catholic faith was first brought to the North American continent by the Spanish in the 1500s For the next 300 years, Catholic missionaries and settlers ‘from Spain and then Latin America came to what is now Florida, California, and the Southwest. these missioraries and settlers—St Augustine, San Francisco, Santa Fe and San Antonio, for example. French Canatian Catholic missionaries also came with the explorers and traders from Queber, down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. In the 1600s, European settlers began establishing colonies along the east coast of North America. Altaough there were some Catholics, the vast majority of the European setters were Protestant, ‘most from England. As the new nation formed, ¢ was the Pcotestent branch of the Christian faith ttat had the strongest effect on the development of the religious - climate in the United States.The Development of Protestantism 4° The Protestant branch of the Christian faith broke away from the Roman Catholic Church in Europe in the sixteenth century because of important differences in religious beliefs (The Eastern Orthodox ‘ranch of dhe Chistian fas had separated from the Roman Catholic Church in 1054, At the time of the Protestant Reformation, the Roman Catholic Church ‘was the center of religious life in ‘western European counties; the Catholic pope and the priests played the role of parent to the people in spiritual matters ‘They told people ‘what was right and wrong, and they granted them forgiveness for sins against God and the Christen ith, 5 The Protestants on the other hand, {insisted that all individuals must stand alone before God. If people sinned, they should seek their forgiveness directly from God rather than from a priest speaking {in God's name. In place of the power and authority of prissts, Protestants substituted ‘what they called the “priesthood of all believers.” Tais meant that every {individual was solely responsible for his or her ov relatioaship with God. 6 After the Protestants broke away from the Catholic Chuich, dhey found that they could not agree among themselves about many beliefs. Therefore, the Protestants sina thing smeoa desta are against risus laws ® persecution ruler unfir eatment, especialy because of ligious or potical belies ‘Americans at worship ina Christan church began to form separate churches, called denominations, (The traditional Protestant denominations in the United States are Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Episcopal, and United Church of Christ). ‘There was mach bitterness among some of the religions gremps in the 1600s, and many Protestant denominations experienced religious persecution? A ‘umber of people were even killed because of their beliefs. The result of this persecution was that many Protestants ‘were ready tc leave their native countries in order to have freedom to practice their particular religious beliefs. Consequently, among the early settlers who came to ‘America in the 1600s, there were many Protestants sccking religious freedom. In the previous chapter we noted that this Aesire for religious freedom was one of the strongest reasons why many colonial settlers came to America. Gencially speaking, the lack of any established national religion in America appealed The Amarican Religious Hertogestrongly to European Protestants, whether or not they were being persecuted. A large number of Protestant cenominattons were established in America, At first, some denominations hoped to force their views and beliefs on others, bt the colonies were simply toa large far any ane denomination to gain control over the others, The idea of separation of church and state became accepted. & When the Constitution was adopted in 1789, the government was forbidden to establish a national church; no denomination was to be favored over the others. The government and the church hhad to remain separate, and freedom. of religion was guaranteed by the first amendment. Under these conditions, 4 great variety of different Protestant decominations developed and grew, with each denomination having a “live and let live" attitude toward the others. Diversity ‘was accepted and strengthened. Today, the various Protestant deneminations have completely separate church organizations, and although there are many similarities, there are also significant differences in their religious teachings and beliefs Self-Reliance and the Protestarit Heritage of Selfmprovement 9 Protestantism has been a powerful force 4n shaping the values and beliefs of ‘Americans. One of the most important values associated with American Protestantism is the value of self improvement, an outgrowth of self- reliance. Christianity often emphasizes the natural sinfulness of human nature, ‘However, unlike Catholics, Protestants do ‘not go to priests for forgiveness of their sins; individuals are left alone before God 10 improve themselves and ask for God's guidance, forgiveness, and grace, For this reason, Protestantism hes traditionally enrouurayed a strong and restless desize for self’improvement. | 56 % Chapter 3 10 Perhaps the most dramatic example of the idea of self-improvement is the experience of being “bor again” Individuals who have had this experience say that opening their hearts to God and Jesus Christ changed their lives so completely that it ‘was like being horn again. Many. evangelicals, or religious conservatives, believe this is an important experience to have. 11 The need for selfimprovement has reached far beyond self-improvement in the purely moral or religious sense, Today it can be seen in countless books that offer advice to people on how to stop smoking, Jose weight, or have better relationships. Books of this type ofen offer advice on how to be happier and more sucvessful in life They are referred to as “self-help” ‘books, and many are best sellers. They are the natural products of a culture in which people believe that "God helps those who help themselves” Material Success, Hard Work, and Self- Discipline 12. The achievement of material success is probably the most widely respected form of self-improvement in the United States, Many scholars believe that the nation’s Protestant heritage is also largely responsible for bringing this about. The ‘dea of mixing marettalism and religion ‘may seem contradictory; religion is, considered to be concerned with spiritual ‘matters, not material possessions. How can the two mix? 43. Some of the early European Protestant leaders believed that people who were blessed by God might be recognized in the world by thoir matorial success. Other church leaders, particularly in the United States, made an even stronger connection between gaining material ‘wealth and being blessed by God. In 1900, for example, Bishop William Lawrence{ | | “4 AVERAGE NUMBER OF PAID VACATION Days Sour: Word Turi Organization U0), Irformatin Please® Database, © 207 Pearson duction Ic Alright reserved. proclaimed,‘ “Godliness is in league with” ‘which depended on hard work and a riches... Material prosperity is helping to. _ willingness to save and invest money. males the centage ee 415 The belief in hard work and self-discipline Joyous, more unselfish, more Christiike {in pursuit of material gain and other goals ‘American religious leaders, however, never _is often referred to as “the Protestant work encouraged the idea of gaining wealth ethic" or “the Paritan work ethic.” Itis ‘without hard work and self-discipline important to understand that this work ‘Many scholars believe that the emphasis ethic has had an influence far beyond ‘on thoco two valuos made an important the Protestant church. Many religious contribution to the industrial growth groups in the United States share this of the United States. Protestant leaders ‘work ethic, and even Americans who have ‘viewed the work of all people as holy, no attachment to particular church are snot just that of priests, They also believed influenced by the work ethie in their daily that the capacity for self-discipline was lives, Interestingly, the United States is a holy characteristic blessed by God. the only industrialized country that does Self-discipline was often defined as the not have a legal requirement for workers ‘willingness to save and invest one's to have a certain number of paid vacation ‘money rather than spend it on immediate days. Americans take an average of only pleasures, John Wesley, the leader of the ‘two weeks of vacation time a year, while ‘Methodist faith, told his followers, "Earn ‘workers in other countries take as many all you can, give all you can, save all you as four, five, or even more weeks. Also, ran” Fnonmraging panple ta save may also many Americans wha conld retire af age hhave helped create a good climate for the 65 or 66 continne to work for more years. industrial growth of the United States, Many Americats are proud to be called “procuimes said pubeullyo officially Out something sue in league wth: working together secretly The Arericon Regios Heoge % £“workaholics,” people who work long, ‘hours, often seven days a week. Volunteerism and Humanitarianism 16 The idea of self-improvement includes ‘more than achieving material gain ‘through hard work and self-discipline. Talso includes the idea of improving oneself by helping others. Individuals, in other words, make themselves into better persons by contributing some of thetr time or money to charitable, educational, or religious causes that a designed to help others. The philosophy is sometimes called voluateerism or humnantarianism. 17 Historically, some extremely wealthy Americans have made generous contributions to help others. In the early 1900s, for example, Andrew Carnegie, a famous American businessman, gave away more than $300 million to help support schools and uciversities and to 58 % Chopler 3 build public libraries in thousands of ‘communities in the United States. John D. ‘Rockefeller, another famous businessman, in explaining why he gave a large sum from his private fortune to establish @ university, said, “The good Lord gave me my money, so how could Iwithbold tt from the University of Chicago?” Julius Rosenwald, part-owner of the Sears Roebuck company, telped pay for the ‘building of 5,000 black schools in the rural South, In the twenty-first century, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, and other wealthy Americans have established charitable foundations and have donated huge sums of suomey Tradidioually, snany average Americans Lave also agreed that they should devote rart of their time and ‘wealth to religious or humanitarian causes. ‘Their motivation may be part idealism and part selfimprovement, a desire to be acceptable in the eyes of God and also in ‘the eyes of other Americans.48 The spirit of charitable giving and ‘volunteerism continues in America today. Some religious faiths believe that itis the responsibility of their members to contribute 10 percent of ‘what they earn to their church and other charitis, Incidentally, individuals may get tax deductions for giving money to charity. Ths spirit of giving can be seen outside religious contexts as well. Many businesses encourage thetr employees to do volunteer work, such as helping clean up parks, helping a child who is having difficulty in school, ot working {in an animal shelter in thetr spare time. Parents often try 0 teach thetr children that they have a responsibility to help others. A recent Parents magazine had a cover story advising parents how to “ralse a child who gives back.” The article said that children should be taught the value of volunteering, including giving money to charity. "Volunteering boosts kids" self- esteem and teacies them to be grateful,” the article promised, a good illustration of the American mixture of idealism and self improvement. September | 1, 200!, and the National Religion 19 All Americans and many people around the world can remember exactly what they were doing at the moment they ‘heard that terrorists had attacked the ‘World Trade Center and the Pentagon ‘on September 11, 2001. People in New ‘York City and Washington. D.C. were especially devastated. Everyone knew someone who was touched by the tragedy. Immediately, there was an outpouring of love, charity, and patriotism around the country. So many people volunteered to help that officials had to limit the numbers. Millions of dollars were raised for the families of the victims, and Americans felt a huge surge of pride and love for their country. Eighty percent of them displayed the American flag—in the windows of their houses, on thetr cars, even on their clothing. Crows spontaneously sang “God Bless America,” a patriotic song that is more popular (and much easier to sing) than the rational anthem, along with “America the Baautiful” and "My Country “Tis of Thea” Firalghrs sand at 2 menor those lle at se Werlé Trade Coes 20. This mixture of religion and patriotism isan example cf what some scholars hhave called the “national religion” of the ‘United States. The roots of the national religion go back to colonial times. In the countries from which the American colonists emigrated, the dominant values of the nation were often supported by ‘an organized national church. Although ‘Americans mace certain that no organized national churct would exist in their young country, they have, over the years, developed a number of informal practices The American Religious Hetioge % :aoe ——a that combine national patriotism with religion. The main function of this national religion is to provide support for ‘the dominant values of the nation and comfort in times of grief. Thus, it does in ‘an informal and less organized way what nationally organized churches did for European nations in earlier times. 24 Some observers of American society believe that the various practices that are called the national religion can have harmful effects, however. Sometimes these practices can help to create a climate in ‘which disagreement with current national practices is discouraged or not tolerated. ‘There have been times when citizens have disagreed with thetr government's ‘Amerian Expres tower 60% Chapter 3 decision to wage was, for example, and other Americans accused them of being ‘unpatriotic. This happened during the war in Vietnam, when protesters were told, “America—love ito: leave it” A similar division of opinion cccurred over the US. decision to invade Iraq in 2003. The Religious Landscave Today: Polarization Vs. Pluralism 22, The weligious landscepe in the United States is complicated and changing. In American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us, Robert D. Putnam and David B. ‘Campbell discuss two forces at work in the United States today: religious polarization and pluralism. There is growing polarization berweer evangelicals, or religious conservatives, and secular liberals. Increasingly, Americans find themselves at cone end of the spectrum or another, while the number of moderates in the middle decreases, Evangelicals believe in strictly following the teachings of the Bible (as they and the church leaders interpret it) and regularly attending worship services. They are socially (and often politically) ‘more conservative than religious ‘moderates or liberals ‘They may be against abortion and gay marriage, for example, and they may believe in creationism instead of evolution. The debate between religious consorvatives and liberals cam ‘grow quite heated. Some commentators have even described this split as “culture wars." However, Punam and Campbell say there is another force at work: ‘America peacefully combines 0 high degree of religious devotion with tremendous religio.s dlversiy— including growing ranks of he nonreligious. Fhoer cin relives prion coer) lr ‘elgious polarization? The answer lis in the foc thal, in America, religion is highly fluid... Religions compete, adapt and ‘evoke o' individual Americons freely move from one congregation 1 onother, and ‘even fom one religion fo oncther23 What American value has allowed religious pluralism to coexist with religious yolarizatiu? The fundaunental American belie in individual freedom and ‘the right of individuals to practice their own religion is zt the center of religious experience in the United States. The great diversity of ethnic backgrounds has produced a climate of religious pluralism, and most of the religions of the world are now practiced here. Although the overwhelming majority of Americans are Christians, cher religions and people from other cultures make important contributions to the religious landscape, ‘There are now about as many Muslims living in the United States as there are Jews, People of Hispanic origin now ‘make up nearly one-half of the Catholic ‘Church here, In addition to Buddhism and ‘Hinduism, Asian immigrants have brought ‘with them other traditional religions of Amrian Mus prayer m4 East Asia—Dzoism, Confucianism, and ‘Shintoism. Ard the Native American religious are ul practiced and studied today, particulary for their teachings about living in harmony with nature. ‘The Census of American Religious ‘Congregations has been tracking 236 different religions in the United States, from Albanian Orthodox to Zoroastrian, cevery ten yeats. They report in the latest census that Muslims (Islam) and Mormons (Church of the Latter-day Saints) are ewo of the fastest growing religious groups in the country. Between 2000 and 2010, the umber of Muslims grew by 66 percent and the number of Mormons grow by 44 percent, while the number of Protestants fell by 5 percent to below 50 percent of ‘the population for the first time, (There are also estimates of about one million ‘Buddhists ané Hindus) Remembering that ‘the total population of the United States is now over 310 million, here are America’s top 10 religions: 1. Catholic 58.9 million 2. Baptist 27.2. million 3. Methodis: 12.2 million 4, Non-denominational Evangelical Protestant 12.2 million S. Lutheran 2.2million 6. Latter-day Saints (Mormons) 6.4 million 7. Pentecostal 5.8 million 8, Presbyterian Reformed 5.0 million 9, Islam (Muslims) 2.6 million 10. Judaism (ews) 2.3 milion” * Source: The Assocation of Religion Data Archives One of the mast dramatic developments Jn seve yeas othe rapid tise in the ‘number of people who say they have no religious affiliation. Almost 20 percent of adults and one third of those under 30 do not consider themselves to be a part of any particclar church or faith. They The Americon Religious Hetiogeare referred to as the unaffiliated, or the “nones" (since they choose “none” when asked about thetr religious afiliation), and ‘now number 49 million, Interestingly, 68 percent of them say that they believe in God, but they have no desire to be part of organized religion. Ofton they refer to themselves as being “spiritual, but not religious.” They are more liberal and more secular then Americans who are affliated ‘with some religious group. 26 Another important development is the decline in the membership of traditional mainline Protestant churches. Inthe list of top ten faiths above, only four are traditional Protestant denominations (Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, and Presbyterian). Mainline churches tend to bbe moderate and more liberal than the ‘evangelicals and religious conservatives, with the exception of the Baptist (Church. Most Baptists are evangelicals (Pentecostals are evangelicals, oo, but they are not generally considered as traditional mainline Protestants) 27, There has also been a rise in the number of ‘non-denominational evangelical Protestants. ‘Thoto churches aro not afiiated with a traditional Protestant denomination and are often community churches organized by dynamic religious leaders. Some of them are “megachurches.” Rick Warren's Saddleback Church in Orange County, California, which was founded in 1980, now has 100,000 members and an average weekend attendance of over 20,000, Megachurches have contemporary ‘worship services and often focus on helping people live “happy, fulfilled Christan lives,” a modern message of col.improsiement ‘Thay ara n evampla of how some American caurches have evolved and adapted to meet changing needs, particularly of young people. “kaleldoscope: colors or paters that change quickly 62% Chopler3 jous Diversity in the United States: A Spiritual Kaleidoscope! 28 This chapter began with the assertion that the United States has teen and still isa religious country, but thatthe religious Tandscape is complicated and changing. The historical “live and let ive" tolerance of early Protestant faiths has led toa modern acceptance of diverse religions by most ‘Americans. Although there are some who aro intolerant and would disagroe, the ‘majority of Americans believe that there are many paths to God and their particular religion is not the only valid fat. The traditional lines drawn between members of different religions have broken down so that Americans frequently marry people of different faiths. This isespecially true of ‘younger Americans. More and more people ‘work with, live near, and are friends with people of different cultures and faiths. This has created a spiritual Laleidoscope, where people move between faiths, sometimes creating their own collection of beliofs drawn from a number of different religious ‘traditions. 28 The belief that the individual, not the ‘organizod church, should bo tho center of religious life has encouraged a tolerance and acceptance ofall faiths by most Americans. Most also believe that religious freedom must be protested—that everyone hhas the right to practice his or her own religion without interference by the {government or anyone else. America’s religious heritage seems to have encouraged certain basic Values that members of many diverse faiths find easy to accept. This has helped to unite many different religious ‘groups in the United States without reqgiring any tn akanddan thai faiths (Cultural and religious sluralism has also created a context of tolarance that further strengthens the American reality of many different religions living peacefully within a single nation,AFTER YOU READ Look at the predictions you made on page 53 before reading the chapter. Did you find the information in the sections you predicted? Answer these cuestions: 1, How many Americans say they believe in God? 2. What are the most popular religions in the United States? 3. Do Americans have an official national religion? 4, How has religion shaped American values? Understand Main Ideas InChapters 1 and 2, we discussed the importance of organizing and presenting main {ideas for clear writing and formal speaking in English. Academic writing in English looks Tikea series of capita letter Ts: ‘Main ldoa/lopic Sentence ‘Supporing Details Usually, each paragraph has atopic sentence that states the main idea ofthe paragraph. Often, this is the first sentence, The res of the paragraph contains supporting details that develop or explain the main idea, There are many types of supporting de'als: definitions facts or opinions statistics examples or illustrations descriptions quotations The Amercon Reigius HetiogeThe first paragraph of this reading begins with a topic sentence supported by facts, statistics, and examples. (See page 54.) Look back at the reading and find the paragraphs that begh with the following topic sentences. Then find the details that support the main ideas stated in the topic sentence. 1. Topic sentence: Some of the early European Protestant leaders bel eved that people who were blessed by God might be recognized in the world by thelr ‘material success. (page 56) ‘Supporting detail: (quotation) 2, Topic sentence: American religious leaders, however, never encouraged the {dea of gaining wealth without hard work and self-discipline. (page 57) ‘Supporting detail: (definition) 3. Topic sentence: Historically, some extremely wealthy Americans have made ‘generous contributions to help others. (page 58) Supporting details: (example and quotation) 4, Topic sentences: éll Americans and many people around the world can remember exactly what they were doing at the moment they heard that terrorists had attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September T1, 20(1. (page 59) Supporting details: (descriptions) S. Topic sentence: The belief that the individual, not the organized church, should be the center of religious life has encouraged a tolerance and acceptance of all faiths by most Americans. (page 62) Supporting details: (example and facts) 64 % Chopter3Understand Details ‘Write T if the statement is true and F if itis false according to the information in the chapter. _— 1. Although there s cultural pluralism in the United States, there is no religious pluralism, 2, Protestant denominations (such as Methodist, Baptist, end Presbyterian) are part of the Roman Catholic Church. 3, No singe church has become the center of religious lifein the inited States hecanse the emphasis isan the individual nota particular church, 4, Most ofthe settlers who came to colonial America to escape religious persecution in Europe were Catholics. 5. The Constitution of the United States separates church and state and forbids the government from ever establishing a national church. 6. Protestantism encourages a strong desire for self-improvement. 7, Some American Protestant leaders have said that people who are rich. have been blessed by God. 8, The Pro:estant work ethic is the belief that people should share thet ‘time and their wealth to help others. 9. Evangelicals are Christians who are religiously and socilly liberal. 10. The national religion of the United States isa mixture o'religion and Talk About It i Work in small groups and choose one or more of these questions to discuss 1, Do the majority of the people in your country belong to one particular church or religious faith? Is there a government-supported church or official religion? What are the advantages and disadvantages of having government recognize one offical religion for a country? 2, The United States does not have a national legal requirement for workers to have acertain number of paid vacation days. Does your country have such a Jegal requirement? Explain. 3. What is humaritarianism? Do you think that people should volunteer their time to help ths poor? 4, What doyou think being religious means? The Americon Religious Herioge *