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Religion
Religious Intolerance Surges Worldwide, US Studies Confirm
by Barbara Crossette
Burmese Buddhists attack Muslims and Christians. Indian Hindu zealots kills
Muslims and Christians and trash their places of worship. In the Central African
Republic, Muslims are driven from the country by Christians. The Middle East and
parts of North Africa are aflame with sectarian violence, and religious minorities are
the most vulnerable to persecution, even genocide. Atheists who reject all formal
religions do not escape targeting in numerous places.
In May, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom singled
out in its annual report more than two dozen nations as “countries of particular
concern” and others nearing that level of documented abuse and discrimination. The
bipartisan commission advises the president, the State Department and the Congress
on issues of international religious freedom.
In a briefing for members of the Council on Foreign Relations on Aug. 9, Thomas
Reese, the newly named chairman of the commission, a nine-member body of experts
— three nominated by the president, three by the House of Representatives and three
by the Senate — noted two disturbing trends from the 2016 report, based on
information gathered in 2015. He pointed to the increasing abuses by independent
groups, not governments, and vigilantes’ reckless charges of blasphemy to inflame
violence.
Antony J. Blinken, US deputy secretary of state, introducing the department’s own
International Religious Freedom Report, took up that theme in a briefing on Aug. 10.
“Now, it used to be that our annual reports focused almost exclusively on the actions
of states,” he said. “But we’ve also seen certain nonstate actors — including terrorist
organizations like Daesh, al-Qaida, al-Shabaab, Boko Haram — posing a major threat
to religious freedom. There is, after all, no more egregious form of discrimination
than separating out the followers of one religion from another — whether in a village,
on a bus, in a classroom — with the intent of murdering or enslaving the members of
a particular group.”
Reese, a Jesuit who is also the senior analyst for the National Catholic Reporter, said
in his briefing that intolerance and persecution can happen in political systems of all
kinds, from dictatorships to democracies. He mentioned Burmese Buddhists attacking
Rohingya Muslims, “stateless, homeless people” and the elected government of Aung
San Suu Kyi passing discriminatory laws on race and religion.
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In Iran, he said, religious minorities, especially members of the Baha’i faith, Christian
converts and Sunni and Sufi Muslims, are targeted by the majority Shia population
and government. Despite promises of reform, President Hassan Rouhani, considered
a reformer, “has presided over an increase in imprisonment of members of these
minorities.” In the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Reese said, “not a single non-Muslim
house of worship is allowed.” Among nations that the State Department has yet to
designate as a country of particular concern, Reese said, the Central African Republic
should be on the list. The country descended into anarchy in 2013 after a Muslim
militia coup and an extremely violent Christian backlash.
“While those Muslim and Christian militias since then have committed multiple
atrocities, Christians far outnumber Muslims across the country, and Muslims were
disproportionately victimized. Almost all of the Muslim population has been driven
from the country.” The current religious freedom report divides countries of most
concern into two tiers. In Tier 1, “countries of particular concern” are Burma
(Myanmar), China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan
and Uzbekistan. The commission recommended that eight other countries meet that
standard and should also be included in Tier 1: the Central African Republic, Egypt,
Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Syria, Tajikistan and Vietnam.
In both Iraq and Syria, Reese said, “governments and nonstate actors alike have badly
treated religious minorities.” In Egypt, he added that longstanding discriminatory
laws are still in place and both Coptic Christians and atheists have been among those
prosecuted and jailed. In Pakistan, the report says, “More people are on death row or
serving life sentences for blasphemy . . . than in any other country in the world.”
Tier 2 countries listed in the 2016 commission report are Afghanistan, Azerbaijan,
Cuba, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Laos, Malaysia, Russia and Turkey.
In the case of democratic India, Reese said, “Christians, Muslims and Sikhs
experience harassment, intimidation and violence largely at the hands of members
of Hindu nationalist groups. Members of the ruling BJP party tacitly support these
nonstate actors, and use religiously divisive language to get their base out to vote, and
this kind of language inflames these groups against minorities. National and state
governments also implement laws that restrict religious conversion from Hinduism
and ban cow slaughter.”
When looking at all of these countries, one thing is obvious, Reese said. “In none of
these countries are members of religious minorities safe and secure in the practice of
their faith. Clearly, religious minorities are facing tremendous pressures across much
of the world, from both governments and non-state actors. Why should we care? Well,
we should care because the universal human right of religious freedom is being
violated here — the right of all human beings to think as they please, believe or not
believe in accordance with their conscience, and live out those beliefs in a nonviolent
way, without fear or intimidation.
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“But we should also, I think, care for another reason,” he added. “As we have seen
dramatically in recent years, unchecked persecution of religious minorities has been
associated with two of the worst humanitarian calamities of our time — an
unprecedented refugee crisis, and genocide. A total of 65 million people worldwide
are now internally displaced or have been forced out of their home countries — the
largest number since World War II. This 65 million includes many who have been
displaced because of their religious faith.”
Exercise I
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Define the highlighted words and provide antonyms
What is your impression about the text?
Are you religious?
What is in your opinion, the reason for continued and increased religious
wars?
In your opinion, which religion is most peaceful? And which is less peaceful?
What is "religion?" Explain in as much detail as possible.
Is religion important in your country? What is the main religion in your
country?
In general, do you think that religion has a negative or positive effect on the
world?
What can be done to prevent religious extremism?
Diverse World, Diverse Religions
Some of the world’s major religions are introduced in the following text. Read and
understand the text, then define the bold words and use them in new sentences.
Atheism
Atheists are people who believe that
god or gods are man-made
constructs.
Atheism is, in the broadest sense, the
absence of belief in the existence of
deities. Less broadly, atheism is the
rejection of belief that any deities
exist. In an even narrower sense,
atheism is specifically the position
that there are no deities. Atheism is
contrasted with theism, which, in its
most general form, is the belief that
at least one deity exists. Estimated
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number of self-identified atheists comprise anywhere from 2% to 13% of the world’s
population.
Buddhism
The name Buddhism comes from the word 'budhi' which means 'to wake up' and thus
Buddhism is the philosophy of awakening. This philosophy has its origins in the
experience of the man Siddhartha Gotama, known as the Buddha, who was himself
awakened at the age of 35. Buddhism is now 2,500 years old and has at least 300
million followers worldwide. Until a hundred years ago, Buddhism was mainly an
Asian philosophy but increasingly it is gaining adherents in Europe and America.
To many, Buddhism goes beyond religion and is more of a philosophy or 'way of life'.
It is a philosophy because philosophy 'means love of wisdom' and the Buddhist path
can be summed up as:
1. to lead a moral life,
2. to be mindful and aware of thoughts and actions, and
3. to develop wisdom and understanding.
Estimated followers: 350 million worldwide, while some believe it to be as high as
1.5 billion.
Christianity
The world's biggest faith, based on the teaching of Jesus Christ.
With well over two billion followers throughout the world, Christianity is an
Abrahamic religion centered on God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Points of
debate are the Christian beliefs in Immaculate Conception, the original sin, the
existence of the Devil, the existence of the Trinity and the coming of the apocalypse.
The three primary divisions of Christianity are Roman Catholicism, Eastern
Orthodoxy, and Protestantism.
Virtues and principles in Christian ethics
The seven Christian virtues are from two sets of virtues. The four cardinal virtues are
Prudence, Justice, Restraint (or Temperance), and Courage (or Fortitude). The
cardinal virtues are so called because they are regarded as the basic virtues required
for a virtuous life. The three theological virtues are Faith, Hope, and Love (or
Charity). Estimated followers: 2.2 billion.
Hinduism
A group of faiths rooted in the religious ideas of India.
Our beliefs determine our thoughts and attitudes about life, which in turn direct our
actions. By our actions, we create our destiny. Beliefs about sacred matters--God,
soul and cosmos--are essential to one's approach to life. Hindus believe many diverse
things, but there are a few bedrock concepts on which most Hindus concur. The
following nine beliefs, though not exhaustive, offer a simple summary of Hindu
spirituality.
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Hinduism, the world's oldest religion, has no beginning--it precedes recorded history.
It has no human founder. It is a mystical religion, leading the devotee to personally
experience the Truth within, finally reaching the pinnacle of consciousness where
man and God are one. Hinduism has four main denominations--Saivism, Shaktism,
Vaishnavism and Smartism.
Islam
Islam is a religion articulated by the Quran, a text considered by its adherents to be
the verbatim word of God (Allāh), and, for the vast majority of adherents, the
teachings and normative example (called the sunnah, composed of accounts called
hadith) of Muhammad (c. 570–8 June 632 CE). It is the world's second-largest
religion and the fastest-growing major religion in the world, with over 1.7 billion
followers or 23% of the global population, known as Muslims. Islam is an Abrahamic
monotheistic religion that upholds that God is one and incomparable and that the
purpose of existence is to worship God. Muslims consider Muhammad to be the last
prophet of God.
Core Values of Islam
Islamists use the Qu'ran : which is considered the 'sacred text of Islam' or the 'holy
book of Islam' and it contains the teachings of Muhammad which he passed on from
Allah. The most important beliefs of Muslims are in the Shahadah.
Mosques are the places (temples) that Muslims pray in.
In Islam, Muslims believe that there are two angels over their shoulders to record their
good and bad deeds to be rewarded in heaven.
“Islam is a comprehensive system which deals with all spheres of live. It is a state and
a homeland (or a government and a nation). It is morality and power (or mercy and
justice). It is culture and a law (or knowledge and jurisprudence). It is material and
wealth (or gain and prosperity). It is an endeavour and a call (or an army and a cause).
And finally, it is true belief and worship.”
Judaism
Based around the Jewish people's covenant relationship with God.
Judaism encompasses the religion, philosophy, culture and way of life of the Jewish
people. Judaism is an ancient monotheistic religion, with the Torah as its foundational
text and supplemental oral tradition represented by later texts such as the Midrash
and the Talmud. Judaism is considered by religious Jews to be the expression of the
covenantal relationship that God established with the Children of Israel. With between
14.5 and 17.4 million adherents worldwide, Judaism is the tenth-largest religion in the
world.
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Mormonism
Mormonism is a term defining the religious beliefs and practices of members of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as Mormons. Mormonism
describes the doctrines of the Church that were restored to the earth through the
Prophet Joseph Smith. When asked what Mormonism is, members of the Church will
often speak of their love of the Savior Jesus Christ. To them, the Savior is central to
Mormonism.
The founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Joseph Smith, wrote,
“The fundamental principles of our religion are … concerning Jesus Christ that He
died was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; all other
things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.”
In addition to the above, Latter-day Saints believe unequivocally that:
1. Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and the Son of our loving Heavenly Father.
2. Christ’s Atonement allows mankind to be saved from their sins and return to live
with God and their families forever.
3. Christ’s original Church as described in the New Testament has been restored in
modern times.
Estimated followers: 14,8 million.
Paganism
Contemporary religions usually based on reverence for nature.
Paganism is a term that first arose among the Christian community of southern
Europe during late antiquity as a descriptor of religions other than their own, or the
related Abrahamic religions; i.e., Judaism and Islam. There has been much scholarly
debate as to the origin of the term paganism, especially since no one before the 20th
century self-identified as a pagan.
Rastafari
Rastafari is a religion that developed in Jamaica in the 1930s, following the
coronation of Haile Selassie I as Emperor of Ethiopia in 1930. Its adherents worship
him in much the same way as Jesus in his Second Advent, or as God the Son.
Members of the Rastafari way of life are known as Rastafari, Rastas, Rastafarians, or
simply Ras.
The Rastafari way of life encompasses the spiritual use of cannabis and the rejection
of the degenerate society of materialism, oppression, and sensual pleasures, called
Babylon. It proclaims Zion, in reference to Ethiopia, as the original birthplace of
humankind, and from the beginning of the way of life calls for repatriation to Zion,
the Promised Land and Heaven on Earth. This can mean literally moving to Ethiopia
but also refers to mentally and emotionally repatriating before the physical. Some
Rastafari also embrace various Afrocentric and Pan-African social and political
aspirations. Estimated followers: 600,000
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Sikhism
The religion founded by Guru Nanak in India in the 15th Century CE.
Sikhism was founded in the 16th century in the Punjab district of what is now India
and Pakistan. It was founded by Guru Nanak and is based on his teachings, and those
of the 9 Sikh gurus who followed him.
The most important thing in Sikhism is the internal religious state of the individual.
• Sikhism is a monotheistic religion
• Sikhism stresses the importance of doing good actions rather than merely
carrying out rituals
• Sikhs believe that the way to lead a good life is to:
o Keep God in heart and mind at all times
o Live honestly and work hard
o Treat everyone equally
o Be generous to the less fortunate
o Serve others
• The Sikh place of worship is called a Gurdwara
• The Sikh scripture is the Guru Granth Sahib, a book that Sikhs consider a
living Guru
Estimated followers: 20 million.
Exercise II
1. Define the highlighted words and provide synonyms.
2. Research and answer the following questions:
a. How many people practice Islam globally?
b. How many people practice Paganism globally?
c. How many people practice Hinduism globally?
3. Do you believe in God (or gods)? Why/not?
4. Do you believe in an afterlife? Why/not?
5. Do you believe in an immortal soul? Why/not?
6. Do you believe in reincarnation? Why/not?
7. Of all the religions above, which do you find most interesting and why?
8. Which religion do you find least interesting?
9. Are there any religions not mentioned that you can think of?
10. There have been many religions throughout the history of humankind. In the
next 1000 years, will the major religions of today still exist? Why/not?
11. Would you ever consider changing religions? Or, if you're not religious,
would you ever consider joining a religion? Why/not?
12. Would you consider science and technology as the new religion of
humankind? Why/not?
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Exercise III
Listen to the recording found under the Religion Lesson, at the Heavy Conversation
course page, at language121.com, and fill out the missing words from the text.
Fewer Americans believe in God, ___________ ___________ and ___________ go to church
than in ___________, a poll says. More than ________ Americans were polled about their
___________ ___________ over four months in 2014 by the Pew Research Center. The
study, called the 2014 Religious ___________ was released Tuesday. It updates research
done seven years ago. _________ _______ ___________ ___________ said the percentage
of Americans who are “absolutely certain” God exists fell to ______ _________ from 71
percent. One reason for this, the Center says, is the large population of ___________
___________ – called ___________ – who say they don’t belong to any religion. The other
reason is that older, more religious Americans, are dying. The people who don’t belong to a
religion are called “__________” by the survey’s writers. “Nones” made up 16 percent of the
adult population in 2007. This time around, the number is 23 percent. Among the “nones,”
about 61 percent said they believed in God.
But the research center said there is a “great deal of ___________ in the U.S. religious
landscape” in spite of the lower numbers. Within the category of people who are
___________ with a religion, the ___________ stayed mostly ___________. Seventy-seven
percent of the people surveyed said they were ___________ to a religion. In that group, 89
percent of those ___________ said they believe in God, which was only a small change from
the last time the survey came out. Alan Cooperman, the Pew center’s ___________ of
religious research, says those who ___________ as “religious” are as ___________ as ever.
“On some measures, there are even small increases in their levels of religious practice.”
The survey asked Americans about a number of hot-button __________ __________ to
religion. The survey looked at Americans’ views on __________, __________ and
__________. People who identified as Christian were about 10 percent more accepting of
homosexuality than they were seven years ago. Most __________ ___________ officially
oppose homosexuality. Views about abortion were mostly __________ compared with the
survey seven years ago. Fifty-three percent of Americans said abortion should be legal in
most cases. About evolution, 62 percent of Americans said they believed __________
evolved over time. Thirty-four percent said they did not believe in that theory.
End of Lesson
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