Religion and Government
In this phase we are going to explore the unique and complex relationship between American government and religion.Whether''s it Winthrop, Jefferson or Lincoln, throughout the founding process we see a frequent reference to a theological entity.
Students might ask, "What is the interest by government in religion?" While faith is an individual belief, religion is a group activity in which the members, generally, have a shared but not identical faith system. An interest of government in religion is, ideally, a higher level of morality in society. Religion can also buttress social norms (the unwritten, informal rules of society) by defining what is, and what is not acceptable behavior in society. As we see in King''s ''Letters from a Birmingham Jail'' or in Jefferson''s ''Declaration of Independence," arguments advocating a course of moral acts in society can be premised on the authority of God. Finally, like religion, the choice to pursue good citizenship is a voluntary choice that includes self-discipline, morality and one''s unique and individual pursuit of the truth.
Ultimately,PEW Research finds that ~88% (as of this writing) of Americans express a belief in some form of higher power or God. The United States continues to be among the most religious countries in the Western World. Despite the "wall of separation between Church (Religion) and State," religion continues to be an influential force in American society.
During this phase, you will:
- Communicate with integrity, civility, and respect in visual, oral, and written communications.
- Articulate clear and concise messages to facilitate consensus on political issues.
- Synthesize and analyze various policies and issues to judge more effectively political decisions.
Video & Commentary: Religion and Government
https://youtu.be/9p5hPaOvEU8
Kristallnacht German pogrom of 1938 , Brit Budd, 2015
After their defeat in WWI, Germany followed the rest of the world into the Great Depression of the 1930's. During these desperate times, Germans felt fearful and defeated. German society fell under the spell of the emotive demagogue Adolf Hitler. As Hitler began his rise to power he focused the people's anxiety on others which lead to include religious pogroms against members of the Jewish faith.
In September 1939 Germany would invade Poland and began Europe's foray into the Second World War. Less than a year earlier, in November 1938 Germany would perpetuate its ongoing war on Jews in an event now known as Kristallnacht or "broken glass." It was during the evenings of November 9th and 10th that the shops, homes, and synagogues of Jews would be looted and burned. According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 267 synagogues were destroyed. Reportedly these events were choreographed to appear to be a spontaneous reaction to the assassination of a German Embassy official by a displaced Jew named Grunszpan.
Moreover, the passivity with which most German civilians responded to the violence signaled to the Nazi regime that the German public was prepared for more radical measures. History shows that this German "passivity" led to the Holocaust in which the legendarily efficient German engineering would execute over 6 million Jews with industrial precision. It is reported that another 5 million non-Jews died in German concentration camps. These "righteous Gentiles" included homosexuals, invalids, gypsies, non-Jewish interracial spouses, members of other religious minorities such as Jehovah's Witnesses, and those that objected.
As we learned in last week's reading of Madison's Federalist Paper No. 10, the duty of the majority is to protect the rights of the minority. Reports indicate that at least 70 million people died during WWII. This example demonstrates the importance of Madison's composition and suggests how engaged citizenship may have resulted in history taking a different path.
Readings & Research: Religion and Government .
Review the following Required Reading Articles:
http://blog.acton.org/archives/86047-right-and-wrong-as-a-clue-to-the-meaning-of-the-universe.html
C.S. Lewis, 1958
http://www.heritage.org/initiatives/first-principles/primary-sources/jefferson-s-letter-to-the-danbury-baptists
T. Jefferson, 1802. Read both the intro and the letter.
http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2006/06/the-mythical-wall-of-separation-how-a-misused-metaphor-changed-church-state-law-policy-and-discourse
D. Dreisbach, 2006
http://www.harvard-jlpp.com/33-3/943.pdf
Michael W. McConnell
Review the following Required Research Articles:
Read Chapter 4
http://www.pewglobal.org/2007/10/04/chapter-4-values-and-american-exceptionalism/
Pew Research Center, 2007
http://www.pewforum.org/2015/02/26/restrictions-and-hostilities-in-the-most-populous-countries-2013/
Pew Research Center, 2015
http://www.pewforum.org/2013/04/11/american-hindus-to-celebrate-a-new-year/
Pew Research Center, 2013
http://www.pewforum.org/2012/08/09/the-worlds-muslims-unity-and-diversity-infographic/
Pew Research Center, 2012
http://www.pewforum.org/2015/04/02/religious-projection-table/
Pew Research Center, 2015
Videos: Religion and Government
Review the following videos:
History shows us that mixing politics and religion can have volatile results. Despite the "wall of separation between church and state" we know that this divide has been challenged in the past 60 years. What are the historical roots of the modern amalgamation between religious conservatives and politics? How did America's fear of communism light this spark?
http://www.pbs.org/godinamerica/view/
Part Five-The Soul of a Nation, PBS
What is Capitalism? What is the relationship between religion and capitalism? How does Protestant anxiety and "constant toil" continue to influence our society and its economic system? How do we see this in our modern political ideologies? Can a nation's leader provide the change that Americans desire?
https://youtu.be/ICppFQ6Tabw
SOCIOLOGY - Max Weber, The School of Life, 2015
Throughout our nation's history we have continually struggled to redefine which Americans are and which are not included in the American dream. At its founding and for much of the 20th century, America was not welcoming to Roman Catholics. As he ran for the Presidency, then Senator John F. Kennedy responded to anti-Catholic rhetoric in a speech which, seemingly, put the issue of exclusion for Roman Catholics behind us.
https://youtu.be/_SsVpkh5yvE
JFK Speech on Separation of Church & State (1960), LeakSource.wordpress.com, 2012
Watch or Read: This video features a video presentation of Lewis' noted article, ‘Right & Wrong' - A Clue to the meaning of the universe. What is the standard of behavior that Lewis finds we all intuitively know about?
https://youtu.be/QmHXYhpEDfM
‘Right & Wrong' - A Clue to the Meaning of the Universe by C.S. Lewis Doodle (BBC Talk 1/Chapter 1), CSLewisDoodle, 2014
Within the content of your report entry, consider the assigned articles in our first four course phases. Does any of the assigned content seem to connect to your voluntary activities? Be certain to reference, cite and discuss how the concept in those articles aligns in your voluntary activities. Look for and comment, in your entries, upon the connections between what you are doing and the lessons in this course.
C2P1: Assignment: Religion and Government .
Welcome to week five.
This week we use the course materials to explore the complex relationship between religion and American governance. From its earliest moments, America culture has been entwined with religion and individual faith. This week we examine this long-standing relationship and where it stands at the moment. The interest of government in religion is morality: the voluntary choice to act morally. In our system of governance, freedom and self-reliance are cherished values. As we read in the Social Contract, the self-discipline of voluntary, moral behavior allows greater freedom for all members of society.
In our assignment this week student's will create a timeline including an Executive Summary[1]. Your timeline will examine the evolution of the relationship between America (government and society), and religion. Create a timeline-document that includes at least five historical events (pre-2000) and five current events that demonstrate the relationship between American government, society and religion. To get you started, we have included some optional materials in the, ‘Suggested Reading' section this week.
Demonstrate learning by citing at least three of the assigned reading articles from this phase. Remember, a strong demonstration of learning will also include citing additional articles from previous weeks of the course. Consider the values and topics we studied earlier in the course.
For each of the ten entries, provide a brief description of the event and discussion how this event depicts the evolving relationship between religion and American governance. You can cite more than one article per example but you need to discuss ten separate entries.
Include a one page Executive Summary (300 words) to reflect upon the current status of religion in American governance. Please note: while approximately 7% of the citizens from other industrial "first world nations," (England, France, Italy, and Germany) attend regular religious services, approximately 47% of Americans regularly attend religious services. According to PEW, approximately 88% of Americans consistently report a belief in God or some-form of higher consciousness.
1.Include a thesis statement in your summary.
2.Use at least three assigned reading articles from the current phase in your presentation.
3.You are encouraged to use assigned reading articles from the previous week.
4.Use credible media outlets or legitimate academic sources for the ten events.
5.Your assignment you can include (appropriate) images, jpegs, memes, quotes, or other sources for examples.
6.Provide an APA style bibliography.
7.Students are to use appropriate grammar and punctuation skills including APA in-line citations and quotation marks.
Finally, review the presentations of three other students.
The rubric for this assessment will be used to provide feedback on your work. Review the rubric and use it to guide your work. Remember, it is your job as a student to demonstrate learning based upon the assigned course materials.
Additional Notes:
This course uses plagiarism software.
In this phase, students continue learning to make objective or empirical arguments rather than subjective or emotive arguments. Instead of basing arguments upon personal opinions, students want to create objective arguments that demonstrate learning based upon the assigned course materials. To do this we learn to use the ideas contained in the assigned course reading materials in order to create objective arguments.
Assignments are submitted via' the link found at the top of the assignment area. This link will place your assignment on the appropriate shared discussion board as well as in your individual gradebook. Your instructor will provide unique and individual feedback in the gradebook. Providing feedback in the gradebook is a private communication between the student and the instructor. Your Professor will use this private forum to provide feedback to students on how to improve their performance.
Grading: This course is designed in the Skills-to-Performance format. There are three components in the course. Each component is comprised of four phases. A phase represents one week. The assignments for the first three phases of each component are for skill practice and development. Each assignment grade in first three phases of each component is worth only five points. However, in the fourth week of each component students are expected to demonstrate skill mastery. In the fourth week of each component, the assignment points are much higher. The points for Week 4 (C1P5) and Week 8 (C2P4) are 100 points each. The Service Learning Project (SLP a/k/a C2P4) assignment is due in Week 12. The SLP is worth 200 points.
The rubric for this assessment will be used to provide feedback on your work. Review the rubric and use it to guide your work.
Assistance: Students are encouraged to collaborate BEFORE writing their assignments. Each phase of the course has its own student led, non-graded discussion board. Students are encouraged to use this forum to seek or offer help, to discuss the course readings, to define the themes and topics of the articles and to discuss the assignment questions. However, you assignment is to be your own work.
Another form of assistance is the voluntary, online synchronous KSS Tutorial. Check with your instructor for additional information.
What is an executive summary?
http://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/executivesummary