California State University Northridge is a conglomerate of different cultures, ethnicities, and religions. The students and faculty are a good sample size of the American religious landscape: numerous ethnicities from different locations around the world come together and bring their religious practices with them. This nation holds great pride in its diversity and acceptance of others. This concept of pluralism is something the nation would prefer to have as a common belief, however there are different opinions. The strong protestant influence in the American south and the discrimination of Muslims make a point that the U.S. is anti-pluralistic. Nevertheless, as evidenced by multiple project websites on the topic of religions in America, there
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The Buddhists spoke about previous encounters with Protestants denouncing their temple in Richmond, Virginia and Buddhism in general, so the members hold a mutual understanding that they should keep their religious affiliation a private matter. While there were negative experiences, there are also positive opinions that members of the Ekoji Buddhist temple have. A significant portion of Buddhists in the South see their practice as a “positive, liberal alternative” to the dominant Protestant influence (pg. 167). Buddhism gives the practitioners a sense of pride that they are something different: the idea of a unique individual that America prides itself on. Applying this to CSUN, being in a more diverse location than Richmond allows a higher population to be exposed to different religions. The effect of Buddhism in CSUN is mentioned in the Buddhism group project website, where in the findings they state that while there is an awareness of people who do not agree with their ideas on campus, the overall experience of being a Buddhist at Northridge is seen as positive in the eyes of the interviewees. This is reflective of the United States as a whole, where the majority of Americans don’t seem to mind the numerous religions. What CSUN delivers to Buddhists, as well as other religious practitioners, is the …show more content…
In the United States, the meaning of pluralism has changed throughout time. Originally the simple tolerance of different religions was considered pluralism, which slowly developed into a peaceful coexistence between multiple religions today. In Dixie Dharma, the Buddhists in Virginia still occasionally encounter some prejudice from the conservative surroundings. The issues of Islamophobia have increased exponentially due to the actions of radical Muslim groups such as the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and ISIL in the past 30 years. While the examples paint a picture of discrimination in today’s America, the fact of the matter is that we as a society are moving closer to an acceptance of religious diversity. As evidenced by the studies on California State University Northridge students, the common opinion on the matter is that students of all religions share no experiences of discrimination exclusively for their faith. CSUN is more advanced in its pluralistic values compared to the rest of the United States, due in part to the transparency that the university has regarding the different religions. Pluralism is slowly becoming the norm in the United States, due in part to the progressive ideas blossoming in universities such as
The Buddhists spoke about previous encounters with Protestants denouncing their temple in Richmond, Virginia and Buddhism in general, so the members hold a mutual understanding that they should keep their religious affiliation a private matter. While there were negative experiences, there are also positive opinions that members of the Ekoji Buddhist temple have. A significant portion of Buddhists in the South see their practice as a “positive, liberal alternative” to the dominant Protestant influence (pg. 167). Buddhism gives the practitioners a sense of pride that they are something different: the idea of a unique individual that America prides itself on. Applying this to CSUN, being in a more diverse location than Richmond allows a higher population to be exposed to different religions. The effect of Buddhism in CSUN is mentioned in the Buddhism group project website, where in the findings they state that while there is an awareness of people who do not agree with their ideas on campus, the overall experience of being a Buddhist at Northridge is seen as positive in the eyes of the interviewees. This is reflective of the United States as a whole, where the majority of Americans don’t seem to mind the numerous religions. What CSUN delivers to Buddhists, as well as other religious practitioners, is the …show more content…
In the United States, the meaning of pluralism has changed throughout time. Originally the simple tolerance of different religions was considered pluralism, which slowly developed into a peaceful coexistence between multiple religions today. In Dixie Dharma, the Buddhists in Virginia still occasionally encounter some prejudice from the conservative surroundings. The issues of Islamophobia have increased exponentially due to the actions of radical Muslim groups such as the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and ISIL in the past 30 years. While the examples paint a picture of discrimination in today’s America, the fact of the matter is that we as a society are moving closer to an acceptance of religious diversity. As evidenced by the studies on California State University Northridge students, the common opinion on the matter is that students of all religions share no experiences of discrimination exclusively for their faith. CSUN is more advanced in its pluralistic values compared to the rest of the United States, due in part to the transparency that the university has regarding the different religions. Pluralism is slowly becoming the norm in the United States, due in part to the progressive ideas blossoming in universities such as