Kathryn Lofton Sexuality And American Religion Summary

“The Shopkeepers Millennium,” by Paul E. Johnson explains the causes and effects of the religious revival in Rochester, New York. Religious revivals took place all over America but, the greatest took place in Rochester with the help of the evangelist, Charles Finney. He convinced many that they could make a better society with the help of God. Finney persuaded the people saying “God has made man a moral free agent” (pg. 4), suggesting that man can choose to be good or evil; and “If Christians united and dedicated their lives to the task, they could convert the world and bring on the millennium...” (pgs. 3-4). If everyone worked together to do the moral good and encourage others to do it there will be a better world. Based on Rochester’s revival, Johnson argues that religion was used by the middle class to enforce social control over the working class and uses Durkheim’s Sociology to prove it. Indeed, middle class used religion to regulate the working class because they wanted to re-establish the authority that was lost when they dissolved family work relationships and religion was a way to get wage earners to be obedient.

Stapleford presents a strong analysis of economic issues with a Christian perception that aligns with Biblical truths. He urges his audience to avoid the temptation of idolatry and materialism but to live a selfless life of sacrifice. Stapleford claims that “there is sanctity in all of labor, and without God’s involvement human labor is futile. In whatever we do, Christians are to do it heartily as unto the Lord, for we do not labor for the food that perishes but for the food that endures to everlasting life” (Stapleford, 2009).

Since resources are scarce, we live in an all for one society. This essay will critique Norman Solomon’s argument in “Judaism and Economic Reform” to Sallie McFague’s argument in “God’s Household: Christianity, Economics,

Homosexuality is one of the most debated issues among Christians today, regardless of the denomination of their church. Some churches view homosexuality as a sin and have no tolerance for it, while other denominations are more accepting and consider it a non-sin. Even though some denominations have taken a stand on homosexuality, there seems to much discord within the governing bodies of the churches regarding this issue. It has moved from a topic rarely discussed and considered very personal and private, to a mainstream topic of conversation.

The certain morality of the lawful pursuit of wealth gives businessmen both a clear conscience and the ability to employ motivated workers who themselves constantly labor for the glory of God. The businessmen’s conscience is further cleared by the thought that the unequal distribution of goods is part of God’s plan – it is God’s secret choice to bestow grace as he wishes. The workers “calling”, in contrast, is to labor regardless of the wage, striving to glorify God and secure status as the elect. The ascetic lifestyle of a poor worker is also glorified, as the worker lives as the apostles once did. The attitudes of both the businessmen and the worker in the modern economic relationship naturally flow from ascetic Protestantism.

Nour Dbouk English - 203 Long Response Essay. “Losing My Religion for Equality,” written by the former President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, discusses his decision to abandon his Christian faith in solidarity with women’s rights. He argues that modern misogynists are twisting the words of religion to enforce immoral discrimination and hierarchy. Whether it was a man on the street or a priest in a church, every day, men are trying to legalize the objectification and inferiority of women in the name of religion. Such discrimination is faced by thousands of women to this day, including myself.

On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court declared same-sex marriage Legal in all 50 states. In today’s society, sexuality has become more acceptable amongst the younger generation. Media such as, television and politics have publicly welcomed the LGBT community into society; however, African Americans still struggle with homophobia in their community. In the novel The Women of Brewster Place, one of the lesbian characters, Lorraine struggles with society’s perception due to her sexuality.

It can be characterised as a wholesale commodification of religion, that is the selling-off of religious buildings, ideas and claims to authenticity in service to individual/ corporate profit and the promotion of a particular worldview and mode of life, namely corporate capitalism” (15). Carrette and King are making an important observation that religion has become a good that can be sold and traded through the idea that spirituality is a certain way of living. The “Prosperity Gospel” falls into this spirituality trap that Carrette and King address. The “ideas and claims” are seen when prosperity preachers tell their congregations that monetary donations will lead to an increase in personal wealth, and to better health. Meanwhile the “promotion of a particular worldview and mode of life” is apparent when prosperity preachers teach their followers that money and property are essential in God’s plan for them, and it is a sign of their spirituality when they prosper. In addition, the “selling-off of religious buildings” can be found in the numerous mega-churches and multi-million dollar mansions that prosperity preachers inhabit. The wealth of these places sell the idea that fancy buildings are signs of a healthy spiritual lifestyle being lived in God’s favor. Overall,

Common views on homosexuality and how it affects a person’s wealth/income is divided into two wholly contrasting opinions. Homosexuals are either seen as impoverished and suffer as a result of their open sexual orientation in a country that is largely Christian influenced and looks down upon them, or they are seen to be slowly becoming advantaged as a result of a growing liberal and LGBT & Feminist sentiments among the younger generations of Americans. With this, common perception of homosexuals and how they fair economically is split in two wholly different parts, and yet both sides are right if at different points in time. With four sources using both unique sources of their own and sharing certain studies to develop educated conclusions, it can be seen that within a period of a year homosexual economic status can somehow go from being called advantaged to suffering from an unfair wage gap and back again. How and why? That would require both examining the article’s conclusions and their sources as follows.

The act of defining religion has been a contentious issue in a wide variety of situations, particularly in the United States. The US is a nation that prides itself on religious inclusivity and freedom. There are consequences to this belief and tenant. Through the social, legal and moral structures of the United States, defining religion has become imperative. In The Impossibility of Religious Freedom, Winifred Sullivan outlines the legal implications of defining religion in the United States. In order for religious freedom to be protected by the American state, religion must be clearly defined. As a result, religious theory must be used to maintain some semblance of religious freedom in the United States. Likewise, Josh Dubler’s Down in

Throughout history, definitions of sexuality within a culture are created and then changed time after time. During these changes, we have seen the impact and power one individual or group can have over others. In the Late Nineteenth Century into the Early Twentieth Century, we see multiple groups of people and or authorities taking control over the idea of sex and how they believe society is being impacted by sex. At this point in time, society had groups of people who believed they had the power to control how society as whole viewed and acted upon sex. Those particular groups and ideas changed many lives and the overall definition of sexuality within that culture.

The debate around gun control in the United States has been growing, and for good reason. Recent tragedies involving gun violence highlight even more the need for changes in the current gun laws. There needs to be two key changes, and they can be even considered updates, that need to be enforced federally. It’s not time to start pulling guns away or limit the purchasing, but rather create better tools for the current system to do its job. The first change that needs to be implemented is federally mandated background checks that are consistent across all states. The other is having sufficient waiting periods in place before being allowed to purchase guns. Overall, federally mandated background checks and waiting periods across all states are the best ways to restrain gun violence and reduce gun homicides in the U.S. because they would prevent guns from being placed in the hands of criminals or mentally ill people, while also preventing gun-wanting people during momentary lapses of judgment to purchases firearms.

The second great force at the turn of the century is itself global: the emergence of women in the public sphere, including the public face of religion. This is in part a function of women's growing economic and political power, but also a result of religion itself coming into the public sphere in new ways. Many aspects of religion have long been considered private and relegated largely to the context of home and family, where women have often been the primary practitioners, though men might dominate in institutional leadership positions. As both religion and women move out of the private into the public sphere, new challenges arise. For example, central facets of family and home – particularly love and sex – which have more traditionally been the purview of women and of religion have entered the realm

In order to more effectively address the growing problem of the ‘war on drugs,’ many countries are striving to decriminalize or legalize drugs such as marijuana, considered to be less harmful than other, more dangerous and addictive drugs. Marijuana is currently classified as a Class C drug in the United States, the inclusion of marijuana in the ‘war on drugs’ has not provided the kind of results expected. Rather than eliminating undesirable drugs from the streets, the war on drugs has had the effect of increasing the level of violence in the drug trade, encouraged the development of organized crime, filled prison cells to unprecedented and beyond capacity levels, consumed huge amounts of government capital and yet has done very little to reduce the presence of these drugs within the general population or the numbers of people who make use of them. More recent theories have suggested that legalizing, or at least decriminalizing, lesser drugs such as marijuana may be a more effective approach as a means of reducing levels of violence, decrease incarceration, allow more individuals to remain productive members of society, and make more resources available to combat more harmful substances and criminals. To more fully understand the issue, available literature and theory regarding the topic of legalization will be examined as well as the results of decriminalization in those pockets of government where it’s been allowed and compare these to drug-related crime and possible

In this course, I found the connection between religion and politics the most important concept we’ve studied. With engagement and understanding of politics becoming increasingly important, it’s valuable to study the ways people both interact with politics and form their political opinions—and as we’ve seen, religion can play a huge role in both of these aspects. However, the way religious groups engage with politics can perhaps be generalizing when discussing major religions, seeing as these groups are often widely diverse and brimming with unique experiences. Therefore, I believe it is just as important to discuss the political dimension of religion with the social influences of ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and the interrelations between them.