This week we are primarily looking at the role of religion within the landscape of racial and ethnic politics in the United States. There are many who argue that religious minorities face the same challenges and have the same political opportunities as racial and ethnic minorities. While religious discrimination has existed in America at least as long as racial discrimination, it does not fit neatly into the discussion of racial or ethnic politics. Religion has clearly guided political decisions in this country at least as much, if not more, than race or ethnicity. However it remains heavily debated as to whether religious identification is merely as aspect of culture or one connected to and influenced by race and ethnicity.
Take a look at some interesting findings regarding the breakdown of different religious groups in the United States in this summary of findings from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
I would like to leave this blog post fairly open ended. To that end please respond to the questions below or more generally to the theme at hand and to the comments of your classmates.
- Do religious minorities face the same political challenges that racial and ethnic minorities face?
- What does your answer suggest about potential strategies that might be used by religious, ethnic, or racial minority groups in order to improve their political or social standing?
Overall, I think racial and ethnic minorities face more political challenges in the United States than religious minorities. For example, black minorities and Catholic minorities both have faced systemic racism in the United States in the 19th and 20th century. Today, I believe blacks face more segregation through the job and housing market than Catholics. I believe this is due to the secularization of religion: even many so-called Catholics do not regularly practice their religion or attend church every week, therefore there is no "othering" from religious differences. Also, there has been an increase in Americans that are unaffiliated with a religion, which is 16%. It is even higher for Americans in their 20s: 1 in 4 do not identify with a religion. From personal experience, I was raised extremely Catholic and went to Catholic school for 11 years. Today, I don't identify with Catholicism because it goes against my social and political beliefs, such pro-life advocacy and the patriarchy of the church. I believe that with constant influence from the American media and social media, many religious beliefs are put on the back burner, paving the way for gay rights and woman's rights.
ReplyDeleteI believe that religious minorities face the same political challenges that racial and ethnic minorities face. Like ethnic minorities, religious minorities have different priorities and values than the majority. More often than not, religious minorities are criticized more publicly for those values than ethnic minorities. Nowadays, if I were to say that my religion advocates pro life and marriage between only a man and a woman, I would be seen as narrow minded and ignorant. However, ethnic minorities still struggle to have their values recognized by politicians and policy makers, but there's a difference there. If an ethnic group advocates for a certain policy because they feel their people are being slighted, then the government can do something about it, but if a religious minority calls for a change the government is extremely hesitant to do so because religion is such a touchy subject in America. It's in this way that ethnic minorities can be heard better by the government than religious minorities.
ReplyDeleteI personally believe the religious minorities face the same political challenges as racial and ethnic minorities. I feel as though religious minorities face more public scrutiny for their believes, while ethnic and racial minorities are judged based on their actions or history. Any way you look at it, it is not okay to bash someone based on their religion, race or ethnicity. Everyone is entitled to their beliefs, and in this country we have the freedom of religion, therefore everyone has the right to believe in what they want. I also feel that media plays a huge role in how different religions are presented to the public and the media is not always right in their representation.
ReplyDelete-Katelyn Schweitzer
Like Amy and Katie, I also believe that religion, ethnicity and race all share in political discrimination equally. It only seems like one ups the other due to the amount of press one or the other gets which depends on what will cause the largest reaction. If religious, ethnic and racial minorities want to gain more standing, the best strategy would definitely be to lose the widely held overbearing, judgmental, self segregated stance and be a little more open minded. Just because religion or culture instills particular beliefs in one group of people, doesn’t mean others will take to those same beliefs. If a same sex couple want to spend the rest of their lives together, let them and worry about one’s own business. If someone chooses to have an abortion, that person’s body and life is their own and their right to choose is no one else’s but their own.
ReplyDeleteBoth the Irish and Mexican sides of my family are very old fashioned culturally and hard core Catholic which is why I can attest to their closed minded attitudes. I definitely have faith but no longer practice Catholicism due to my personal and political beliefs. Religion can teach great values and give people hope and faith but should in my opinion never be a fighter in the political arena. It muddies the water for clean accepting minds and in many cases immobilizes change and advancement.
Religious minorities certainly face political challenges, just as racial and ethnic minorities do. Both groups are part of the Supreme Court's suspect class. However, I do not think they can be compared to the political challenges racial and ethnic minorities have faced (and will have to face). Like Emilie said in her post, racial and ethnic minorities have been systematically oppressed and dehumanized by the American government. To my knowledge, no religious group has been explicitly discriminated against under the United States law.
ReplyDeleteLike racial and ethnic groups, religious groups can unite together under a common goal to accomplish political goals and improve their standing. For example, Catholic and Baptist Christians may disagree on many religious points, but politically they may be both against abortion, thus uniting them together.
-Jasmine Tena
I agree with Amy, Katie and Alexandra. I think religious minorities face the same amount of political challenges as racial and ethnic minorities. I think Amy is right in that religious minorities are criticized more publicly about their values. Like mentioned in class, it's easy to use race and ethnicity against someone over the internet, but I think religion is easier to bash face to face. I also agree with Emilie and Jasmine that racial and ethnic minorities have been repeatedly oppressed and dehumanized. However, I think they all face many challenges, and it's impossible to say that one challenge is worse than another without having been in such a position.
ReplyDeleteI think potential strategies would be for groups to find similarities between them and stop focusing on the differences. Like Jasmine mentioned, Catholics and Baptists uniting under their view of abortion. In order to improve their political/social standing, they need to appeal to a large amount of people, which would entail being more open-minded to other people and ideas.
-Sophie
I think everyone has made it pretty clear that both religious people and minorities face segregation. I think the biggest difference lies in their ability to hide it. A person may choose to identify as Catholic, but there is no visible telling factor. On the other hand, an African American cannot choose to hide the color of his or her skin. On the flip side of that argument, there are religions that require their members to dress a certain way (Hasidic Jews) or partake in certain daily activities (Muslim prayer time), making it impossible for them to hide their affiliation. I think at that point, the social ostracism applies to them as it does to minorities.
ReplyDeleteI believe that religious institutions face political challenges that are different, yet equal to those of minorities. Minorities struggle to be equally represented and fulfill their needs in a heavily white and male government. Religious institutions, however, face political challenges of a different kind. In a society that is ever-changing, many religions hold beliefs that may seem "old fashioned" and "narrow minded". It is no surprise then that at times the government may enact laws that conflict with the beliefs of certain religions. For example, the recent healthcare act initially required insurance providers to offer contraceptives and all hospitals to offer tax-funded abortions. This was in direct violation of Catholic beliefs, and many Catholic Hospitals would have closed had this law not been slashed. That is just one of many examples of political challenges facing religions. Though I do not consider myself a religious person, I have a great respect for religious tradition. Some of the world's greatest leaders have been religious people, and many aspects of our current society has been built around religion. Times may change and people may stop affiliating with religions, but the role that religion has played and continues to play in America should not be diminished.
How a person identifies themselves in a group of people may be different than when they identify themselves in a smaller group of people. This may be because we’re afraid to voice our own opinion for it may be judged the wrong way. Like Amy wrote, “Nowadays, if I were to say that my religion advocates pro life and marriage between only a man and a woman, I would be seen as narrow minded and ignorant.” I feel the same way. I’m Catholic and I like to follow the beliefs that I was raised in, and unfortunately it’s difficult for me to state my own opinion. I’m a strong believer in my faith, and my religion happens to advocate pro life and marriage between only a man and a woman. But as times have changed, sometimes I adjust my answer, especially since I don’t like debate, in a group of people I’d say pro-choice, and people can marry whomever they like. Those answers don’t put me on either side, and I stay neutral. Now these religious beliefs are thoughts that can only be expressed if I voice them, while my race is expressed whether I’d like it to or not. So I believe religious minorities face similar political challenges that racial and ethnic minorities face, as long as opinions are voiced, they’re on the same level.
ReplyDeleteIf politicians find a way to balance out everybody’s voice, then decisions amongst the diverse community, then they’ll be able to improve their political or social standing. But we know balance is difficult in any situation. I have to agree with Emilie when she stated “I believe that with constant influence from the American media and social media, many religious beliefs are put on the back burner, paving the way for gay rights and woman's rights.” People want to see change, so some beliefs and old habits may be forced to bend a little in order for our country to grow, meaning we unite ourselves by embracing our differences in race, religion, and ethnicity to find common ground.
As seems to be the consensus, religious minorities absolutely face institutional exclusion or opposition. I think the root of why this happens is similar to a racial, ethnic or gender bias, which is a lack of experience, understanding or engagement with, someone of a different religion. I think it is an important point though, as Kaitlyn mentioned, that you can hide your religion, much like people hide their sexual orientation as well. No one should have to hide a part of them just to navigate through their daily lives unscathed.
ReplyDeleteA few other people mentioned a sort of 'religion backlash' as well, which I think is very important. Especially in a college setting, those that are devoutly religious can seem unrealistically conservative and lacking progressive attitudes. I think this ostracization is rooted in the more conservative social ideals often rooted in religion, such as "Defense of Marriage" or abortion/family planning discussions. What I think is ironic is that many of the world's most commonly practiced religions all share the same major basis of values, among them being kind! So why then, are religious wars fought everyday, in the United States and abroad?
I can see how religious minorities face political challenges, but like Emilie and Jasmine, I’m not sure if I can see they face the same amount. It’s easier to distinguish people based on their outward appearance than their beliefs. For example, with voting, it was easier to turn someone away based on their race than their religion. Although, Kaitlyn brings up a good point that some people wear items from their religion like kippahs, hijabs, or a cross necklace making it easier to distinguish. So in these cases people might be discriminated against.
ReplyDeleteAnd I can also understand that some religions might think that their views aren't being properly represented in our government. We want to have someone keeping in mind our values and traditions. But since it seems that more people are becoming unaffiliated with a religion, people might want to connect with someone of a similar race instead. Honestly, I think it’s hard to tell if racial and religious minorities face the same amount of political challenges. Religious minorities do face political challenges, but I still feel like racial and ethnic minorities deal with a little bit more.
-Courtney Sit
Adding to my classmate’s previous comments regarding the political challenges religious minorities have faced, I would have to agree that to a certain extent they have dealt with same amount of discrimination in comparison to the political challenges that both ethnic and racial groups have dealt with throughout the years. To argue that the religion itself faces the same amount of discrimination and prejudice that follows race and ethnicity is something I would have to disagree with, since the idea of religion is not what is being challenged by the employment of policy. The minorities that practice the religious beliefs are the ones that find themselves being challenged by the implementation of policy which is solely created to target and/or reform certain ethnic groups .A stereotype is created for the religion through their followers. The stereotype of the follower is what creates the political challenge for the religion. While religion itself is used as ploy in the development of ethnicity and race since through policy and/or reform, religion uses its follower to attain the goods and services the government is entailed to provide its citizens.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that religious minorities face harsh political challenges just as racial and ethnic minorities face, especially in other countries. I do not know if I would be able to say that they are in the same quantity. The main reason behind this is that it relatively easier to point out someones racial or ethnic background than it is with their religion. Although, nowadays it is getting increasingly more difficult to identify someone's racial or ethnic background by looking at their face since there are so many inter-racial couples and children. For that reason, it is even harder to tell what religion many people are because of the increased rate of religious conversion. If a person is not wearing something that clearly shows their religion (i.e. Hijab, religious tattoo, Star of David necklace, etc.) it is a blind guess.
ReplyDeleteIn order for religious, ethnic, or racial minority groups in order to improve their political or social standing I believe that the main issue that needs to be addressed is educating the public. I think that a main reason that people are so close-minded is because they are not well educated. Being an education major, we have to take a lot of classes that deal with social and racial issues in communities and schools. Just from the way that I talk about certain topics and look at certain issues, I can see a difference in the way that I go about those things because of my gained knowledge on these subjects. If more people were to be educated on religions, races, and ethnicities other than their own, I believe that we would be one step closer to improving political and social standing of minority groups.
I believe that religious minorities definitely have just as hard of a time that racial and ethnic minorities do. Often, racial and ethnic minorities are judged by the past, i.e. what their cultures and races had done before, still plays a huge role of how they are judged today. Religious minorities, just as racial and ethnic minorities, face political challenges such as groups of majority coming down on the minorities saying their beliefs or practices are not of significance or as important as the majorities are. Religious, ethnic and racial minorities face challenges in similar ways as well such as appearance. When certain ethnic or racial groups are judged by what they are wearing that may pertain to their culture or the color of their skin or even their physical features, religious minorities are as well. For example minorities of conservative religions who dress with head pieces and gowns are often judged and stared at out in public as well as views and talked about as not normal. As American claims to have freedom of all of these important things like religion and speech, it is just baffling why religion, race or ethnicity would get in the way as much as they do if all of the right intensions are present.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe religious minorities and racial minorities face the same political challenges. Race in America has become such a big deal that even though racial minorities do receive judgments based on stereo types from individuals they actually receive a lot of attention and advantages politically for the purpose of trying to get rid of "racism". Through media we always hear ideas and possible enforcement which help minority racial groups but not minority religious groups. Religion is a touchy subject and in my opinion faces more political challenges. Leaders and the government do not go about religion nor do I feel point out minority religious groups like they do with minority races to offer greater opportunity and aid in society. Politics in America I feel does not go hand in hand with religion but rather tries to push away any religion from decision making.
ReplyDeleteNo, religious minorities does not face the same problems as racial minorities in the United States. People religious beliefs determine their actions but as we see in United States history race and appearance are the greater issues. I think it was interesting to see that the Midwest is a mixture of all the religions which implying that it is diverse in term of people living there. It is easier to hide your beliefs and not share it but it is impossible to hide yourself physically unless you live in a cave. I am not downplaying the challenges religion faces because there are many of them. For example, not being able to express their religion without being judged. I think my answer suggest that there need to be a balance for both religion and racial issues. Religion and race need to be represented but race have to be more so than religion. I think that religion is more of a community so it is easier to represent but race is on a broader scale.
ReplyDeleteAlthough we don’t hear about it as often as racial or ethnic discrimination, I believe that some religious minorities do face political challenges. I don’t think religious discrimination is as prevalent as other types of discrimination for several reasons. As suggested by several of my classmates, in many cases, one’s religion is usually not obvious unless one’s dress or appearance offers clues to one’s system of beliefs. Additionally, as the Pew Research survey points out, there are an increasing number of individuals who are no longer affiliated with a particular religion. Despite this, there are clear examples that religious discrimination exists. After the September 11 attacks, there were many media stories related to the Muslin religion. Communities fought against Muslim masques being built and several states have passed anti-Sharia laws.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, the religious beliefs of our politicians can affect those of other religions with different beliefs. It is important that politicians do not push their religious agendas in their political decisions. Issues such as abortion, birth control, and gay marriage come to mind. When political actions are based on one’s religion, the rights of others may not be preserved.
Sami Wiley
I do think to some degree religion faces adversity in the face of political challenges. Since the September eleventh attacks, the country has taken measures to put down the muslim religion in face of the people who committed the attacks and completely blame one group when it was a group of radical individuals who commenced the attacks. Since then muslims have faced adversity in this country just for what they practice. However other religions also advocate certain policies our government has and oppose and try to wing it in their favor like Christians do on abortion or vegetated state patients. However, do I think religious minorities as a whole face as much adversity as ethnic groups, yes but I think it is mostly muslim persecution rather than most of the other ones in this day and age.
ReplyDelete