My Essential Question Wow. We are only one day in, and I'm finding it hard to even know where to begin because I have already learned so much. All day long, I have been mulling over my essential question, which will guide my investigation into the religious communities we will be studying during this course. I have considered the following questions:
Building Background KnowledgeThe morning session began with an overview about religious literacy from the perspective of several religious literacy experts in the field. The presenters clarified the distinction between teaching/promoting religion versus teaching about religion. There is a BIG difference! One is illegal (can you guess which one?), while the other is critical for decreasing religious illiteracy and the prejudices it fuels in this world. For any skeptics that challenge this, research shows that exposure to difference does not change students' religious identities, and it has a positive impact on students' respect for religious liberty. That sounds like a win-win to me! By teaching about religion, educators (and parents!) are setting the stage to prepare future generations as global citizens that can function and prosper in a global society. Religious identity can be analyzed based on the 3B Framework --- how much an individual values belief, behavior, and experiences of belonging. For different people, different aspects of the framework are more central to their religious identity than others. For example, in many religions, what you do is more important than what you believe. There is also great diversity of religious identity within a single religious community. Want to learn more about religious literacy, why it belongs in schools, and how to teach about religious diversity? Follow @KateSoules, @Lindakwert, @RelFreedomCntr, and @PluralismProj. Sikhism & Visiting Palatine GurdwaraAs ignorant as it makes me look, I must admit that I knew virtually nothing about Sikhism until today. However, I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn more about it because the more I learned about Sikhism, the more I fell in love with the fundamental beliefs of the religion. At its core, Sikhism has to be one of the most inclusive religions in the world and is all about equality. Sikhs believe in equality for all, regardless of gender, ethnicity, race, or social status. The religion was established to create an egalitarian society against the caste system. Sikhs also respect other religious traditions without trying to impose their beliefs and values upon others. I was texting with one of my Muslim friends this evening about what a wonderful experience I had today interacting with Sikhs at the Palatine Gurdwara. (A "gurdwara" is the place of worship for Sikhs). As evidence of how respectful Sikhs are of other religions, my friend commented, "[Sikhs] are pretty awesome! I think it's amazing how they really don't hate us, even though they get a lot of flak because people think they're Muslim. I feel like many other communities would resent us for it." The way that we were welcomed with open arms today was also evidence of what an inclusive religion Sikhism is. The welcoming feeling and incredible sense of community that I felt at the gurdwara today reminded me very much of my experiences in Indonesia last year when I was immersed in both Muslim-dominant and also Hindu-dominant communities. With the Sikhs, Muslims, and Hindus that I have interacted with over the years, I have felt such sincere warmth, and the collectivist aspect of each religion has been very apparent. This is definitely one recurring similarity amongst many religions. One unique practice of Sikhism is the langar, or free kitchen, which is a simple meal that is prepared by volunteers and served to everyone after a Sikh worship service. It typically includes rice, flat bread, beans or lentils, and sometimes salad or other vegetables, and the meal is vegetarian in order to be inclusive. The main purpose of langar is equality. The food is all of the same quality, and since everyone sits on the floor together as equals, there is no discrimination. After the meal, each person cleans their own plate. Some other distinctions between Sikhism and other religions is that Sikhs have a unique code of conduct, which includes a vow to wear the Five K's, or Articles of Faith: unshorn hair (Kes), a comb (Kangha), a steel bracelet (Kara), a short sword (Kirpaan), and a type of undergarment/shorts (Kachha). Each of the Five K's has a special meaning. Final Monday MusingsI could go on and on to share more about what I learned about Sikhism and the meaning behind the Sikh beliefs and practices, but this post is getting quite lengthy, and I have only begun to scratch the surface with my own learning. However, if you take away one new thing from today's post, let it be that teaching about religion does have a place in U.S. public schools if we do it correctly. We need to teach about world religions from an academic perspective in an attempt to teach tolerance and encourage mutual understanding in this often unnecessarily divided world. We need to foster inclusive communities, encourage genuine curiosity, and ask questions to learn more about one another rather than shutting our doors, hearts, and minds out of fear of the unknown.
1 Comment
Kathy Boyens
6/12/2018 08:50:59 am
This is truly awesome, Kate! So refreshing to hear such a positive perspective on why we should learn about other religions. Unfortunately, the rationale for studying Islam, etc., among most conservative and evangelical Christians is so that you can counter false doctrine with the one true doctrine, being, of course, that particular denomination's brand of Christianity. Learning to respect and even honor other religions is a key to world peace. The sooner we get there, the better!
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