How has religion impacted American society Term Paper

How has religion impacted American society - Term Paper Example This assignment explains the significance of religion and the way it can impact various components of a society be it culture, education, politics or economics. The areas that are significantly under consideration in this paper are education and culture.Talking about the developed countries, it has been observed that America is most religious as far as the demographics is concerned. In 2002, a survey was conducted which revealed that citizens considered religion as a very important part of their lives and it was an area which was given high respect and priority. An attitude similar to this was also observed in America’s neighboring country; Latin America. To study the impact of religion on American culture, it is necessary to understand the meaning of both the terms and the relationship between them. Religion is a system of principles through which individuals identify their existence and base their explanations of the universe and the natural occurrence that are linked with i t. Culture is a set of methods, values and norms that are adopted and practiced by people in a society which are also transferred form one generation to the other. In America there is not a universal religion, a number of religions which include; Christianity, no religion, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Baha’i Faith. All the religions have had their respective impacts on the American culture. A few of them will be discussed here. The religion that is practiced by majority of the Americans is Christianity which further branches out into more sects that are considered to be a part of Christianity. Christianity pays emphasis on compassion, in the light of this teaching; individuals make attempts to help the needy and to assuage distress of the troubled ones. Donations are paid in higher amounts and in case of disasters, every individual rushes to help their virtual brothers. Christianity has also discouraged homosexual relationships and has put a stop to them wh ich has ultimately affected the family life and husband wife relationship in a positive way. (David, 89) Islam has also been rated as the fastest growing religion in America. It started after the African Muslims arrived here and immediately formed a community of their own named as Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. American culture has experienced a relative difference since the emergence of Islam which encompasses building of mosques, formation of political and donation organizations and other Islamic practices. The Muslims have immigrated to America in large numbers especially in the year 2005 which has significantly affected the culture in a way that Muslims equally take part in the educational matters. Islam discourages the ideological perception of granting superiority to a particular race and gives equal status to mankind including slaves. This has encouraged slaves particularly to enter into Islam empowering them in the wake. Impact of Religion on Education in America Maintaining a balance between education and religion has emerged as a dilemma and persistent problem in America. Arguments and discussions have been held to ponder over the problem of right placement of religious education in the course outline. The two parties involved in this battle are religious conventional, secularists and liberals. The former demands religion to be included in the basic public education whereas the latter thinks it is a private issue and should not be confused with worldly education. However the importance and impact of religion cannot be ignored. The teachings of religion gave a new prospect to the human life. As far as the Greeks were concerned, they emphasized on the human mind whereas Christianity showed man his soul. The benefits and impact of religion on American education can be better understood if compared