The Influence Of Catholicism In The United States

Around the 15th century, when the Americas were discovered, Europe was going through a great religious change. There were many disputes in Europe about the Roman Catholic Church and its teachings. Later, the two prominent religious figures that completely impacted the way people view religion in a different light were a German monk named Martin Luther, and a Frenchman named John Calvin. That’s when they started a religious reformation. Some countries, such as France and England, were most affected by the sudden change, which caused them to become slow to colonize in the New World. However, the Spanish and the Portuguese were unaffected and were the first to arrive in America, so their Catholic church and beliefs also went with them. Thus, Catholicism

While many are unaware, the Protestant Reformation continues to be impactful in how people in America today view freedom, government, and rights. In general, the Reformation has played a role on the construction of America’s social order and diversity, the day-to-day natural life, and religious freedom. Beginning with the American Constitution, the foundation of Christianity (unversed in any other part of the world), unites religious moral standards with the American way of thinking regarding cultural diversity, equal rights, religious belief, and sexual characteristics.

The early American colonies were founded and settled by Great Britain. Accordingly, Church of England was the state sponsored religion in this area. Most individuals identified themselves at Protestants and most of the settlers considered themselves church members. Even with these facts the Anglican Church struggled to keep its base in the colonies and to move into newly settled areas. This happened because of the church leadership, several church practices, and the topography of the colonies.

LAKE ARTHUR - Since 1890, the First United Methodist Church has provided a spiritual home for Lake Arthur area residents.

development of Sunday school and new denominations like Methodism’s, Christian Church, The Salvation Army, and Pentecostalism etc. In addition, there is the contribution of Theologians to the praxis of Christian living.

The prejudice experienced by Catholic Americans can be traced as far back as the sixteenth century. Roman Catholicism was the dominating religion throughout most of Europe and the Catholic Church held great wealth, social, and political standing. The loyalty of the people to Rome and the Papacy at that time seemed to be unyielding until an Augustinian friar, named Martin Luther, rejected some of the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and began to spread his own message of God’s will in the form of Lutheranism. Luther believed the Holy Roman Catholic Empire was corrupted

From the initial formation of the American colonies, there has been tension between Protestant and Catholic religious ideology. In his book Who Are We, Samuel Huntington discusses the importance of the early American settler’s dissenting Protestant values. Without the Protestants, Huntington claims, American culture as we know it would not exist (Huntington, 59). Huntington is right that American culture was formally designed by dissenting Protestants, although that history is fraught with prejudice against opposing religious groups. This tension is most notable within the concept and application of religious freedom throughout American history.

Most people believe that the United States was founded as a Christian nation. After all, our money is emblazoned with “In God We Trust,” our Pledge of Allegiance declares that we are “one nation under God,” and in court we swear to “tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God.” It’s true that the Founders were heavily influenced by Christian ideals. And while the U.S. Constitution prohibits any religious test or requirement for public office, the majority of U.S. presidents have been openly Christian. Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln, two of our most famous presidents, however had no formal religious affiliations. Jefferson shunned orthodox Christianity at an early age and cut and pasted together a condensed version of the New Testament, removing most miracles and all references to Jesus’s divinity. He did, however, continue to believe in God as a precise, impersonal creator of the universe and its laws. Lincoln, on the other hand, spoke frequently of God during his presidency but never formally joined a church. Today, academics remain uncertain about whether or not he was a Christian as some aspects of his faith remain a mystery.

The history of religion in the United States comes a long way dating from the early 1600s when the first pilgrim settlers came to this country. It has been noted that these settlers were highly influenced by the Protestant faith which led to a community level of influence in this country as well. The faith of theses settlers were motivated from the New World of Europe where they practiced their religion in a peaceful environment. Later in history, it was noted that people of Spanish decent started the famous network of the Catholic missions in California. When California became a part of the United States, Catholic churches and institutes were formed. These churches and institutes were also formed in New Orleans and Louisiana.

The American education system is a prime example of an institution that has been formed around the exclusionary principles of American society and as a result the education system, which has become the preferred means of climbing the socioeconomic latter, is also an institution that works to indirectly keep poor minorities in their hierarchical place. Schools that were meant to be public facilities of education continue to be funded under the assumption that these institutions are necessary and inclusive. Although public schools are necessary, they are far from inclusive, in fact the best schools can be defined as sects. Max Weber wrote about the exclusive characteristics, benefits, and consequences of sects in terms of religious groups,

Anti-Catholicism in America is a strong reflection of the treatment of Irish Catholics in Britain during the 18th century. Before learning about anti-Catholicism in America, it is essential to understand how this outburst initially began in England. The rapid increase in anti-Catholicism had been flamed by books like Book of Martyrs by John Foxe. This book illustrated how around 300 Protestants were killed between 1555 and 1558 under Queen Mary I, who strongly enforced Catholicism. Then, in 1605 there was the Gunpowder Plot, where a small group of Catholics plotted to blow up the king and members of Parliament. Many believe that the Gunpowder Plot sparked the further immense discrimination and intolerance of Catholics in England. According

Initially, America did not have a Christian foundation in the sense of creating a theocracy. However, it was shaped by Christian moral truths, and the forefathers created a hospitable environment that supported this religion. The relationship linking the state and religion grew strong as most of the people in the nation became Christians. This research paper outlines how Christianity came to be one of the major religions in the United States of America.

Social categories are defined and maintained to establish a social hierarchy, and one of these social categories is religion (Adam, 2013). Thus, the dominance of one religious group over another creates a hegemony, which is defined as “unconscious reproduction of dominant group norms, values, beliefs, [and] cultural forms carried on as part of everyday life” (Adams & Joshi, 2013, p. 230). In the United States, Protestant Christianity is the dominant religion, and this dominance of Christianity creates Christian hegemony, which is “society’s unacknowledged adherence to a dominant religious worldview that…publicly affirms Christian observances” (2013, p. 230). This Christian hegemony also leads to Christian privilege in society (2013). Thus,

Religion is as old as human civilization itself. It has survived millennia in various forms shaping the way that we live, impacting our decisions and making us who we are. Religion permeates and influences virtually every aspect of our lives and governs both our individual and collective life (Hajizadeh, 2013). Religion plays an integral role in every country whether it is a third-world country, such as some African or Middle Eastern countries, or industrialized capitalist countries like the United States and the European Union. Over the past few decades many global events have brought religion’s growing influence over society, especially its role in affecting politics (Hajizadeh, 2013). The biggest religious event/influence in recent years would be the various events that resulted from the Islamic conflicts both internal and external such as the Iranian Revolution and the infamous September 11th attack on the World Trade Center that occurred in 2001 (Hajizadeh, 2013). The September 11th attacks in particular paved the way for many new policies and laws including the USA PATRIOT (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism) Act. The USA PATRIOT Act has been one of the most powerful laws that has been passed because it gave the government of the United States almost unfettered access to the personal information of citizens all in the name of national security and the war on Al-Qaeda and Islamic Terrorism.

There are many factors that have an impact on the American government and society. One main factor is religion. Religion, defined by Webster’s Dictionary, is a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs. The predominant religion of the United States is Christianity, and the minorities include Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, and Atheism. The United States has a long history of being known as