Practiced Religions in the United States and Turkey

1. Practiced Religions in the United States and Turkey

2. What Is Religion? • a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs. • a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion; the Buddhist religion. • the body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices: a world council of religions. • the life or state of a monk, nun, etc.: to enter religion. • the practice of religious  beliefs; ritual observance of faith. • The word “religion,” meaning to bind fast, comes from the Western Latin word religare. It is commonly, but not always, associated with traditional majority, minority or new religious beliefs in a transcendent deity or deities. In human rights discourse, however, the use of the term usually also includes support for the right to non-religious beliefs. In 1993 the Human Rights Committee, an independent body of 18 experts selected through a UN process, described religion or belief as “theistic, non-theistic and atheistic beliefs, as well as the right not to profess any religion or belief.” • Religions and other beliefs bring hope and consolation to billions of people, and hold great potential for peace and reconciliation. They have also, however, been the source of tension and conflict. This complexity, and the difficulty of defining “religion” and “belief,” are illustrated by the still developing history of the protection of freedom of religion or belief in the context of international human rights.

3. When was religion established • There is evidence of concern about the freedom of religion from as early as the First Century, A.D. As a Roman convert to Christianity, Tertullian wrote, "we give offense to the Romans, as we are excluded from the rights and privileges of Romans, because we do not worship the Gods of Rome" (Tertullian, 25). He contested poor treatment based on his status as a religious minority. Other individuals of that time, like Tertullian, also promoted religious liberty. • Another historical period in which religious liberty was brought to the forefront was in Medieval Europe. There, in the 13th Century, the historically prominent theologian Thomas Aquinas expressed his views on religious freedom. He had a negative perception about much freedom of religion, especially with regard to heretics. He promoted religious toleration only because as forcing individuals to convert might weaken the Church (Aquinas, 55). Some important thinkers of the time supported the free exercise of religion, although Medieval Europe did persecute individuals on religious grounds, as it allowed the death penalty for blasphemy; heretics were sometimes burned to death (Mullan, 86, 94). This was not only a time in which the imposition of religion concerned some about liberty. Some people also expressed fears about religious pluralism insofar as it had the potential to create conflict (117). Others would later express these same fears as the United States came to include individuals of many religious backgrounds.

4. Practiced Religions in the U.S.A • Christianity • Jewish • Muslim • Atheist • Agnostic

5. Practiced Religions in Turkey • Islam • Christianity • Judaism

6. Islam • Islam is the religion of the majority of Turks although the state is fiercely secular. Islam emanated from what is today Saudi Arabia. The Prophet Muhammad is seen as the last of God's emissaries (following in the footsteps of Jesus, Moses, Abraham, etc) to bring revelation to mankind. He was distinguished with bringing a message for the whole of mankind, rather than just to a certain peoples. As Moses brought the Torah and Jesus the Bible, Muhammad brought the last book, the Quran. The Quran and the actions of the Prophet (the Sunnah) are used as the basis for all guidance in the religion.  • Among certain obligations for Muslims are to pray five times a day - at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and evening. The exact time is listed in the local newspaper each day. Friday is the Muslim holy day although this is not practised in Turkey. However, most males will attend the congregational afternoon prayer. During the holy month of Ramazan all Muslims must fast from dawn to dusk. Fasting includes no eating, drinking, cigarette smoking, or gum chewing

7. Judaism • American Jews, also known as Jewish Americans, are Americancitizens of the Jewish faith and/or Jewish ethnicity. The Jewish community in the United States is composed predominantly of Ashkenazi Jews who emigrated from Central and Eastern Europe, and their U.S.-born descendants. A minority from all Jewish ethnic divisions are also represented, including Sephardi Jews, Mizrahi Jews, and a number of converts. The American Jewish community manifests a wide range of Jewish cultural traditions, as well as encompassing the full spectrum of Jewish religious observance. Depending on religious definitions and varying population data, the United States is home to the largest or second largest (after Israel) Jewish community in the world. The population of American adherents of Judaism was estimated to be approximately 5,128,000 (1.7%) of the total population in 2007 (301,621,000); including those who identify themselves culturally as Jewish (but not necessarily religiously), this population was estimated at 6,489,000 (2.2%) as of 2008. As a contrast, Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics estimated the Israeli Jewish population was 5,664,000 in 2009 (75.4% of the total population) There is a small community of followers of the Jewish religion in Turkey who live mainly around Istanbul and the west coast. These Sephardic Jews had lived in Spain until they fled to Turkey after being persecuted in Europe because of their religion.

8. Christianity • With an approximately 1.7 billion people world wide, Christianity is arguably the largest religion in the world today. Started at around 30 AD, Christianity is based on the teachings and life of Jesus Christ. Christianity was founded in the first century in Palestine by the disciples of Jesus. Many missionaries spread it, despite heavy persecution, throughout the Roman Empire. Perhaps the most notable missionary was Paul. The various books written by Jesus’ followers after his death, called the New Testament, along with the Old Testament makes up the Christian Bible. The Bible holds all the teachings of Jesus on how all Christians should live out their lives. The central figure in Christianity is Jesus Christ. As the Son of God, he came to earth to teach about love and fellowship. He represents the person that all Christians must strive to be. Christians believe that he is the only one that ever lived on earth that can be called perfect from all worldly sins. The important thing to understand was that Jesus was God. He was here on earth to teach of God’s plan for all of humanity and to save the people of the world from their transgressions. • In Christianity, God is almighty and rules over all of heaven and earth. He is the one that created the earth and one day will cast judgement over the entire earth. Christians understand that through Jesus Christ, people can be saved from this judgement. By believing that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, the Spirit of God is exists in all believers, and that God is almighty in power. A person can be saved from this judgement.

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