Reflections on Religious Pluralism in the USA

 Reflections on Religious Pluralism in the USA 

Hssein KHTOU

Dar  El Hadith El Hassania

 

Introduction

During a visit to the USA in June 2010, I participated in a summer institute on "Religious Pluralism and Public Life in the USA" hosted by the Department of Religious Studies at the University of California in Santa Barbara (UCSB). The participants represented universities in 17 countries, including Argentina, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Estonia, Palestine, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mauritius, Morocco, Nigeria, Paraguay, Taiwan, Uruguay, and Zimbabwe. They came from different countries with various ethnic and religious backgrounds. The table below provides further background information about the religious diversity in the participants' home countries:

Source: Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.

This paper is divided into four main sections. In the first section, I try to provide a brief account about this exciting experience in order to share it with the reader. In the second and third sections, I shed light on religious pluralism and religious switching in the U.S.A., respectively. I conclude the paper by tackling the issue of religious pluralism in Islam.

Activities of the Institute

The program began on June 19 and continued through August 2, 2010, and it featured a lecture series by UCSB faculty on different topics, like the history of religion and religions in the USA, demography and sociology of religion, religion in domestic politics and church/state relations, as well as religious pluralism.

Various field trips were organized to different local congregations, namely churches, Hindu temples, mosques, Buddhist temples, synagogues, and Sikh temples. These visits aimed to help the participants get an idea about how different religious services take place in the United States as a religiously diverse community.

During a two-day symposium, all the participants in the program gave presentations on the dynamics of religious diversity in their home countries. That was a good opportunity for everyone to learn about religious issues in other parts of the world. I talked about religious pluralism in Morocco, the recent religious reforms, religious identity and some challenges in the religious field. I stressed the fact that Morocco is considered as one of the most tolerant nations in the Islamic world. In the country, a moderate form of Islam supporting universal values of tolerance and coexistence is practiced. The government remains committed to ensuring freedom of worship to all religious communities.

Equally important in my sojourn were the family visits. We were invited to dinner by American families adhering to different religions. All the family members were very hospitable, and the food that was served was in accordance with the participants' dietary restrictions. For example, my host family served only halal food during the meal. Moreover, the invitation was a good opportunity to discover the Americans' viewpoints, while in a relaxed social atmosphere, and present ours regarding different issues, be they social, political or religious.

Finally, the study tours to Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, and Washington DC allowed us to firsthand learn how people with widely differing beliefs can coexist. Every tour opened doors for us to learn about different aspects of religious and cultural pluralism in different parts of the country.

As a participant from a Muslim country, I had expected to find some negative attitudes towards Muslims because of the 9/11 events. However, I was totally mistaken as both the program participants and people in different public places showed respect and kindness towards the others, including Muslims, regardless of their beliefs and ethnic or religious backgrounds.

Religious pluralism in the USA

There is no doubt that the plurality of religious traditions and cultures has come to characterize many parts of the world today. The USA is a case in point-it is, indeed, the most religiously diverse nation worldwide (see, for instance, Eck, 2001). The emigration act of 1965 played an important role in eliminating the quotas linking immigration to national origins. Since then, people with different religious traditions, like Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs and new varieties of Jews and Catholics have arrived from every part of the World, which has profoundly changed the religious landscape of the country. In every neighbourhood, one would find Islamic centers and mosques, Hindu and Buddhist temples. For example, the number of mosques, according to the Muslim Group of America, was 1209 in 2001, but it increased to reach 1462 in 2007. For ease of convenience, the chart below shows that the USA is no longer a Judeo-Christian nation.

Source: pew forum 2007

As can be seen above, people in America practice nearly every religion found in the world today. The country used to be predominately Christian, but it now contains representatives from all sorts of different faiths. It is important to note that observers have long noted that Americans are very religious. They are more likely to believe in God than most other Western nations, to practice religion and to consider it important (see, for example, Hout and Fischer, 2001, among others). In the 1950's, when Eisenhower wanted to run for the presidential elections, he was not a member of a church. His advisers told him that he needed to join a church to get more votes, which he did three weeks before the elections. Franklin Roosevelt led the nation in prayer during World War II, and Congressional leaders burst into a spontaneous singing of "God Bless America" following the attacks of September 11, 2001. All these instances show the importance of religion for Americans.

The separation of church and state is perhaps one of the most misunderstood concepts in today's political, legal and religious debates. The phrase "separation of church and state", as a legal concept, is just a structural institutional phenomenon which has created a legal framework. This does not mean that religion does not have a public voice, but it simply refers to the fact that the government cannot impose a religion. Put differently, the constitution guarantees religious freedom but prohibits state interference in religion. However, there are a number of challenges related to this state of affairs. For example, in American public schools, there are problems with textbooks relating to how much religion should be included. The solution is to include information about religion and to avoid indoctrinating students. That is to say, Teaching activities about religion are permitted, but not the teaching of religion. Therefore, secularism in America means freedom from religion as well as freedom of religion. Needless to say, the first amendment to the constitution guarantees Americans freedom of religious choice.

Religious Switching

One feature of the religious landscape in the United States is that many people do not remain adherents to one religion throughout their life. As reported in Roof (1989), almost 25% of Americans in their life time have belonged to two religions. Of course, there are several factors behind such a phenomenon. First, according to Loveland (2003: 147), "it is attitudes towards doctrinal strictness that causes individuals to switch religions." That is to say, many people move from denominations that are conservative to the ones that are more liberal. Some surveys have also concluded that people may join a totally different religion because of a disconnect between their beliefs and goals and what their former religion was teaching or providing. Therefore, they may try to find satisfactory religious products elsewhere. Another major factor has to do with religious socialization. An individual is less likely to switch if he used to be more religious as a young person. In other words, holding weaker beliefs as a youth might lead to breaking ties with the first religion. Loveland (2003:154) states that "those who joined churches while growing up are less likely to switch religions in life because their preferences have stabilized in defending the institution through the formal act of joining." Yet, he further reports that this determinant remains debatable as shown in studies like Sherkat (1991).

A third motive of religious switching is marriage (see, for example, Roof 1989, Hadaway and Marller 1993, among others). In cases of religious exogamy, marrying outside a religion of origin, individuals are likely to switch to harmonize the marriage as Hadaway and Marller (1993) theorize. In other instances, Catholics switch for a second marriage because the Catholic Church does not allow a second marriage after divorce. Finally, some older Americans may have shifted out of religion when they were young, and then back into a religious identity at a subsequent point in their lives. This could be explained by the fact that they probably start thinking about death.

It is important to note that during the last twenty years, the number of the unaffiliated has increased, especially among the youth. These people have moved away from religion altogether. The American National Election Study and Pew estimate that between 12% and 14% of adults have no religion. However, it would be a mistake, according to some researchers, to equate having no religion with having a secular world view because some American adults who reported being unaffiliated reject what is called an organized religion. This state of affairs has led some congregations to innovate and repackage religion to fit certain situations. Some congregations know how to innovate and they grow with these innovations because they know how to package. For example, they use modern technology such as screens and images, and people learn through audio-visual media.

Islam and Religious Pluralism

Islam insists on the importance of interfaith dialogue and tolerance. The Quran offers very clear guidelines and encouragement for Muslims to engage in interfaith dialogue. This is clearly expressed in the following Quranic verse:

"Say: O People of the Book come to common terms as between us and you: that we worship none but Allah; that we associate no partners with Him; that we erect not, from among ourselves, Lords and patrons other than Allah. If then they turn back, say ye: Bear witness that we (at last) are Muslims (bowing to Allah's will)" (3:64)

It is important to note that Islam calls for establishing good relations with other peoples regardless of their colour, race or religion. This is clearly shown in the Quranic texts and the Sunnah. For instance, Allah says:

"O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes that you may know each other (not that you may despise each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)." (49:13)

A good Muslim has to believe in all the books that came down before Mohamed (Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon Him) as is clearly stated in the following Quranic verse:

"The Messenger believeth in what hath been revealed to him from his Lord, as do the men of faith. Each one (of them) believeth in Allah, His angels, His books, and His messengers. "We make no distinction (they say) between one and another of His messengers." And they say: "We hear, and we obey: (We seek) Thy forgiveness, our Lord, and to Thee is the end of all journeys." (1:285)

Also, it is reported in the prophetic tradition that Mohamed (Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon Him) had good relationships with Christians, Jews, and other people from other religions. It is reported in Sunan An-Nasa'i (Book 21, Number 1920) that Sahl ibn Hunaif and Qais ibn Sa'd ibn Ubaidah were in Al-Qadisiyyah when a funeral passed by them, so they stood up and it was said to them: "It is one of the local (Jewish) people." They said: "A funeral passed by the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and he stood up, and it was said to him, 'It is a Jew/ so he said, 'Is he not a soul?'" In doing this, the prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon Him) showed respect and shared the feelings of sorrow with the Jewish family and community.

Conclusion

As a conclusion, we can say that America is at the same time a very secular and a very religious country where religion affects what is going on in public life. The country has moved from diversity to pluralism par excellence. Religious diversity, according to Eck (2006), has produced "a new period of bridge-building as diverse religious communities are trying to build unprecedented relationships with one another....There are interfaith dialogues and interfaith coalitions to fight hunger and homelessness." Through these interfaith activities, people of different ethnic and religious groups are struggling to look for common grounds and not battle grounds. Islam as a religion encourages interfaith dialogue, and it tolerates religious pluralism as clearly shown in the following two Quranic verses, respectively:

"Say: O People of the Book! Come to common terms as between us and you: that we worship none but Allah; that we associate no partners with Him; that we erect not, from among ourselves, Lords and patrons other than Allah. If then they turn back, say ye: Bear witness that we (at least) are Muslims (bowing to Allah's will)." (3:64)

"If God had so wanted, then all of humanity would be following one Way. "(42:8)

References

• Eck, D. L. (2001). A New Religious America: How a "Christian Country" has Become the World's Most Religiously Diverse Nation. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

• Eck, D. L. (2006). "From Diversity To Pluralism" [Internet Document] Retrieved May/01/2011 at: http://pluralism.org/pluralism/essays/from_diversity_to_pluralism.php

• Hadaway C. K. and P. L. Marler (1993). "All in the family: Religious Mobility in America", Review of Religious Research, 35: 97-116.

• Hout, M. and C. S. Fischer (2001). "Religious Diversity in America, 1940-2000" [Internet Document] Retrieved August 29/2011 at: http://ucdata.berkeley.edu/rsfcensus/papers/Hout_FischerASA.pdf

• Loveland, M. T. (2003). "Religious Switching: Preference Development, Maintenance, and Change", Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 42: 147-157.

• “Religions by country." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.Web. [Internet Document] Retrieved August 2/2011 at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religions_by_country.

• Roof, W. C. (1989). "Multiple Religious Switching: A Research Note", Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 28: 530-535.

• Sherkat, D. E. (1991). "Leaving the Faith: Testing Theories of Religious Switching", Social Science Research, 20: 171-187.

• Sunan An-Nasa'i. (1991). The Book of Al Janaiz. Vol. 4, edition 1, Beirut: Dar Al Maarifa.

• The American National Election Study and Pew (2007).

• The Meaning of the Holly Quran. (2001) Trans. Abdullah Yusuf Ali. Beirut: Al- Aalami Publications.

أشـــرف لـــمـيـــن باحثٌ ومختصٌ في الشؤون القانونية والمنازعات القضائية. أعمل على إثراء المحتوى القانوني العربي بمقالات دقيقة وشاملة، بهدف نشر الوعي القانوني وتعزيز سيادة القانون.

مشاركة :