US Holidays and the Role of Religion Abdelmalek Essaadi University Fall 2017 Semester 3, English Department
Question of the Day: Discussion Question: What do you know about the role that religion plays in US society and government, and how does it compare to the role that it plays in Morocco?
Reviewing the Holidays
Memorial Day Last Monday of May A paid holiday off from work Honors the memory of soldiers who died while serving Flags are lowered to half mast Many people lay flowers and flags on soldiers graves
Flag Day June 14th Not an official federal holiday Celebrates the adoption of the flag Associated with patriotism Many people hang flags at their homes
Father s Day Third Sunday of June Day to appreciate father figures in life
Independence day July 4th Federal Holiday Commemorates Declaration of Independence Associated with BBQs, fireworks, and spending time with family and friends
Labor day First Monday in September Official Holiday- NO WORK! Initially proposed by trade unionists and labor movements Government feared communist and anarchist uprisings Unofficial end of summer
Indigenous People s Day/ Columbus day Columbus Day celebrates day he was purported to have discovered the US Indigenous People s Day began as a counter-celebration to Columbus Day Promoted Native American culture Controversial issue in the US: What to celebrate?
Halloween October 31st Originated as a religious holiday commemorating the dead- the night before All Saint s Day Decorating pumpkins Trick-or-Treating Costumes Ghosts
Dia de los Muertos November 2nd Originally indigenous celebration of the dead, but was adopted as part of catholic celebrations Create altars for the dead with favorite food and photos. Honor the dead with sugar skulls, marigold flowers, and visit all graves in the ceremony. Spread to the United States as a celebration of Mexican Heritage
Election Day The first Tuesday after November 1st Varies from one election cycle to another Due to different term lengths, types of elections also vary Some workers are allowed to take paid leave from work, but others are not
Veterans Day November 11 Day off to honor Veteransreturned military who have served the country Focuses on people still alive
Thanksgiving 4th Thursday in November Day Off, Not religious 1621- begins with tradition of Native Americans (Wampanoag) and Pilgrims celebrating the end of the Harvest and giving thanks Native Americans saved the Europeans who were uneducated in agriculture and survival Celebrated with a big meal with family and giving thanks is still an important part American Football & the Macy s Day Parade FOOD: turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, squash, pumpkin pie, & apple pie
Black Friday & Cyber Monday Shopping holidays immediately after Thanksgiving People go crazy shopping in stores and online because there are a lot of sales Christmas shopping
The Month of Christmas A time of year- time of giving Entire month of December People put up Christmas Lights Christmas Trees to put in living room and decorate (gifts go under it) Hang stockings on fireplace Christmas Caroling Popular Culture- songs, movies, etc. Important traveling time
Big figures Santa s Elf Frosty the Snowman Santa Claus Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Christmas Eve Many people go to church at midnight Kids leave milk & cookies for santa Santa flies through the sky with his reindeer to deliver presents to children by coming down through the chimney and leaving the presents under the tree Santa decides if children are naughty or nice. If they are nice they receive gifts. If they are naughty they receive coal.
Christmas Day December 25th - The Birth of Jesus! Although still firmly a religious holiday, others celebrate it as primarily a gift-giving holiday Families get together for a big christmas dinner Gifts are opened and exchanged
Are Americans Religious?
Religious Makeup of the U.S. in 2017 http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/ ~71% Christian (Mostly Protestant, then Catholic, then other Christian) ~6% Non-Christian (Jews, Muslims, etc.) ~23% Unaffiliated (Atheist/Agnostic) Younger generation is more unaffiliated, but those who identify as religious are still very serious Women make up the majority of most religious groups (ex: 58% of Black Protestants and 55% of Hispanic Catholics) Spiritual but not religious
http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/
The History of American Religion
Religious Refuge WHO? WHERE? Colonies as a test for being A City upon a Hill Pilgrims- Separatists arrive in America Puritans- English Protestants who want to purify the Church of England from residue of Roman Catholicism However, they believed in uniformity of religion so ended up pushing some people out Rhode Island- religious freedom: Forced worship stinks in God s nostrils Pennsylvania- Quakers: The Religious society of Friends & German immigration create asylum for banished sects Maryland- Roman Catholics Virginia- Church of England
Colonial Trends and Religious Freedom 8/13 colonies had officially establish churches Strict religious observance laws and taxes Conversion of slaves and native americans Rhode Island and Pennsylvania: religious freedom
The Historical Foundation The Constitution of the United States only references to religion twice: 1st Amendment: Freedom of religion Bans religious tests for political office Bottom Line: The United States is a secular country with a history of religious tolerance and pluralism Jefferson emphasized religious tolerance laws as being meant to comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and the Mohammeden, the Hindoo and Infidel of every denomination.
Unique religions in the U.S.
Nation of Islam African American political and religious movement that aims to improve the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of African Americans in the US and all of humanity. Founded by Wallace Fard Muhammad and popularized by Elijah Muhammad in 1930 Malcolm X was a notable member of the Nation of Islam and an important figure in the Civil Rights Movement
Beliefs of the Nation of Islam There is no God but Allah 85% of the population are the deaf, dumb, and blind who are manipulated by 10% of the people of the world The moon was once apart of the Earth, which is approximately 76 trillion years old The original people of the Earth were black and that white people were later created by a scientist
Scientology Stems from a set of principles known as Dianetics written by L. Ron Hubbard Often accused of functioning like a business Reactive Mind (Pain and Trauma) and Analytic Mind (Rational, functions as the perfect computer) People s hidden potential has not been reached Donations needed to reach a higher level in the church Some US celebrities, such as Tom Cruise, follow Scientology
Mormonism Founded by Joseph Smith in the 1820s in New York; after his death, many Mormons followed Brigham Young to Utah Book of Mormon The term Mormonism comes from the name of a text Smith claims to have translated from golden plates Church leaders inspired by the holy spirit, messengers of God Mormons label themselves as Christians and claim to practice a purified version of the religion
Evangelism A Christian movement that promotes salvation (saving of the soul from sin) through seeking forgiveness in Jesus The concept of being born again and turning away from sin Gained popularity in the US primarily, as well as in Britain during the Great Awakening Influencing the developing world today Noted for activism and adherence to the Bible, which is error free Most religiously-based law is advocated by Evangelicals
The Amish Group of traditional Christians known for their simple lifestyle, rejection of technology, and plain attire Value manual labor, agriculture, and modesty The majority of Amish people live in Pennsylvania, where their ancestors originally settled to escape persecution in the 18th century Many Amish people speak Pennsylvania Dutch, a dialect of German, which is used in prayers and at the dinner table
Religion & Government
Role of Religion in Government Religion is commonly referenced 98% of the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives self-identify as Christian, whether Catholic or Protestant 1 member identifies as not having a religion 2 Muslims serve in the Senate and House of Representatives Many members try to separate their religious beliefs from their political choices
The Pledge of Allegiance
The US Dollar Bill
Presidential Inauguration and Courtroom Testimony Politicians and people asked to testify before a court traditionally swear to uphold their duties on the Bible Not an obligation Keith Ellison, first member of Congress to swear an oath on the Qur an. Used English language copy owned by Thomas Jefferson
God Bless America in Political Speeches Presidents traditionally end speeches with God Bless America Richard Nixon (1969-1974) was the first to use the phrase at the height of the Watergate scandal Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) popularized it, and it has become standard political language since
Religion & The Law
The Constitution Establishment Clause: The federal government cannot establish a national church or religion, involve itself in religion, or give benefit to one over another Free Exercise Clause: Congress cannot prohibit the free exercise of religious practices Not absolute: Reynolds v. United States (1879) -- polygamy is illegal because if not things like human sacrifice and vampirism could be protected 1st amendment= free exercise of religion, 14th amendment= protection from discrimination
Church & State- Wall of Separation How does this impact areas such as education?
Activity: Prof will introduce each case and we will debate whether it is religiously tolerant and in line with what we have learned about religious law.
Hein v. Freedom from Religion Foundation (2007) After the Bush Administration created the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives for the purpose of allowing religious charity organizations to gain federal funding, the Court ruled that taxpayers cannot bring Establishment Clause challenges against programs funded by the executive office.
Employment Division v. Smith (1990) Oregon could deny unemployment benefits to someone fired from a job for illegally smoking peyote during a religious ceremony. The Free Exercise Clause does not excuse people from obeying the law.
Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow (2004) A father challenged the constitutionality of requiring public school teachers to lead the Pledge of Allegiance, which has included the phrase under God since 1954. The Court determined that Mr. Newdow, as a non-custodial parent, did not have standing to bring the case to court and therefore did not answer the constitutional question.
What challenges does the United States face with religion?
Topics up for debate Pledge of Allegiance Discrimination of services for LGBTQIA+ customers (wedding industry) Global warming Education curriculums Gay marriage Abortion Funding of religious institutions Religious schools
Challenges to Certain Groups Islamophobia Anti-Semitism
Activity In a group of students, write down 2 questions you have about the role of religion in the United States. We will share and answer as a class.
Homework: Write one paragraph for next week that answers the following questions: 1. 2. 3. What is the relationship between religion and government in the United States? What is the relationship between religion and government in Morocco? In regards to this topic, how are Morocco and the United States different and the same?