American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group OUTLINE A.INTRODUCTION B.BODY I Overview I.1 Religion in general context I.2 Freedom of religion I.3 Others II Main content – Religious heritage II.1 The development of Protestantism II.2 The Protestant Heritage: Self-Improvement II.3 Material success, Hard work, and self-discipline II.4 Volunteerism and Humanitarianism II.5 Born-Again Christians II.6 The Religious Right II.7 The National Religion II.8 Some Religious destinations and festivals C.CONCLUSION American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group A.INTRODUCTION American is well-known as the world's third or fourth-largest by total area and the third most populous It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many countries However, it would be a mistake without talking about its stake in religious heritage resulting in many traditional values All of these combine and create a national character American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group B.BODY I Overview I.1 Religion in general context From the beginning of the history, religion has played an important role in the United States The Catholic faith was first brought to the North American continent by the Spanish in the 1500s and after that, many historical factors have led to the multireligions America Americans learn in their history classes that many of Europeans who originally settle there were escaping religious persecution in their countries The freedom of religious practice become a factor that strongly motivated the formation of the country- where there is no government interference on religious practice There exists a doctrine “ separation of churches and state”, meaning that the government is not to give official support to any particular religion, nor to prevent individuals from practicing their chosen religions In combination with other factors, United States of American became a promised land- a destination for people who want a free spiritual life This may be the answer for the country pluralism on religions Almost all of the religions of the world are now practiced in the United States Ninety percent of all Americans say that they believe in God, although not all of them participate in traditional religious organizations About 80 percent of Americans are Christians, percent are Jewish, and another percent belong to other religious faiths such as Islam, Buddhism, or Hinduism Although the overwhelming majority of Americans are Christians, all religious make important contributions to the American culture The immigrants have brought with them their traditional religions of East Asia like Daoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Shintoism and so on And the Native American religions are still studied and practiced right now All the religions in the United States are living in harmony with each other To be religious in America means different to different people Generally, the purpose of religion is perceived as providing spiritual guidance for people, helping them to lead a life according to the tenets of their religion For Christians, for example, this means following the principles of brotherly love, forgiveness, charity and humanity.“ Being religious” also means belonging to a place of worship like church, temple or mosque People are considered to be more religious than the average if they participate in the activities more regularly However, there still have many people who not belong to any religion Those people normally not believe in any Surprise Being exists Some of them may hold spiritual beliefs but not subscribe to any “organized religion” However, generally speaking, religion related activities still have a big immense influence on the American’s daily life American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group In comparison, Britain or Vietnam are also the countries with the quite high level of religion diversity There are many religions all live together in harmony though a dominant religion may exist In the Britain, Christianity holds 71.6% and in Viet Nam, Buddhism takes more than 90 percent totally There are many differences, of course, about the history of appearance or the attitude of the people For example, in the United States, the religious communities were formed much latter than in the Britain and Vietnam All of these make the picture of religion vary from country to country I.2 Freedom of religion The fundamental American belief in individual freedom and the right of individuals to practice their own religion is at the center of religion experience in the United States By limiting the power of the government and the churches and eliminating a former aristocracy, they created a climate of freedom where the emphasis was on the individual The United States came to be associated in their minds with the concept of individual freedom This is probably the most basic of the American values The United States is a multi-cultural immigrant heritage The great diversity of ethnic backgrounds has produced religious pluralism Almost all of the religions of the world are now practiced in the United States Ninety percent of all Americans say that they believe in God, although not at all of them participate in traditional religious organization About 80 percent of American are Christians, percent are Jewish, and another percent belong to other religious faiths such as Islam, Buddhism, or Hinduism All the religions make important contributions to the American culture People of Hispanic origin now make up nearly one-half of the Catholic churches The Asian immigrants have brought with them the traditional religions of East AsiaDaoism, Confucianism, and Shintoism, as well as Buddhism From the beginning of its history until now, religion has played an important role in the United States That is the reason why the United States became the most religiously diverse countries in the world In the comparison with Vietnam, it has religious freedom but some limitations in religious practice The Government does not officially favor a particular religion, and virtually all senior government and CPV officials, as well as the vast majority of National Assembly delegates, are formally “without religion” The prominent American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group traditional position of Buddhism does not others adversely, including those who not practice a religion In the comparison with the Britain : it is the freedom of the religious belief and everyone shall have right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion This right shall include freedom to have or adopt a religion or belief of his choice, and freedom, either individually or in public or private I.3 Others -United States is a place of worship Over 3,000 large churches in the US currently draw crowds of more than 2,000 people to a service, making intimate community worship a thing of the past for millions of Americans But we’re interested in the largest of the large; the so-called “big box churches” regularly attended by over 10,000 people Raking in multi-million dollar profits annually and giving new meaning to the phrase “go big or go home”, these megachurches are the new face of worship for the modern age of America In the United Kingdom, it is also the place of worship with many churches In Vietnam: mostly are pagodas and temples such as Perfume Pagoda, Tomb of Gia Long, Temple of Literature, But Thap Pagoda and over one hundred of temples and pagodas in Vietnam attract thousands of people come each year, which make in thousands dollars profit annually -The main clergy in United States The main clergy in the United States is the pastor or Shepherd There is a tremendous difference between preaching for a church and serving as their pastor When a church calls a pastor, the people expect to much more than preach He is also shepherd the flock “ Feed the flock of God which is among you taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but one of a ready mind, neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being example to the flock And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, he shall receive a crown of glory that faith not away” American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group In Vietnam: The monk, referred to as a Venerable Sir and is reportedly the abbot of a pagoda in the provincial resort city of Nha Trang, is now believed to be the man seen naked and making love to a woman in the video and photos In the United Kingdom: it is not same as the United State when the main clergy is the priest -The United States with the national religious festival One of most important national religious festival in the United States is the Christmas day In Christmas day, many people in the United States celebrate on December 25 The day celebrates Jesus Christ’s birth It is often combined with customs from pre-Christian winter celebrations Many people erect Christmas trees, decorate their homes, visit family and exchange gifts, and many interesting activities In the United Kingdom, the national religious festival is also the Christmas day In Vietnam: one of the very important ceremonies that are celebrated in Hoi An old town is the festival held on Buddha’s birthday The day is celebrated on the 15 th day of the 4th lunar month, and prayers and offering are made all over Vietnam This day is celebrated lavishly in the Phap Bao Pagoda All the followers gather in front of the pagoda to observe the religious rites and listen to the Vesak message, as well as to speech given by the head monk of the pagoda They afterwards offer food and gifts to the children and the needy II Main content – Religious heritage II.1 The development of Protestantism a Protestantism in America Protestantism is the largest group of Christianity in the United States, with its combined denominations accounting for about half the country's population The United States is also the home for 20% of the world's Protestants, or some 150 million people, making it the country with the largest number of Protestants b The development of Protestantism -The Protestant branch of the Christian faith broke away from the Roman Catholic church in Europe in the sixteenth century because of important differences in religious beliefs American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group -The Roman Catholic church was the center of religious life in western European countries The Catholic pope and the priests played the role of parent to the people in spiritual They told people what was right and wrong and they granted them forgiveness for sins against God and the Christian faith -On the other hand, the Protestants insisted that all individual must stand alone before God If they sinned, they should seek their forgiveness directly from God rather than from a priest speaking in God’s name Every individual was solely responsible for his or her own relationship with God -After broke away from the Catholic church, they found that they could not agree among themselves about many beliefs Therefore, the Protestants began to form separate churches, called “ denominations” There was much bitterness among some of the religious groups in the 1600s and many Protestant denominations experienced religious persecution A number of people were even killed because of their beliefs The result was that many Protestants were ready to leave their native countries in order to have freedom to practice their religious beliefs Consequently, the early settlers came to America, there were many Protestants seeking religious freedom -A large number of Protestant denominations were established in America Some denominations hoped to force their views and beliefs on others but not succeeded The idea of separation of church and state became accepted With the Constitution in 1789, the establishment a national church was forbidden, there are no denomination gaining control over the others The Government and the church had to remain separate So a great variety of different Protestant denominations developed and grew Today, the various Protestant denominations have completely separate church organization The Protestantism has been a powerful force in shaping values and beliefs of Americans The comparison between American, Britain and Vietnam The United States Denominations Protestants, the Catholic church, the southern Baptist Convention, the United Methodist church, the church of God in Christ Britain This group included the church of England, Church of Scotland, Church in Wales, Protestant and all other Christian denominations Vietnam The mainstream protestant denominations may be roughly grouped into nine families: Anabaptist, Anglican, Baptist, Congregational, Lutheran, Quaker, Reformed American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group Rite, Scripture Christians believe in Jesus Christ coexisted with God Sunday is the day set aside for worship services, praying in the church They generally emphasize the doctrine, justification by faith alone apart from good works and a belief in the Bible alone as the supreme authority in matters of faith and morals Christians believe in Jesus Christ coexisted with God Sunday is the day set aside for worship services, praying in the church They generally emphasize the doctrine, justification by faith alone apart from good work and a belief in the Bible alone as the supreme authority in matters of faith and morals Practically, all Vietnamese people have an alter in their home and business where prayers are offered to their ancestors( called ancestor veneration) They worship in some religious celebrations such as death anniversaries, the starting of new business, belief in ghost and spirits in common II.2 The Protestant Heritage: Self-Improvement a Self-improvement Self-improvement or self-help is a self-guided improvement - economically, intellectually, or emotionally - often with a substantial psychological basis Many different self-help groupings exist and each has its own focus, techniques, associated beliefs, proponents and in some cases, leaders "Self-help culture, particularly Twelve-step culture, has provided some of our most robust new language: recovery, dysfunctional families, and codependency” b Protestant heritage Protestantism has been a powerful force in shaping the values and beliefs of Americans One of the most important values associated with American Protestantism in the value of self-improvement Individuals are left alone before God to improve themselves and ask for God’s guidance, forgiveness and grace The need for self-improvement reaches far beyond self-improvement in the purely moral or religious sense It can be seen in countless books which explain how people can be happier and more successful in life Books of this type are often referred to as “self-help” books and many are best sellers They are the natural American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group products of a culture in which people believe that “God helps those who help themselves” One of the most popular self-help books in the United States is “The Power of Positive Thinking” written by a Protestant Minister, Norman Vincent Peale According to Peale, the key to self-improvement and success is self-confidence Americans buy hundreds of millions of self-help books a year In addition, Americans attend thousands of self-help seminars and support group meetings to help them stop smoking or drinking, lose weight, be better parents, have happier relationship and develop self-confidence In comparison with Britain and Vietnam Main religion Attitude of people Doctrine Self-improvement II.3 Material success, Hard work, and self-discipline The achievement of material success is apparently the most widely respected form of self-improvement in the United States The idea of mixing materialism and religion may seem contradictory; religion is considered to be concerned with spiritual matters, not material possessions How can the two mix? All Americans believe in God, the God will bring them the best thing and always try their best to work hard Some of the early European Protestant leaders believed that people who were blessed by God might be recognized in the world by their material success Other church leaders in the United States, made an even stronger connection between gaining material wealth and being blessed by God American religious leaders, however, never encouraged the idea of gaining wealth without hard work and self-discipline Only by hard work could these natural resources be converted into material possessions, allowing a more comfortable American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group standard of living Many scholars believe that the emphasis on these two values made an important contribution to the industrial growth of the United States Protestant leaders viewed the work of all people as holy, not just that of priests They also believed that the capacity for self-discipline was a holy characteristic blessed by God Self-discipline was often defined as the willingness to save and invest one's money rather than spend it on immediate pleasures Protestant tradition, therefore, may have played an important part in creating a good climate for the industrial growth of the United States, which depended on hard work and willingness to save and invest money The belief in hard work and self-discipline in pursuit of material gain and other goals is often referred to as “the Protestant work ethic” or “the Puritan work ethic Many religious groups in the United States share this work ethic, and even Americans who have no attachment to a particular church are influenced by the work ethic in their daily lives Interestingly, in the last few decades, there has been a shift both in the work ethic and in the meaning of work Yankelovich and other researchers report that in the past, most Americans did not expect their work to be interesting or enjoyable In the 1950s, for example, most people saw their jobs primarily as a source of income Now, by a margin of four to one, they expect their work to give them a sense of personal satisfaction and fulfillment, in addition to their income However, they always work hard The United States is the only industrialized country that does not have a legal requirement for workers to have a certain number of paid vacation days Americans take an average of only two weeks of vacation time a year And the recent studies have painted a grim picture of the American working world: Longer days, less vacation time, and later retirement: They are taking only 51% of their paid vacation days And 61% of those who are working while they are on vacation Think about that for a minute – even when we are given a “budget” of days to spend, we only spend half of it, on average And you know how much Americans love spending their budget In comparison with Britain and Viet Nam Factor Material success The United States - Gaining wealth always goes hand in hand with hardworking and selfdiscipline They Britain It is a strong connection between gaining material wealth and being blessed by God By Vietnam - It is concept that people are born with a certain faith and follow the religious roots in 10 American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group believe that only by that, people can’t hard work could be active in these natural achieving success resources be converted into material success, allowing a more comfortable standard of living It will be impossible to be given anything if people not make effort and “ God helps those who help themselves” and the capacity for self-discipline was a holy characteristic blessed by God - Americans are overstressed and overworked: Longer days, less vacation time, and later retirement, their family Whatever they do, they could not escape theirs Buddhism teaches people the way of accepting and living in harmony with others so Vietnamese have fewer competitions with others when they work - People always believe Buddhism and pray for their luck, wealth and health from Buddhism Sometimes, they believe the luck the Buddhism brought for them rather than what they can themselves - Because people are not aggressive, so they work comfortably, flexibly , but some situations have neither the creation nor the discipline in the daily work II.4 Volunteerism and Humanitarianism a Improving oneself from helping other to share God’s bless 11 American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group Americans made a strong connection between gaining material wealth and being blessed by God They also believed that the capacity for self-discipline was a holy characteristic blessed by God Hard work and self-discipline help them gain material wealth The achievement of material success is probably the most widely respected form of self-improvement in the United States The idea of self-improvement also includes the idea of improving oneself by helping others In other words, individuals make themselves into better person by contributing some of their time or money to charitable, educational, or religious causes that are designed to help others b The other motive Many Americans believe that they should devote part of their time and wealth to religious or humanitarian causes in order to acceptable in the eyes of God and in the eyes of other Americans Today, more and more Americans become involved in volunteer activities Men and women, whites and blacks, married persons and single … are willing to take part in one or two organizations, contribute some of their time and money to charitable, educational, or religious causes In the United States, just about everyone, at one time or another, has been a volunteer On any given day, millions of Americans give of their time and talents to benefit their communities through volunteer service Volunteering is so pervasive in the United States that it can be observed daily in almost every aspect of life Many businesses encourage their employees to volunteer work, and individuals may get tax deductions for money given to charity c Main organization: religious organization, educational organization, youth service related organization, social or community service organization d Popular activities for main organization Collecting, preparing, distributing, or serving food , fundraising, and tutoring or teaching were the activities volunteers performed most frequently for their main organization Men and women tended to engage in different main activities Men who volunteered were most likely to engage in general labor or coach, referee, or supervise 12 American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group sports teams Female volunteers were most likely to collect, prepare, distribute, or serve food ; fundraise ; or tutor or teach The main types of activities volunteers performed varied by educational attainment Persons with a bachelor's degree and higher were more likely than those with less education to provide professional or management assistance or to tutor or teach Volunteers with less than a high school diploma were more likely to collect, prepare, distribute, or serve food or engage in general labor than were those with higher levels of education Parents with children under age 18 were more likely than those without children under age 18 to engage mainly in volunteer activities that are frequently related to children, including coaching, refereeing, or supervising sports teams… In comparison with Britain and Viet Nam American -Having the idea of improving oneself by helping others -You can help other people with charitable, educational or religious causes -In the company, the staff may get tax deduction for money given to charity Britain -Not having much the idea of improving oneself by helping people -You can help other people by organizing a fundraising event, working in a charity shop -The staff don’t get tax deduction with the aim to dominate others Viet Nam -Not having much the idea of improving oneself by helping others -You can help people with all fields ( education, health care, community development…) -The staff don’t get tax deduction for money given to charity II.5 Born-Again Christians a.The meaning of born-again The term “born again Christian” is an often misunderstood If we look to its original reference, we see that the meaning is not about a physical birth, but about receiving a spiritual renewal Since the original sin in the garden by Adam (Genesis 3), all mankind is born in a corrupted state by inheritance It is by that our soul needs to be reborn- made pure and righteous again- the way God created us to be He provides the way for this to happen, but because God gave us free will, we have a choice to accept it or not 13 American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group The phrase “born again” is also used as an adjective to describe individual members of the movement who espouse this belief, as well as the movement itself (“born-again Christian” and the “born-again movement”) b The experience of born-again Perhaps the most dramatic example of the idea of self-improvement is the experience of being “born-again” Some individuals who have had this experience say that when they truly opened their hearts to God and Jesus Christ, their lives were so completely changed, it was like being born again Whether they identify themselves as born-again Christians, Evangelicals, mainline Protestants or Catholics, they tend to hold conservative religious beliefs Estimates are that one-third to one-half of all American consider themselves to be religious conservatives, although they not all have the same beliefs For example, Democratic President Jimmy Carter and Republican President George W Bush have both spoken publicly about their bornagain experiences Many of those who are religiously conservative are also politically conservative Since the 1980s, they have been gaining numbers and political strength in the United States In comparison with Britain and Viet Nam United States -When people truly opened their hearts to God and Jesus Christ, their lives were so completely chan -Many of those who are religiously conservative are also politically conservative Since the 1980s, t II.6 The Religious Right Many of those are religiously conservative are also politically conservative Since the 1980s, they have been gaining numbers and political strength in the US Under such name as the religious right or Christian coalition, these individuals have joined together to oppose legalized abortion or to support prayer in the public schools, among other issues Religious right or Christian right is a term used mainly in the United States to describe right-wing Christian political factions that are characterized by their strong support of socially conservative policies Christian conservatives principally seek to apply their understanding of the teachings of Christianity to politics and public policy 14 American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group by proclaiming the value of those teachings or by seeking to use those teachings to influence law and public policy In the United States, the Christian right is an informal coalition formed around a core of white evangelical Protestants with uneven support from conservative Catholics The Christian right draws additional support from politically conservative mainline Protestants, Jews, and Mormons The movement has its roots in American politics going back as far as the 1940s and has been especially influential since the 1970s Their influence draws, in part, from grassroots activism as well as their focus on social issues and ability to motivate the electorate around those issues The Christian right is notable today for advancing socially conservative positions on issues including school prayer, intelligent design, stem cell research, homosexuality, contraception, abortion, and pornography a Defining the Religious Right The movement generally referred to in the United States as the Religious Right came of age in the late 1970s While the Religious Right is extremely diverse and shouldn't be characterized in simple terms, the movement as we have come to know it is an ultraconservative religious response to the sexual revolution and other events that are seen, by Religious Right proponents, as being connected to the sexual revolution and an attempt to effect this religious response as public policy b Power of religious right Overall analysis of the political power of the Christian right organizations is hard to find Even analysis of particular facets or organizations is difficult to come by The few works collected here have all taken different facets of the religious right, either different strategies used by them or different areas of policy of importance, and studied those In the end, they show a slightly contradictory image, one of both power on some levels, and complete powerlessness on others In particular, Lugg and Clifton found areas of Christian right strength, while Wald and Corey below (and to a lesser extent Clifton) found areas of Christian Right weakness Lugg’s work is useful for showing one area where the Christian Right has long had most of its victories: education Lugg’s conclusion is that the Christian Right has great influence in this field, and even their judicial losses turn into “minor moral victories” and have helped train activists for bigger fights These victories all come in from lobbying local leaders, in this case school boards, to change curricula This particular study is a case study of one county’s decision to include a class on the Bible as history, using a curriculum and text 15 American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group developed by a Christian right organization, the National Council on Bible Curriculum in the Public Schools The school board had a majority of members who belonged to the Christian Coalition When the ACLU sued, Pat Robertson's American Center for Law and Justice gave representation to the school board A compromise was reached by the judge, but in the end the school board ended up having to give up more than the outraged parents Overall, though, the Christian right won a victory, because the “Bible as history” courses were soon adopted in 67 other school districts in Florida This shows that they are much more successful with strategies involving grassroots organizing, and less so with legal strategies This is, overall, consistent with the findings of Romancing the GOP: Assessing the Strategies Used by the Christian Coalition to Influence the Republican Party by Brett M Clifton He sees three possible means by which the Christian Coalition could influence the Republican Party, and he seeks to find out how well they so His research is devoted to policy expertise (which corresponds to an informational strategy), financial clout and electoral mobilization (which both correspond to the “grassroots” strategy) To test strength in a given area, he surveyed local Republican Party heads and Christian Coalition heads, and did some in-depth interviews These surveys and interviews focused both on overall influence, and influence based on his three areas His findings are that, because of both expertise and mobilization, the Christian Coalition has clout within the Republican Party, but that their fundraising is less important Somewhat disagreeing with this assessment are the findings of Kenneth Wald and Jeffrey Corey, who have found that the policy expertise quality is not so influential when Christian right activists are put into a place to actually create policy This is a case study, where several Christian right activists were put on to the 19971998 Florida Constitutional Revision Committee He found that, despite the fact that they made up roughly one-fourth of the delegates, they experienced the least satisfaction and had the most of their recommendations rejected (The commission was made up of, roughly, half Democrats and half Republicans, with the Republicans split in half between moderates and Christian Right activists) These studies are all very useful for helping show where the Christian right is strong It seems pretty obvious that it is most strong in the mobilization and in fielding local candidates (for example, school boards), and not so strong at making policy decisions However, none of these works studied changes in strength over time, nor are any of the methods applicable to studying it Moreover, other than Clifton’s study, none of these were very rigorous They are also, again excluding Clifton’s study, very focused in space and scope If we are seeking a broader picture of the religious right, these studies contribute very little c The Future of the Religious Right 16 American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group It would be naive to say that the Religious Right as an organized movement no longer poses a threat to civil liberties, but it no longer poses the most serious threat to civil liberties, if it ever did As the general atmosphere of obedience following the September 11th attacks demonstrated, all demographics can be manipulated by fear That some religious conservatives are more motivated than most by the fear of a potentially hedonistic, nihilistic culture, and sometimes foolish things based on that fear, should not be surprising The proper response to that fear is not to dismiss it, but to help find more constructive ways to respond to it and to expose the way that charlatans, politicians, and hatemongers blatantly exploit that fear for their own selfish, and sometimes destructive, purposes In comparison with Britain and Viet Nam The United States Britain Viet Nam 17 American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group Many American are religiously conservative and are also politically conservative Since the 1980s, they have been gaining numbers and political strength They have joint together to oppose legalized abortion or to support prayer in the public schools, among the issues Crucially, evangelical activists have so far failed to take over the conservative party, despite the existence of groups like the conservative Christian fellowship Britain’s religious and political demographic make such a scenario highly implausible However there is the ongoing campaign against same-sex marriage which may be doomed but which has gala vanished a lot of religious support The constitution, legal code, and a 2003 communist 2003 party central committee resolution on religion provide for freedom of belief and worship, as well as non-belief; however, the government require the registration of all activities by religious groups and used this requirement to restrict activities that are regarded as a threat to party authority of the government in certain case II.7 The National Religion a The mixture of patriotism and religious ideas In the countries from which the American colonists emigrated, dominant values of the nation were often support by an organized nation church American Protestants made certain that no organized national church would exist in their young country Americans have developed a number of informal practices that combine national patriotism with religion A number of scholars have referred to these practices as the “national religion” of the United States The main function of this national religion is to provide support for the dominant value of the nation The informal national religion in the United Sates mixes patriotism with religious ideas in song and in ceremonies that proclaim God’s blessing on America, its basic values, and its actions as a nation The national religion can be observed on many occasions when Americans gather together- on national holidays, at political 18 American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group conventions, and especially at sports events Before a ballgame, the players and fans stand up for the national anthem, and sometimes a religious leader will offer a prayer This practice is taken so seriously that in 1996, the National Basketball Association (NBA) actually suspended a professional basketball player who refused to stand during the national anthem The NBA stated that he could not play in games unless he agreed to follow their rule requiring players to stand in a respectful manner during the national anthem Patriotic songs such as "God Bless America," "America the Beautiful," and "My Country Tis of Thee" are as well known to most Americans as their national anthem These songs are sung frequently on public occasions and may also be sung at Protestant worship services, expressing the idea that the United States has received Gods special blessing Expressions of the national religion can also be seen when the United States sends military forces overseas; the Gulf War provided good examples of the mixing of prayer and patriotism In America, people event had a slogan “In God, we trust” "In God We Trust" inspired fourth stanza poem "Defense Don McHenry (Fort McHenry of Defence) of amateur poet Francis Scott wrote in 1814 when he was 35 years old The poem was set to music and became the National Anthem Star-Spangled Banner (Flags Stars Stripes) of America The mixture of patriotism and religious ideas were expressed in “Pledge of Allegiance” in some version In 1954 “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all” Some observers of American society believe that the various practices that are called the national religion can have harmful effects Sometimes these practices can help to create a climate in which disagreement with current national practices is discouraged or not tolerated In the 1960s, for example, some citizens considered the 19 American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group young people who protested against the war in Vietnam to be "un-American." They told the young protesters, "America—love it or leave it." This phrase became a slogan that illustrated their excessive patriotism When the national religion helps to create a climate that encourages excessive conformity with prevailing national practices, it can have a harmful effect However, it usually serves a different function: to express the belief of most Americans that it is important to be a nation of people who believe in God and are loved and protected by God The earliest Protestant settlers believed that by coming to America, they were carrying out God's plan This belief gave them confidence that they would succeed Today, Americans still need to believe that their nation will continue to succeed, and the national religion helps to answer this need by reminding them of their religious heritage It is a means of maintaining their national self-confidence in a rapidly changing world b In comparison with Britain and Vietnam In the United Sates, the informal national religion mixes patriotism with religious ideas in songs such as: “God bless America”, “America the beautiful”, “my country tis of three” and the ceremonies that proclaim God’ blessing on America, its basic values, and its actions as a nation The national religion can be observed on many occasions, especially at sports events In the United Kingdom, the national region is observed in songs such as the British anthem “God save the Queen” and the national holidays such as Saint David’s day, Christmas day At the same point of view, religion seems to be one of the most personal issues to almost British Christians not want religion to influence their public life They not want to talk about religion in public or describe themselves as belonging to any particular religion and also rarely attend any public religious service or activities Despite of the fact that the United Kingdom issued The Equality Act 2010 which 20 American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group formed the basis of anti-discrimination law in Great Britain (It requires equal treatment in access to employment as well as private and public services, regardless of the protected characteristics of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation), the government does not have adequate to avoid conflict and head to the tolerance of religion or religious communities in the country In Vietnam, the national religion is observed in songs such as Lay Phat Quan Am, and the Buddhist’s birthday (the th of Aril-lunar calendar) A large proportion of Vietnamese show “religion-less” as their official status Perhaps in some small communities, especially religious ones, one person can know exactly whether people around them belong to any religion or not, but in urban area people’s beliefs are perhaps less well-known to neighbors and authorities Almost people are irreligionists (81,69%)… The government does not officially favor a particular religion, and virtually all senior government as well as the vast majority of National Assembly delegates, are formally “without religion” However, many party and government officials openly practice traditional ancestor worship, some visit Buddhist pagodas The prominent traditional position of Buddhism does not affect religious freedom for others adversely, including those who not practice a religion II.8 Some Religious destinations and festivals America is the country which has many religions Almost all of the religions of the world are now practiced in the United States Among these religions, Christianity is the most popular one, with about 80 percent of Americans identifying themselves as Christian Christianity was introduced to the Americas as it was first colonized by Europeans beginning in the 16th and 17th centuries Immigration further increased Christian numbers Today most Christian churches in the United States are Mainline Protestant, Evangelical, or Roman Catholic 21 American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group Beside Christianity, there also has percent of American who is Jewish, and another percent belong to other religious faiths such as Islam, Buddhism, or Hinduism Although the country may not have a reputation for religious landmarks, America is home to more than just secular city halls and strip malls Whether or not you practice a faith, visiting these beautiful and historic United States religious spots may provide inspiration Here are some religious wonders for people to see in the United States: a Temple Emanu-El in New York City With a sanctuary that stands 103 feet tall, 100 feet wide and 175 feet long and seating for 2,500 people, New York's Temple Emanu-El is one of the largest Jewish temples in the world Inside, Temple Emanu-El is full of color The ceiling is painted and gilded, its arches are lined with mosaics of glass and marble, and there are more than 60 stained glass windows The temple is also home to a museum that houses artifacts important in Jewish history b Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, Michigan Although it is a modern mosque in Michigan, inspiration for the Islamic Center of America came from venerable houses of worship in Turkey, India and other countries With a stone-carved edifice and fiberglass dome, the mosque's design is distinct Inside, visitors will find crystal chandeliers, imported granite and a prayer room decorated with Islamic motifs c Memorial Presbyterian Church in St Augustine, Florida Memorial Presbyterian Church may be beautiful, but it's the story behind the building that often touches visitors the most The church is dedicated to Jenny Louise Benedict, the daughter of tycoon Henry Morrison Flagler, who built the church in 1889 Flagler had always had a special place for St Augustine in his heart, investing heavily in the city after visiting with his first wife, Mary And when his beloved daughter died after complications from childbirth, Flagler knew the Presbyterian church he was planning to build in town would be erected in her honor The structure's detailed design draws influence from the churches of Europe, including Venice's St Mark's Basilica It features wood-carved walls, stained-glass windows, a peaceful sanctuary and a prominent dome that inspires guests to lift their eyes toward the heavens Beside these notable places, America also has Palace of Gold in Moundsville, West Virginia; Salt Lake Temple in Salt Lake City, Utah and Bahá'í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois which have very creative and attractive designs About festivals and events, each year, there are lots of religious festivals celebrated in America as it is very diverse and consists of 53 different states Among them, Lent, Easter and Christmas are the main ones because Christianity is the most popular religion in the country The Christian year is divided up with events which 22 American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group remind us of the life of Jesus It begins with the season of Advent, at the very end of November Lent is the period of six weeks 40 days (not including Sundays) leading up to Easter, the most important festival in the Christian calendar During the 40 days of Lent, Christians remember the time when Jesus went into the desert to fast and pray before beginning his work for God Lent is a time of giving things up For Christians, it is one way of remembering the time Jesus' fasted in the desert and is a test of selfdiscipline There are many foods that some Christians not eat in Lent, such as meat and fish, fats, eggs, and milky foods Some Christians just give up something they really enjoy such as cakes or chocolate Easter is the most important festival in the Christian calendar It celebrates the resurrection from the dead of Jesus, three days after he was executed The Easter story is at the heart of Christianity In countries where has large Christian population, Easter is often a public holiday As Easter is always a Sunday, many countries in the world also have Easter Monday as a public holiday Good Friday, which occurs two days before Easter Sunday, is also a public holiday in many countries, as well as in 12 U.S states Chicken, eggs, cake, sand buckets, face painting, toys, balloons, bubbles and loved ones are all people need to have a happy Easter Christmas is celebrated on the 25 December Christmas is a Christian holy day that marks the birth of Jesus who Christians believe to be the Son of God On Christmas day, the story of Jesus' birth (the nativity) is often retold by children through 'Nativity Plays' Church services often include carol singing - these are happy songs which tell the Christmas story Some Christians start Christmas Day with a midnight communion service (midnight mass) The celebration of Christmas is often accompanied by the giving and receiving of presents and cards which reminds Christians of the gift of Jesus, the son of God, beginning his earthly life In addition, there are also some famous religious festivals in the U.S which is organized annually such as: - Sonshine Festival in Willmar, Minnesota (1982 – 2014) and in Somerset, Wisconsin (2015); - LifeLight Festival - Sioux Falls, South Dakota; - Cornerstone Festival - Bushnell, Illinois; - Creation Festival - George, Washington The Gorge Amphitheater and Mount Union, Pennsylvania Agape Farm;… 23 American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group C.CONCLUSION Religion in the United States is characterized by a diversity of religious beliefs and practices Various religious faiths have flourished in the United States A majority of Americans report that religion plays a very important role in their lives, a proportion unique among developed countries The majority of Americans identify themselves as Christians, while close to a quarter claim no religious affiliation Throughout this paper, it is clear that Protestantism has been a powerful force in shaping the values and beliefs of Americans One of the most important values associated with American Protestantism is the value of self-improvement The idea of self-improvement includes not only achieving material gain through hard work and self-discipline but also the idea of improving oneself by helping others or sometimes called volunteerism or humanitarianism And the experience of being “born again” is perhaps the most dramatic example of the idea of self-improvement National religion is also mentioned as the combination of national patriotism and religion The informal national religion in the United States proclaims God’s blessing on America, its basic values and its actions as nation In conclusion, America’s Protestant heritage seems to have encouraged certain basic values that members of many diverse non-Protestant faiths find easy to accept This has helped to unite many different religious groups in the United States without requiring any to abandon their faiths Cultural and religious pluralism has also created a context of tolerance that further strengthens the American reality of many different religions living peacefully within a single nation 24 [...]... Sometimes, they believe the luck the Buddhism brought for them rather than what they can do themselves - Because people are not aggressive, so they work comfortably, flexibly , but some situations have neither the creation nor the discipline in the daily work II.4 Volunteerism and Humanitarianism a Improving oneself from helping other to share God’s bless 11 American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group 1 Americans... individuals make themselves into better person by contributing some of their time or money to charitable, educational, or religious causes that are designed to help others b The other motive Many Americans believe that they should devote part of their time and wealth to religious or humanitarian causes in order to acceptable in the eyes of God and in the eyes of other Americans Today, more and more Americans... pornography a Defining the Religious Right The movement generally referred to in the United States as the Religious Right came of age in the late 1970s While the Religious Right is extremely diverse and shouldn't be characterized in simple terms, the movement as we have come to know it is an ultraconservative religious response to the sexual revolution and other events that are seen, by Religious Right proponents,... of the religious right, these studies contribute very little c The Future of the Religious Right 16 American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group 1 It would be naive to say that the Religious Right as an organized movement no longer poses a threat to civil liberties, but it no longer poses the most serious threat to civil liberties, if it ever did As the general atmosphere of obedience following the. .. year, there are lots of religious festivals celebrated in America as it is very diverse and consists of 53 different states Among them, Lent, Easter and Christmas are the main ones because Christianity is the most popular religion in the country The Christian year is divided up with events which 22 American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group 1 remind us of the life of Jesus It begins with the season... to accept it or not 13 American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group 1 The phrase “born again” is also used as an adjective to describe individual members of the movement who espouse this belief, as well as the movement itself (“born-again Christian” and the “born-again movement”) b The experience of born-again Perhaps the most dramatic example of the idea of self-improvement is the experience of being... when they truly opened their hearts to God and Jesus Christ, their lives were so completely changed, it was like being born again Whether they identify themselves as born-again Christians, Evangelicals, mainline Protestants or Catholics, they tend to hold conservative religious beliefs Estimates are that one-third to one-half of all American consider themselves to be religious conservatives, although they... player who refused to stand during the national anthem The NBA stated that he could not play in games unless he agreed to follow their rule requiring players to stand in a respectful manner during the national anthem Patriotic songs such as "God Bless America," "America the Beautiful," and "My Country Tis of Thee" are as well known to most Americans as their national anthem These songs are sung frequently... protected by God The earliest Protestant settlers believed that by coming to America, they were carrying out God's plan This belief gave them confidence that they would succeed Today, Americans still need to believe that their nation will continue to succeed, and the national religion helps to answer this need by reminding them of their religious heritage It is a means of maintaining their national self-confidence... truly opened their hearts to God and Jesus Christ, their lives were so completely chan -Many of those who are religiously conservative are also politically conservative Since the 1980s, t II.6 The Religious Right Many of those are religiously conservative are also politically conservative Since the 1980s, they have been gaining numbers and political strength in the US Under such name as the religious ... picture of the religious right, these studies contribute very little c The Future of the Religious Right 16 American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group It would be naive to say that the Religious. .. Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group -The Roman Catholic church was the center of religious life in western European countries The Catholic pope and the priests played the role of parent to the people... for their luck, wealth and health from Buddhism Sometimes, they believe the luck the Buddhism brought for them rather than what they can themselves - Because people are not aggressive, so they