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This file was used in my Cross Cultural Understanding Class
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QUESTIONS TO ANSWER
1) Do many Americans believe in God?
2) What’s the most popular religion in US?
3) Do Americans have official national Religion?
4) How has religion shaped American values?
Parlin Pardede
Protestant50%
Catholic24%
Other Christian
10%
No Religion*)
10%
Jewish2% Islam
2%Other
religions2%
Religious Pluralism
Individual Right to practice his
religion
*) Atheist or Agnostics
All individuals stand alone before God
(1) Everyone is solely responsible for his/her relationship with God, and (2) seeks forgiveness directly from God
Pope & Priest are ‘Spiritual Fathers’ of people who
(1) told what was right or wrong and (2) granted forgiveness for sins
ANGLICAN CHURCH
PURITANCHURCH
PROTESTANTISM IN USA
Lutheran
Episcopalian
Church of Christ
Presby-terian
Methodist
Baptist
6/25/2011 6
PROTESTANT
COVERS 200 DENOMINATIONS DUE TO DIFFER-ENCES IN RITUAL, LANGU-AGE, ORGANIZATIONAL MATTER, ETC.
The Lutherans & Episcopalians have a rather formal service.
The church of god’s service is rather informal & greatly displays emotion.
The Methodists & Episcopalians have a strong central organization.
The Congregationalists' individual church is relatively independent.
Differences in theology are related to the method and time of baptism, god’s trinity or one entity, and interpretations of biblical passage.
Some churches use their native languages; others use English.
Parlin Pardede 7
SEPARATION OF
STATE & CHURCH
The government encourages
religions, and religious elements are
present in the conduct of her affairs.
On American currency, IN GOD WE
TRUST is printed. All congress’
sessions are opened with prayer.
But there is no state religion.
Though the presidents ever held
office up to now are Christians, they
come from various denominations.
Public school do not teach religion;
prayer at public school was banned
in 1960. Church schools do not
receive any public funds.
Though some groups openly
demonstrate their religious
convictions, for most Americans it
is a personal matter not usually
discussed in daily conversation.
≠
SELF IMPROVEMENT
Natural Sinfullnessof Human
Nature
Individuals should ask for God’s guidance, forgiveness & grace
Encourage a strong and restless desire for self improvement in religious, moral and daily life.
• Bulk number of “self-help” books• Educational institutions offer
“extension classes,” night classes, correspondence courses, televised courses, and on-line courses so that everyone have access for more education.
• “Non-formal educations” (workshops, seminars, or training) are widely available for those who want improve themselves.
• The belief in “God help those who help themselves”
PURITAN WORK-ETHIC
PURITAN
WORK-ETHIC
MATERIAL
SUCCESS
Material success was a sign of god’s favor: successful person were among god’s ‘chosen’ thus, work is accepted a duty
HARD WORK
To succeed necessitates hard work Americans typically admire a person who “gets right to work” on a task, works efficiently, and completes the task timely and meets high standards of quality.
SELF-DISCIPLINE
VOLUNTEERISM & HUMANITARIANISM
Americans voluntary act (not just wait for the government programs) to improve society, such as: • parent-teacher organizations in
elementary and secondary schools• Community “service clubs” which
raise money for worthy causes• organizations of families that play
host to foreign students,• “clean-up, paint-up, fix-up”
campaigns to beautify communities
• organizations working to preserve wilderness areas
• Habitat for Humanity builds houses for poor people
• Ect.
• Improving oneself necessitates helping others.
• Most churches today concern more with the contemporary social problems than with individual sin.
• Thus, American religious thinking is turned toward improving the world of here and now (by serving other persons) and less toward winning salvation in the next world through repentance.
1• Protestant-Catholic-Jewish Nation turns to multiple religions nation.
• Protestant ↓; Catholic , ‘Other/None’, Moslem ↑.
2
• Appearance of “religious expressive individualism” or “the switching of faith” from a denomination to another, or one faith to another, or “picking and choosing among the beliefs”.
3• Emergence of new religious organizational structures to meet special
“purpose/ethnic groups”.
4• Movement toward “new spirituality” among youths (who prefer to be spiritual
than religious) by exploring the beliefs of several religions.