Eboo Patel tells the story of his journey of finding his identity as an American Muslim and Indian in his book Acts of Faith. However, describing Patel’s conclusive identity necessitates elaborating on the many intimate, pluralistic encounters he immersed himself in throughout his life. Beginning with a base of a somewhat elusive Muslim identity, Patel then discovered Mormonism, Judaism, Catholicism, and social activism, eventually landing back into his familial heritage. Patel’s multiple major epiphanies throughout his young adulthood due to his encounters with girlfriends, literature, organizations, mentors, friends, and travels have all served as great contributions to his United States-Muslim-Indian-pluralist identity.…
This analysis follows Durkheim’s theory that religion has three major functions. These functions are that of religion promotes social cohesion by uniting people together, religion promotes conformity by encouraging people to obey cultural norms, and religion gives meaning to purpose an life. For Reza in Iran, the social norm was to follow islamic beliefs and be muslim. But in order to escape war, Reza and his family immigrated to the United States. This geographical move introduced a different culture and social norms causing Reza to back away from his culture, ethnicity, and religion.…
Cynthia Keppley Mahmood examines some of the problems Sikhs are facing regarding their “identity and commitment”. She looks at the overall question of “Who is a Sikh”. In particular, Mahmood examines Canada’s’ response to the influx of Sikh immigrants. She analyzes and shares examples of discrimination that Sikhs face in Canada.…
There are social and cultural expectations that individuals are expected to adhere to in their society. These expectations, or standards, vary based on location, time, and communities. In This reflection will be analyzing how practitioners of a religion adapt to society without losing their true sense of self. The community in which African slaves had to become acclimated with in Cuba was one of division, inconsistency, and coercion (Olmos 34).…
Christianity and Sikhism are two of the most influential and profound religions in the world. Their scriptures give an amazing, clear understanding on their beliefs and guidelines on how to worship and live their lives, words of wisdom and knowledge, and how the scriptures arise and what they contain. Christianity and Sikhism both contain wise sayings of wisdom and knowledge. An example of this is contained in the Guru Granth Sahib. "By his command souls come into being; by his command glory and greatness are obtained"(Guru Granth Sahib 1).…
Comprehending religion in an unbiased and thorough manner can be an ordeal that unintentionally highlights certain Western viewpoints. Although politics, economics, and psychology can be used to explain the causes human religious activity, limiting our study to solely these factors ignores a fundamental institution in which humans engage: religion. Studying the People’s Temple phenomenologically gives way to understanding it without letting societal norms cloud our judgement. Chidester’s approach to religion as “that human ability to symbolize whatever may be held to be sacred”(48) allows for a respectful study of the People’s Temple, recognizing that “religious worldviews create context for the construction of human identity” (48). Calling the People’s Temple a cult rather than embracing it as a religion dehumanizes those who believed in the ideals of the People’s Temple, stripping them of a legitimate and crucial aspect to their identities.…
Patrick Luongo Thomas Harrington Writing 1 March 2016 Did Hinduism influence Sikhism? Sikhism and Hinduism are two religions with many similarities and also many differences. Historically there have been arguments that the religions are very different while others argue that they are very similar. The huge population of Hinduism influenced the new religion Sikhism.…
Cynthia Keppley Mahamood examines some of the problems Sikhs are facing regarding their “identity and commitment”. She looks at the overall question of “Who is a Sikh”. In particular Mahamood explores Canada, and how it has responded to the influx of Sikh immigrants. He analyzes and shares examples of discrimination against Sikhs face in Canada. Also, how the current Indo-Canadian society has chosen to follow certain societal and cultural norms, which go against the Gurus teachings.…
Thesis: The Canadian television sitcom Little Mosque on the Prairie is a tremendous series that not only gives viewers numerous laughs, but also educates viewers on Islam. The show give viewers insight on the daily life of Muslims living in the western world. Although this series is fictional, it does an exemplary job of depicting diversity among the group of Muslims living in Mercy, Saskatchewan. The Muslim characters in the show all seem to have different jobs and behaviors while still remaining strongly connected to their faith. From doctors, to politicians, to handymen and many others the Muslims in Mercy are just as much a part of the community as anyone else.…
Sikhs The Khalsa is an order in the Sikh religion. They have been baptized in the Sikhs religion are the highly devoted of the religion. They are most recognized by their clothing. With most notable a turban and sword. The origins of Sikhism date back to the 16th century in the district of Punjab in India.…
A Caucasian privileged person, who was born in the United States, is considered a stereotypical “American”. If a person looks tan and has black hair then “Americans” assume they are immigrants and because they are not the stereotypical white person than they automatically assume they are not an “American”. The stereotypical white person is someone that is tall, blond, has money, blue eyed individual that strongly believe in the second amendment of the United States Constitution. In America, we believe in the free of speech and that we can freely practice any religion we want because America is free country. However, after the terrorist attacks that happened on September 11, 2001 this country changed forever.…
Karolina I. Pellot Ortiz Professor Matthew Goodwin English 3221-705 September 17, 2015 Faith Based on Cultural Opinion Is there truly one simple way to explain a religion? Which opinion is right and which one is wrong? These are the types of questions that you, or anyone else, might ask when trying to describe your religious beliefs.…
These four religions have followers in virtually every part around the world, and at their common core all four religions preach the same ideas and values. This comparison demonstrates how similar humans are, whether they come from different countries, speak different languages, or have different backgrounds-all humans who follow religion all want to be honest people, and keep faith that helps them become better people. Comparing Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism has shown how similar all humans and religions…
Eastern and Western religions have always had their differences based on their worldviews and central beliefs. However, the many religions in each of these areas hold many similarities. For instance, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism are some of the most popular religions in the East. These religions have many similarities and small differences to set them apart, all while generally believing in the same worldviews and belief system. With multiple similarities between each of these religions, it is known that Hinduism is the major inspiration for Buddhism and Sikhism.…
I was born to a Hindu family – and therefore, I call myself a Hindu, based on the cultural exposures that I have had through my family and my religious community. And yet Hinduism for me is like a foundation, one on which I have built my own perceptions of God and religion, based on my own life experiences. My particular views may therefore seem unique at best, blasphemous at worst – but they will have a great impact on how I act as a patient, and as a physician. Like many Hindus, I believe in reincarnation. Traditionally, reincarnation means that after death, souls are reborn many times to repay their debts, to right their wrongs, and to rid themselves of their past karmas, or deeds, until they are ready to become one with God.…