Response to J.B.'s Post on Fraternity

As I was reading J.B.’s post on fraternity, I found myself agreeing with many of the points he made. However, there was one point with which I disagreed, and that was that fraternity alone does not set moral standards. I feel that being a part of a group causes individuals to set their own personal standards and makes those people strive to be better. Different groups such as sports teams, performance groups, sororities and fraternities, etc., emphasize the importance of striving for excellence. I am personally involved in a campus sorority (Delta Gamma), and our main goals in terms of personal achievement are character, education and scholarship, interests and talent, activities and honors, and personal development. By setting these fine standards, the sorority highlights the significance of personal achievement and accomplishment, and it is understood that as a group, we push each other to be better human beings. I feel that this happens in most organized non-religious groups. While there are no set rules stating what specifically is “sinful” and what is not, as there are in most organized religions, the assumption of the group is that each individual will use his or her own judgment to decipher between right and wrong.

Red

The movie “Red” had no apparent direct connection to religion. However, after thinking about it, and listening to our class discussion, I realized that the point of watching this movie for a religious studies class was to recognize the purpose of religion, and to identify what replaces religion in times when there is none. Religion’s main purposes, as we have discussed numerous times in class, are to set moral guidelines for both the group and the individual, to give identity and community, and to explain the unknown, along with many others. Because this movie does not incorporate religion into its plot, the viewers must infer some other source for these important criteria.
Coincidence is used most frequently in the movie to explain the unknown and the unnatural. In countless instances throughout the movie, the characters are faced with situations that seem surreal, such as the seemingly bizarre connections between the characters or the symbols that reoccur throughout the movie. Many people in real life would explain these circumstances through religion or a higher being, but the movie uses coincidence to rationalize them. In everyday life, people who do not use religion find other ways to explain things as well. Many people are superstitious and use their superstitions to dictate certain aspects of their lives. If something bad were to happen, these people might blame it on the fact that they saw a black cat earlier that day, rather than using a metaphysical or religious explanation. This is similar to the Hindu tradition of Karma. In this case, if something bad happens to a person, the cause is a negative thing that the person did earlier. While this is a religious way of explanation, the movie articulately illustrates the non-religious aspects of explanation.

Sports and Religion

In our most recent class discussion, Margaret’s blog concerning the Pistons vs the Bulls was brought up. After discusses this, I read the blog for myself and found it quite interesting. I completely agreed with her comments on how sports are similar to religion for the sports fans, but I also think that sports or other group activities can act as religion for the participants as well as the spectators. I am not involved with a basketball team, and I don’t pretend to have any sort of coordination for sports whatsoever, but I have been involved with many shows and performance groups, and the connections to religion still apply. Being a part of a group gives an obvious sense of identity. Christians can identify themselves as Catholic or Presbyterian, whereas performers and athletes identify themselves as opera singers or football players. While extracurriculars don’t define people, they are certainly influential in life, just as is religion. In addition, in class we discussed that extracurriculars could be used as a form of comfort, but only because they are used in memory of a person, not because of the activity itself. I would tend to disagree with that idea. I believe that feelings of sorrow can be taken out in many ways, and when tragedy strikes, each person handles their emotions differently. Some people immediately go to church or immerse themselves in prayer, while others go off and sing a song of mourning or go for a run to keep their minds occupied. Finally, another way that pastimes such as sports, etc. can act as religion for the participants is that the amount of time and effort put into the activity. For many people, religion is the reason for living. Extracurricular activities should not be anyone’s reason for living, but the participants put huge amounts of time and effort into these activities, which makes them extremely important to the life of each individual. The time and effort put into religion is what makes religion itself important to those who follow.

Deity and Jane Addams

While reading about Jane Addams, it was brought up several times that she held both her father and President Abraham Lincoln in extremely high regard. I feel that she could have held both of these men as Deity figures. She sited both of the men as primary influences in her life, and while she most likely did not worship either of them, it seems as though she did put them on some sort of pedestal. Addams had stated that the two men were significant in her wanting to do humanitarian work and her place in the social movement, which is comparable to religion being a central cause of other movements. Addams also was quoted as saying that the moral standards and the personal integrity of these men was the main reason for holding them in such high regard. In religion, the purpose of a Deity figure is to give a example of what standards the followers should live up to. In many religions, the Deity sets the moral code for the followers to help decipher between right and wrong. It seems as though Jane Addams uses her father and President Lincoln to do this job for her. Addams was raised Quaker, but religious factors were not the leading reason for her to pursue a life of service. I feel that her father and Lincoln had a greater power in her life than did her religion.

Religion in Poverty Conditions

Religion is a cohesive bond that ties communities together, especially in times of struggle. It could be argued that societies that live in terrible conditions and have few material possessions give up hope and have less conviction in religion in general due to such strong feelings of hopelessness. However, I think it is more likely that these strained conditions cause people to have a deepened faith in religion because it is all that they have to survive. I do believe that due to the seemingly grim circumstances, the practices of the religion of these people are probably very different from the traditions of religion today.

First, symbolism is most likely not as important to the people of these communities as it is today because most people could not afford to purchase elaborate crosses or stars of david to adorn their houses. As we observed in class from the Jacob Riis photographs, the majority of people were living in rundown houses or shacks and did not have the money for luxury items. Next, people living in these badly maintained areas probably did not have the money for education or even books. Therefore, many families in this time may not have owned a copy of their specific religious text. In these cases, these families more than likely practiced the religious traditions passed down from their families before, but they may not have understood fully the origins of these traditions. Finally, the traditions and customs of societies during this period were different from today’s because they were not a main priority. These people had to work so hard just to put food on the table and assure a place to sleep each night, that religion probably had to take a backseat. While thoughts of God (or other higher being) probably permeated the minds of these people, actual religious practices, other than perhaps personal prayer, may have taken up too much time, and therefore, were not as common as today.

Religion and Social Growth

Religion can both retard and enable social growth. Religion, as we discussed in our first few classes, brings people together and gives a sense of community. Major social change is rarely brought about by a single person, so a large group of individuals with similar, strong beliefs is extremely likely to have an influence on society and social growth. Religion plays a large role in society today, and in most cases, large-scale social change has a religious following or support from the religious groups themselves. In addition, as evidenced by Margaret Fell’s argument for more women’s rights, individuals can use religion as a whole to influence social change. Many activists use religious quotes, etc. to enhance their arguments, because religion is relatively universal, and most everyone can relate in some sense.

Religion can also hinder social change. With a great sense of community within religious groups, also comes a sense of exclusiveness. Some religious groups feel that they are the sole children of God, and that their personal beliefs are superior to all others. While many of these groups use their feelings of superiority to bring group unity in a positive way, others become stuck in their own opinions and close their minds to any other position. When this happens, it is difficult for social change to occur. Progressive issues, such as abortion and gay marriage, have trouble gaining unanimous support, because religious beliefs and social issues conflict. Religion can both facilitate and inhibit social growth in a society.

Fell's Argument

Chris Villa's most recent blog talks about the validity of Fell’s argument today; I would like to speak about the validity of her argument in her own time. In his blog post, The Validity of Fell’s Argument in Today’s Society, Chris asserts that Fell’s argument is enhanced by her personal interpretation of Biblical quotes. Chris mentions that Fell uses Biblical quotes to support her position; however, the same quotations could be manipulated to support the opposing view. Fell interprets specific sections figuratively, so that the Bible, which has extreme influence in this period in history, supports her attitude. However, she ignores the majority of sections where her viewpoint is opposed. While I certainly feel that women should have an equal place not only in the church, but also in all of society, I do feel that by picking and choosing the Biblical quotes that support her opinion, Fell’s argument is weakened. Chris mentions the effect that the Bible had on the society of the time, and he also brings up the fact that society at her time would have interpreted the Bible more literally than today. She does use Biblical quotes to support her argument; however, she is interpreting the Bible figuratively to further her cause, while most others interpreted literally. This may be too radical of a gesture at the time to alter the public opinion of women’s rights. In addition, while today, the majority of people believe that women should have equal rights, in Fell’s time, this belief was not as commonly thought. Therefore, even if her use of Biblical references caught attention, her argument would most likely still not be taken seriously due to the mindset of the time. Chris asserts that Fell’s argument would not take hold in today’s society, but I also believe that Fell’s argument probably did not sit well with the society of her own time either.

Music and Religion

While I was reading the Portuguese views of Ethiopia, I was struck by a section of the Weddings and Burials chapter. The specific Ethiopian traditions and customs of mourning reminded me greatly of the text of the Brahms Requiem (which I had the pleasure of just recently performing). The author of this article describes the mourning process on pages 66-67. He states, “The mourn their dead, lamenting loudly and for many days. They begin the lament long before dawn and it lasts until broad daylight, parents, children, relations and friends of the dead man assembling with many female mourners who lament to the sound of the drum, striking together the palms of their hands, beating their breasts and uttering heartbreaking lamentations in melancholy tones.” (66-67). This passage directly corresponds with the overall themes of the Brahms Requiem. Some of the more striking biblical passages that make up this piece include, “Blest are they who are sorrowful, for they shall have comfort.” (Matthew 5:4, Movement I), “Blessed are the dead who in the Lord die from henceforth: 
Yea, the Spirit speaks, that they rest from their labors; and their works follow after them.” (Revelation 14:13, Movement VII), and especially, “For mortal flesh is as the grass, and all the comeliness of man is as the grasses flower. 
The grass hath withered, and the flowers thereof hath fallen.” (I Peter 1:24, Movement II), which correlate to the “heartbreaking lamentations” practiced by the Ethiopians. The overall theme of the Requiem is peace for the dead and comfort for those who mourn. I see the Ethiopian mourning customs to emphasize the same ideas.

This concept of music relating to religion or religious beliefs or customs is also evident in the Rastafari Movement. The music of Reggae artists, such as Bob Marley, “re-energizes classic Rastafari issues such as social injustice, revolution and the honor and responsibility of parenthood” (Wikipedia) to promote their religious beliefs. Music is especially powerful and has a huge influence on society. Religion takes music and uses it to further belief systems, and individuals use music to help deal with personal religious issues.