Religions Affecting

Communities Globally

Cydnee J. Lopez
7 January 2015

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Cydnee Lopez
Ms.Trelease
English 1010
7 January 2016
IEP
Statement of topic:
Religions and beliefs affect and influence a community on a large scale. Globally this
includes many religions and communities. Throughout history the effects of religion have
changed and evolved overtime with the influence of society's cultural norms, and traditions that
have been continued. There are always affects whether it be positive or negative on communities.
Purpose:
This topic is very prevalent to our society right now. This issue will remain until change
prevails itself. Differences have always collided, it is important for everyone to gain knowledge
and respect towards the differences in our world. To find a common peaceful ground with
someone different from yourself you must have an open mind. It is our generation's job to
transform these issues that do exist.
Scope:
First will be a brief history of each religion, along from there will be an more in depth
analysis of the discrimination of that religion. This paper will include positive and negative
effects of each religion with in each location and the variations and percentages. Personal
interviews will be included, as I have friends who follow Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. Most
of them have been overseas or traveled the country and have seen and experienced the

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extremities good or bad that comes with their religion. Christianity will not be included nor will
many colliding opinions be discussed that may offend anyone. I will only include India and the
United States in my research about Hinduism. Buddhism will only be mainly in China, Thailand,
and the United States. Islam will be based mainly around Iraq, and Afghanistan, along with the
United States.
Research Section:

Throughout the world, many people follow a religious tradition simply because it is part
of the heritage of their nation, culture, tribe, ethnic group, or family(Fontaine 4). Since religion
started it has changed the lives of the human species in more ways than one. Through research on
a broad spectrum religion has become a very prevalent topic in this day and age, as it always has
been. The graph above shows the number of adherents based off the world's population and the

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wide range of followers. In this paper each of the four countries and their dominant religionsbuddhism, islam, hinduism, along with the diversity of religion in the United States, will be
introduce. The growth and decline of each religion will be discussed, including some background
knowledge on each one throughout each of their histories. This chart shows the projections of
how religion is supposedly going to increase through several different religions.
Hinduism dates back to 1500 B.C. known to be the earth's oldest, and third largest
religion in the world. They follow multiple deities although tends to focus on only one supreme
Brahman as the Universal
soul. This single deity exists
in three different forms which
are Brahma, Vishnu, and
Shiva. All Hindus want to
reach and complete Dharma,
Artha, Kama, and Moksha in
their lives as they also believe
in Karma and reincarnation. Daily duties to recite the deities, respect ancestors, and to respect
and honor all humankind including the sacred cow. As this religious tradition is a growing issue
specifically in India. Cities have grown more crowded, cow-friendly policies have posed
problems. Delhis 13 million residents, for instance, share the streets with an estimated 40,000
cows leading to some complaints (PbsNature).
There are several aspects to this religion that are very positive to oneself. Most Hindus
see reincarnation as a very positive thing, to know your soul could be thousands of years old and
can continue into another greater version of yourself in the near future. They believe if you live a

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good life you create good karma, if you live a life of bad deeds you have bad karma. What goes
around comes around is a very good thing to live by but, when it takes over your whole life and
influences your choices negatively it is not good. Hindus often promote peacefulness and
calmness, always focusing to find inner peace. You will often see Hindus meditating and doing
yoga as a way to reach this inner peace and maintain grounded. That also goes along with the
way that they practice prayer every day and constantly are praying to their deities and burning
incense to leave the paths open. Many researchers have done studies on how beneficial yoga is to
the body along with meditation and how good it does for your brain and your everyday
functioning. If you haven't noticed India specifically generally doesn't have many wars of
religion or any of that through the promotion of peace.
The caste system is a classification of people into four hierarchically ranked castes
called varnas. They are classified according to occupation and determine access to wealth,
power, and privilege (Deshpande). The cast system completely separates society from each
other not allowing others to reach another level in their lives, stuck continuously in the same
routine/lifestyle, in some cases they are terrible situations. Some say that it is not prevalent
anymore although that is also depending on what level of The Caste System you are in. Often
times women are also treated in-equally and men are often thought to be superior to women but
that is because they are thought to be the evil doers of society, so then they are not able to make
decisions for themselves. Women have relatively little autonomy or freedom of movement,
limited inheritance rights in practice, and limited opportunities for control over economic
resources. After marriage, a young woman is expected to remain largely invisible to outsiders
and under the authority of her husbands family. She has little say in domestic decisions and little
freedom of movement. About the only means available to enhance her prestige and even security

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in her husbands home is through her fertility, and particularly the number of sons she bears
(PopulationCouncil 690). The disrespect often includes prostitution, arranged marriages, and
different levels of abuse. As said earlier the disrespect of women begins before they are even
born.Even though the practice is outlawed, 300,000 to 600,000 female fetuses are aborted every
year in India because of the preference for boys, according to a 2011 study by The Lancet And
the discrimination that begins while in the womb continues throughout a girl's life (Udas).
The United States is a very diverse and culture rich society. Americans often times have
to come together in differences often no matter each others religions as we are a secular country.
Some cities across the country are more condensed of one religion, although in cities like New
York you are encountered with rich diversity. The United States society thrives and prospers
from these cultural differences. As America has no church of state, nor is that legal here in the
United States unlike some countries around the globe. This affects society dramatically as
everyone is free to follow any religion or spirituality they desire.

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In a city such as Los Angeles there may be, one household of complete protestants and
the next-door neighbor be completely Buddhist; it is so unique to have this complexity of people.
Since the creation of our own system of laws many things have been implemented it to ensure
freedom no matter the religion you follow, being religious here you have the freedom to do in
practice as you please. It is illegal to hold anyone back on any sort of religion they want to
follow or practice unless it is harmful or detrimental to society. This diversity has allowed the
workplace, the home, relationships etc. to really flourish and become so diverse as a country we
are given the opportunity to connect with someone that could be completely different from
oneself. Evidence and research of this positivity was found throughout several religions. There

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is a Hindu temple up in south Jordan and it also has a conference center included in the complex.
This little area sort of builds a community for all the hindu's in the area to come and congregate.
And when my family travels to other cities around the country, we sometimes go and check out
the temple they have, and for a day or two, we become part of that same
community(Ramkumar). A high school friend of mine enjoys the freedom he and his family are
given here and the opportunities they are given to connect with other Hindus in Salt Lake.
Similarly Hindus pursue things very well here the United States.The PEW survey estimated that
the number of Hindus rose from 0.3 percent of the population in 2007 to 0.7 percent in 2014. 77
percent of Hindus in the U.S. are college graduates (Rambachan). This is a huge percentage
compared to some others. It is driven in their religion to do well in school and make your life
worth while.Many young Hindus will pursue the finest education, achieve great success in their
careers-36 percent of Hindu families have incomes exceeding 100,000 annually-compared to 19
percent of the overall population (Rambachan). Secondly, Buddhist in the U.S. are increasing in
numbers of adherents. Over the last 15 years, the number of Buddhist centers in the United
States has more than doubled, to well over 1,000 (Horgan). Buddhism is becoming the new
religion, mainly because it really is a path/journey of yourself. Many benefit from this ideology
along with a lot of their practices such as yoga and meditation, that is also becoming bigger in
the United States.In the Western U.S., Buddhists represent the largest non-Christian religious
bloc in most states. In 20 states, mostly in the Midwest and South (Wilson).
While having this type of culture here in the United States they're often is a lot of
disagreements with the differences that exist. As everyone is entitled to his/her own opinions
many opinions begin to clash. Islamophobia is the newest trend here in the U.S. mainly because
of recent terrorist attacks we have had. Especially with Isis being so prevalent and threatening

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many tend to generalize the Islamic population with Isis. This tends to make this phobia of
people that are afraid to be around Muslims. There is no similarities towards the two whatsoever,
although many generalize that Muslims behave and perform acts that Isis do."Radicalization and
violent extremism are two different things," Mr. Rabasa says. "Violent extremist behavior only
comes about if a radicalized individual falls in with a circle of people who are open to using
violence" (LaCasse). Although many fail to still realize really how low the percentages of
extremists are here.A significant minority (21%) of Muslim Americans say there is a great deal
(6%) or a fair amount (15%) of support for extremism in the Muslim American community
(PewResearch). An interview was done with a friend that has had first hand experience with this
as she is Muslim raised in the United States and travels to and from Iraq visiting family. Well
for me personally I think because Islam is such a minority religion here in the U.S. that it doesn't
really affect the majority. Also because it is the minority religion, not many people understand it
so it is easy for people to assume and attribute negative aspects about the religion based on
things they see or read about from the media. But inside our own Muslim community I think it
brings us closer and strengthens our ties to each other and to our religion (Salih). She generally
intended throughout the interview how much safer she feels here in the United States and would
rather only visit the middle east. Many muslims are a lot happier living in the United States
rather than in the middle east for many reasons. About two-thirds (66%) say that the quality of
life for Muslims in the U.S. is better than in most Muslim countries (PewResearch).
Buddhism was started by, Siddhartha Gautama a.k.a. Buddha in 563-483 bce. he was a
wandering teacher, only dedicated to help others achieve Nirvana. Buddhism is neither
monotheistic nor polytheistic. There is no personal god or monotheistic creator God in
Buddhism, as there is in Christianity, Judaism or Islam. Buddhism is a spiritual path based on the

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teachings of the Buddha (Contributing Writer). Each individual that follows Buddhism has a
goal to reach enlightenment and hopefully nirvana. Nirvana is the escape from endless cycle of
birth death and rebirth through enlightenment, that anyone can achieve. There's a large reliance
on the individual that is willing to search for their own salvation, and must avoid extremes of self
indulgence, and must be ethically well rounded. Most follow the four Noble truths which entails,
right aspiration towards enlightenment, right speech that is honest and charitable, right conduct
no drinking killing lying or lust, right living, right effort, right-thinking with emphasis on selfawareness, and right use of meditation. Like any religion these things can definitely affect a
person's life whether it be positive or negative.
488 million Buddhists worldwide, representing 7% of the worlds total population as of
2010 (PewResearch). As Buddhism tends to be more of a spirituality than a religion, it is
definitely a practice of yourself and continuing to try to better yourself. Honestly, I have never
seen Buddhism affect a community in a negative way. I mean, how can you treat people badly
when you believe in karma (Is)? Meditation is a key aspect of Buddhism, it benefits your life in
many aspects that makes you calm or let you focus, and it grasps your attention span greatly. One
must consistently practice to gain the skill of being able to meditate, although once you are able
to finally master it you are can incomplete unity with oneself and able to control your actions
more deeply on many levels. Many tend to spend their entire lives trying to just better
themselves rather than focusing on material things. There is no supreme being you follow, your
focusing on yourself and making sure that you benefit yourself and your future.
Thailand is supposed to be a secular state but most public schools have Buddhist
chanting and praying as part of their daily schedule, and that's a little insensitive of people of
other religions. it's also kind of the norm to be Buddhist here and if you refuse to go to temple it's

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frowned upon(Singhatiraj). Karma is a very life altering because they're afraid to do things
because they know Karma will come back to them. Thailand may be the most affected by
Buddhism to me. In the sense that it really shows up in the day to day interactions with most of
the people, if not all of them that I came across. They have a very kind demeanor and are
genuinely very friendly, nice people. They say that Thailand is a stronghold of Buddhism (90%
Buddhist). They are very strong believers in karma and reincarnation. I think that is why they are
so nice. In fact, it is very frowned upon to be angry with someone in public(Is).

Islam is a strict monotheistic religion, as they only believe in one God which they call
Allah. Muslims follow five pillars of faith, included firstly, the Shahada- reciting the declaration
of Faith. Secondly the Salat-which is a mandatory prayer time throughout the day that consist of
five times a day they must also washed before, and face Mecca and use a prayer rug. Thirdly, the
Zakat-which is also known as ohms giving- charitable donations they believe all things belong to

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God in order to purify and grow you must donate. Fourth is the Sawn- this is the fasting during
the holy month of Ramadan which is known as simply purification of the body where there's no
eating more drinking from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan. Strict Muslims often complete the
final one which is the fifth the Hajj- The pilgrimage to Mecca.Muslims are expected to live
according to Islamic law, which is called Sharia, or Gods Way. They are not allowed to steal,
lie, commit adultery, gamble, eat pork or drink alcohol. The Quran also tells men and women to
dress modestly. In some countries a woman must cover her head or face. Men mostly have a
beard because Muhammad also had one (EnglishOnline). Dedication and devoting your life to
entirely do anything you must do to reach Allah is Islam, as many have different interpretations
of that. They have daily prayer which I think tends to really help the mind focus on one thing and
not let it wander. From personal experience, I know that in the Middle East, Islam is obviously
the majority, so it basically dictates every aspect of life there, the culture of the Middle East is
heavily influenced by religion (Salih).
There are several negative things about the religion and many things that are interpreted
to be negative especially in the western part of the world. According to Rabasa, a "radical"
Muslim could also be an individual who belongs to an Islamist organization that is advocating
for a Sharia legal system, but does not embrace violence to bring this to fruition (LaCasse).
Firstly, women's rights are extremely diregarded in several middle eastern countries.When I was
in Iraq last year, I remember that I would have to wear a scarf every time I went out in public and
made sure that I dressed modestly otherwise I would "attract" unwanted attention, as if it would
be the women's fault that a man was checking you out, because in the Quran it says it is a
woman's fault if a man's eyes stray towards you. I think this gives women a negative mindset and
makes men feel like the more superior gender (Salih). She noticed that not only in Iraq but also

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in Saudi Arabia things are strict Saudi Arabia for example, use the sharia law therefore there's
no separation of church and state because of this women don't have many rights such as voting or
even driving, even something as trivial as having an unrelated male in your home is an offense
because of sharia law(Salih). Secondly discussed is the discrimination and the prevalent
misunderstanding of this religion.Community leaders say Islamophobia is at its highest level
since September 2001 (Rose). Mainly in the west because of the terrorist actions and how the
terrorists have been in the past known as being Muslim. It's sad how misunderstood this religion
is and often many don't really understand nor take the time to understand it before making
generalizations. Western views are very critical of this religion. It is also known in the past for a
lot of countries to be Muslim states, the fact that people don't have the freedom to practice
anything they desire and have that freedom. Iraq, Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Pakistan,
Indonesia, Kuwait, and Egypt are among the countries blasted by the State Department's year
2000 Report on International Religious Freedom. In hard-core Muslim countries, any Muslim
who violates tawhid by becoming a Christian may forfeit his life, family, or property
(WorldMagazine). Could be very depressing to have to not be able to explore other opinions and
religious viewpoints. The Taliban control most of the country. Their government is recognized
only by Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. The Taliban rule without a
constitution, relying on the Quran (Onsutti).

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Ethics Summary:
Religious effects on Communities
This is a very complex topic within a lot of information to process and understand.
Religion has always interested me, and I have always wanted to find research on the effects of it
not only in the United States but also globally. Globally and nationally religion does affect
communities in more ways than one. Morally every human being should be treated equally no
matter their race, religion, nor sex. The real question is, can we exist without a believe system?
No, I do not think we can. I do not think that we need to get rid of any religion. We need to as
society find a way to work together. I believe no religion really has the right to say theres is the
only true one. No one really knows unless scientifically proven. Hence there is no reason we
shouldnt be able to work together and stop fighting over religion, because it will always exist,
and people will always disagree on it.

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Proposal of Action:
I want to create a traveling group of coexisting and peacemaker activists. They will
educate others on religions different than their own, and come up with ideas of generating peace.
The groups will travel together from city to city starting in London England, and ending in
Sydney, Australia.
Conclusion:
Religion separates people and separation often causes many different opinions,
discrepancies, and a lot of fighting. Since religion has begun society has had issues with finding
ways to coexist with each other and they've made changes but I think there is still a lot of room
for improvement. Coexisting is going to be the only way that this world survives. We must make
peace with each other no matter the race, religion, spirituality, or gender. Must put our
differences asides and remember our morals, to find a way to work together to benefit our
communities and our world. Generations are changing and things are beginning to definitely
influence the separations and it will be up to us to really implement if there will be change or if it
will only get worse.

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