Impact of Religion on Americans - Essay Example

Impact of Religion on Americans Religion in the United s is among the most important s since it has an effect on the lives of almost everyone in the country. Religions ability to influence all walks of American life can be attributed to its having been the foundation of American society from the colonial period into the post-independence period. Consequently, religion is one of the most established institutions in the United States and it has significant impact on the political, social, and economic life of its people. Currently, people who profess to be Jews in the United States are about six million, being about 1.2% of the population. On the other hand, Hinduism is practiced by an estimated 400,000 people in the United States, corresponding to about 0.2% of the population. Buddhism is also a growing religion in the country with about 0.7% of the population into it (Kosmin, 2001). Furthermore, there are about 2.7 million Muslims in the United States, forming about 0.9% of the population which is increasingly growing as a result of more Muslim immigrants seeking residency in the country. Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism have developed mainly as a result of immigration of people from the Middle East and Asian countries such as India, China, and other countries in the East Asian region. Political Influence Political influence is one of the most significant influences that religion has had on the United States. Many of the ideals that are held dear by the American society, such as liberty and democracy all have their roots in Christianity as practiced by the founding fathers and settlers of what would eventually become the United States (Feldman, 2005). The British North American colonies were mainly founded in the seventeenth century by escaping persecution in England. These individuals, many of who were fleeing religious persecution and sought freedom of worship, such as the Puritan settlers, developed communities which were meant to guarantee their religious freedoms and the result was that their systems of government were based on Christian values. The United States political scene, especially the presidency, has been dominated by Christians, who form approximately 70.6% of the American population (Kosmin, 2001). There are presidents, such as George Washington, John Adams and George H.W. Bush, who have not only sought to enforce their ideals on the manner in which they run their administrations, but they also ensured that Christian ideals had an impact on their foreign policies. The Jewish vote in America tends to be united behind issues such as the continued American support for the state of Israel as well as making it possible for the Jewish community interests to be considered and recognized (Wertheimer, 2002). There has long been a tradition of support for the state of Israel from evangelical Christians in the United States, and this has mainly been as a result of the belief by evangelical Christians that the Jews have a right to return to Palestine as a condition for the second coming of Christ (Haija, 2006). Therefore, evangelical support has been critical in steering American foreign policy towards ensuring that one of its priorities in the Middle East is the security of Israel. Hinduism and Buddhism have not had as significant an impact on American politics as have Christianity, Islam, and Judaism since these religions having not had strong roots in the United States prior to the twentieth century. However, despite this being the case, Buddhism has increasingly become influential in the United States as a result of there being new converts to the religion currently being the third most practiced religion in USA. In future it Buddhism will come to have an impact on American politics later in this 21st century. This is considering its an individual level type of religion which emphasizes on how to find peace within rather than outside whereby peace is hard to find in politically unstable states. Social Influence Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism have come to have different levels of impacts on the social lives of many Americans. This is because for a majority of religious Americans, these religions have come to influence the manner that they conduct their lives. For example, Christian traditions such as Easter and Christmas have become a basic part of American culture with adherents of other religions also taking part in them. The result has been that there has essentially been an adoption of Christian traditions by all Americans no matter their religious or social backgrounds, which can be considered to be a uniting factor for American society (Marsden, 1990). Islam has had a significant impact on the society of the United States especially after the 9/11 attacks and the War on Terror that followed (Dreyfuss, 2006). There has arisen in some sections of society a hatred for Muslims that is threatening to get out of hand as seen through some of the anti-Muslim protests that have been staged in recent months. Films and television series such as Homeland have enhanced the stereotypes about Muslims being corrupt and violent people, and these have ended up influencing the way some individuals in American society view Muslims in general. However, there are those in American society who have come to realize that Islam and terrorism are not compatible and that those committing acts of terror do not represent the entire Muslim community. Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism have had a significant effect on its society since they have allowed for the development of religious diversity among the American society. Even those Americans who do not follow any religion are often influenced by the ideals and celebrations that have become a basic part of American culture. Hindus have as their most important holidays the Diwali festival, Jews celebrate Hanukkah and the Passover, and Buddhists celebrate the Buddha’s Birthday as well as the Bon festival. Moreover, there are diverse religious observances made by Muslims in the United States with the most important being fasting during the month of Ramadan and Idd ul Fitri which commemorates the end of Ramadan. Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism have had an opportunity to thrive in American society as a result of the freedoms afforded to them in America, which is rarely the case in most other countries. For example, in countries such as Iraq and Syria, Christians have come to face a lot of persecution since the American invasion of Iraq as well as the Arab Spring. Furthermore, in China where there is very little freedom of worship as a result of strict government control over religious institutions, Christians, Muslims, and in some instances even Buddhists face persecution; forcing a number of them to leave the country for the United States (Schmidt-Leukel & Gentz, 2013). Economic Influence Religion has a significant influence on the United States economy, and this has mainly been as a result of the various religious tenets relating to business taught by the religions and practiced in society. This is especially the case in all religions mentioned above where the practice of business is an integral part of the teachings, which has encouraged Americans who practice these religions to become active participants in the economy. The ability of religious beliefs to have an influence on the American economy has allowed for American businessmen and businesses to develop the aggressive approach often associated with the country. Not only has the American economy prospered as a result of the protestant work ethic influence, but it has grown to such an extent that it has become the largest economy in the world (Compante, 2013). The United States economy has continued to be based on the work ethic taught by Protestantism that has been practiced since the colonial period and it is as a result of these practices that Americans have been encouraged to work hard in order to improve their lives. Even those businesses that are headed by atheists or agnostics have come to be significantly affected by the work ethic that is promoted by the various religions in the country; making it possible for them to achieve success. The American economy has managed to thrive as a result of the religious beliefs of its population, especially Judaism and Christianity that tend to encourage their adherents to conduct their business fairly honestly and to work hard in order to achieve their goals in life. Conclusion Religion is one of the most recognized institutions in the United States and has significant influence on the political, social, and economic life of its people. Christian ideals that were established by the early settlers have influenced American political life and a significant number of presidents have been Christians. Society has also been influenced b religion through the observance of religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter. Finally, the protestant work ethic has been quite dominant in the United States and has made it possible for its attainment of economic prosperity. References Compante, F. (2013). Does religion affect economic growth and happiness? Cambridge, MA: Harvard Kennedy School. Dreyfuss, R. (2006). Devils Game: How the United States Helped Unleash Fundamentalist Islam. New York: Macmillan. Feldman, N. (2005). Divided by God. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Haija, R. (2006). The Armageddon lobby: Dispensationalist Christian Zionism and the shaping of us policy towards Israel–Palestine. Holy Land Studies, 5(1), 75–95. Kosmin, M. (2001). American identification survey, 2001. New York: The Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Marsden, G.M. (1990). Religion and American culture. Orlando: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. Schmidt-Leukel, P., & Gentz, J. (2013). Religious diversity in chinese thought. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Wertheimer, J. (2002). Jews in the center: Conservative synagogues and their members. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press. Read More