Religion in America
Introduction
Religion is the condition or state of religious or any cultural structure of designated practices and behaviors, ethics, texts, worldviews, or consecrated places, or administrations that are relating to humanity to the transcendental. Religious relating humanity to what anthropologist Clifford Geertz is referring to as a cosmic “sequence of existence.” However no scholarly consensus over what exactly is constituting a religion. Various religions may or may not be containing different elements which are ranging from the sacred things, faith, divine, a deity, or deities, or some kind of transcendence and ultimacy that will be providing norms and power for the rest of existence. Religious operations may be including, sermons, rituals veneration or commemoration of supernatural beings festivals, trances, sacrifices, meditation, prayer, music, public service, dance,. Matrimonial services, feasts, initiations, funeral services, or alternative human aspects of human lifestyle. Religions have narratives, and sacred histories which may be protected in symbols, sacred scriptures, and holy settings that direct mostly to be giving a meaning life. Religion may be containing symbolic narratives, which followers sometimes are saying to be true, that are having the side purpose to explain the origin of life, the origin of the universe, and alternative things. In addition to reasoning, faith traditionally, has been reviewed a source of religious ideas. Different religious faiths have thrived in the United States. Many Americans are reporting that religion is playing important function in their lives. This essay attempts to describe religion in America and the role it is playing in the American society.
History
Diverse religious beliefs and practices are characterizing religion in America. Diversity and religious pluralism has historically been marking The United states, starting with different local beliefs of the pre colonial period. In colonial era, mainline protestant, Anglicans, Catholics and even Jews reached America from Europe. Eastern Orthodoxy has been around since the colonization of Alaska by Russia. Different disagreeing protestant, who abandoned the Church of England, profoundly expanded the religious landscape. The profound reviving gave rising to various missionary protestant churches; membership in Baptist, and Methodist denominations expanded heavily in the second profound revival. The American thinkers and upper classes gave support to deism in the 18th century. The Episcopal denomination came into existence in the American Revolution after breaking from the Church of England. Current protestant sections came into being like Restorationists, Adventism, and other Christian faiths, such as the church of Christ, Latter Day saint Movement, Jehovah’s Witnesses, in addition to Scientists, Unitarian and Universalist bodies all spreading in the 19th century. In the early 20th century, Pentecostalism transpired because of the Azusa Street Awakening. In 1950s Scientology came into being. In 20th century, the Unitarian Universalism prompted from combination of the Universalists and Unitarian denominations. In early 1990s the religious measure of Christians is reducing because of secularization while Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism and alternative religious beliefs are spreading. Studies show that the future of religion in America is proposed to erode as education progresses, and the effects of scientific thinking rising (Greely, 2001).
Population survey
Many adults in the United States are identifying themselves as Christians while near to a quarter assert no religious alignment. A study is stating that, seventy percent of adult society recognized themselves as Christians with forty six percent proclaiming attendance at different churches that could be observed as protestant and twenty percent are proclaiming to be Catholics. The same research is saying that alternative religions like Hinduism, Judaism, and Buddhism all are making up about six percent of the society. As stated by 2012 research by the Pew Forum, thirty six percent of adults in the United States are stating that they attend weekly services or more. The 2016 Gallup poll is describing sixty three percent of adult’s society in Mississippi to be more religious because they attend services weekly. The poll is also saying that the state Mississippi is the most religious and the state of Hampshire is the least religious with only twenty percent (Newport, 2016). Christianity is the most popular religion in the United States constituting the majority of the society. This data is stated by the Connection of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies bulletin which was available in March 2017 following the 2010 data. In all counties in the United States, Christians were the largest religious society. Approximately 46.5% percent of American societies are Protestants, 1.6% of them are Mormons, 20.8% of them are Catholics and 1.7% of them are non religious.
Freedom and Impact of Religion
The federal government of United States was the first government of the nation that had no official state religion that was endorsed. Some states however, started religions in some shape up to 1830s. A study is showing that religion is impacting the daily lives of American people. The findings are stating that highly religious people are more engaging with their extended families and are more likely to be volunteering, more involving in one’s communities and are generally living happier with the manner things are going in their lives. For instance, many highly religious people living in America are referring to those individuals who are praying everyday and are attending services weekly. This highly religious people will be gathering with the extended families at least twice a month. By comparing, just few individuals who are non religious will less likely to be gathering with one’s extended families. Approximately 65% of religious adults are saying to be donating money, goods, and time to go and help the needy. The growth if religious setting such as Islam has sparkled resulting to construction of mosques in the country. This sparkle has recently brought debate and controversy because construction of the mosques is attracting large crowds and protests of people (Suarez, 2010).
Conclusion
In conclusion, religion is the condition or state of religious or any cultural structure of designated practices and behaviors, ethics, texts, world views, or consecrated places, or administrations that are relating to humanity to the transcendental. Religious operations may be including, sermons, rituals veneration or commemoration of supernatural beings festivals, trances, sacrifices, meditation, prayer, music, public service, dance,. Matrimonial services, feasts, initiations, funerary services, or alternative human aspects of human lifestyle. Diversity and religious pluralism has historically been marking The United states, starting with different local beliefs of the pre colonial period. Christianity is the most popular religion in the United States constituting the majority of the society with the state of Mississippi as the most religious.
Reference
- Greely, A. (2001). The Future of Religion in America, Society, 38(3), p32-37
- Suarez, R. (2010). A Closer Look at the Influence of Religion in America. THE RUNDOWN. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/a-closer-look-at-the-influence-of-religion-in-america/
- Newport, F. (2016). Five Key Findings on Religion in the U. S. Gallup. Retrieved from http://www.gallup.com/poll/200186/five-key-findings-religion.aspx
