Religion Around Us

McGuire’s interpretation of societies being held together and yet at the same time torn apart by religion is something that I can relate to seeing in our world. Being a member of a church, it has become evident to me that there is beauty in community and when we learn to cohesively be amongst each other, peace can exist. On the other hand, I have seen the turmoil religion can bring to a community when people do not know how to accept others views. It can sometimes be extremely hard to understand why someone would believe something that in your eyes seems so wrong. The aspect of religion I believe we tend to overlook is that tolerance is key. Accepting perspectives that are not our own, helps others feel that they have a sense of belonging even though they may be different. Going beyond the fact that religion works when we all work together, comes the idea of our nation having its own “civil religion.”  Our country believes that it has a special relationship with God and that’s why he is a part of our pledge of allegiance. Every single country has a relationship with God though, it just seems unique to us because it is embedded in much of what we do. I tried to connect what we learned in Chapter 6 to the presentations we had in class and I noticed some unique aspects that directly link to God needs no Passport. The book brought up the topic of the joys that come along with coexistence and I enjoyed this group digging deeper upon this topic and expanding on why God loves us all.