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comprehension. Follow-up. Religion in America. Pre-reading task. background information
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COMPREHENSION
I. Say whether these statements are false or true:
1. Catholicism has always occupied the same position in the British life as Protestantism.
2. Catholics take religious doctrines more seriously than Protestants.
3. The original Puritans were very similar to today’s Protestants.
4. All non-conformists have a lot in common.
5. Britain can’t be considered the country where various religions are welcome.
6. Evangelical Christians attract their followers placing emphasis on beauty, spiritual life.
7. Muslims in Britain are beyond politics.
FOLLOW-UP
Discuss in groups of three or four the following points:
1. The variety of religious groups and sects
2. Extremist tendencies and harm for people
3. The importance to respect each person’s belief
RELIGION IN AMERICA
PRE-READING TASK
1. Does the USA have an established church?
2. Is religion included into school curriculum in the USA?
3. Do you think Americans are devoted to God?
4. Why do you think Puritans settled in America but not in other countries of the world?
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In most western societies, modernization has been accompanied by a marked decline in religious observance. America, in contrast, has remained unusually religious. Church buildings representing an astonishing variety of faiths line residential streets, outnumbering even the gas stations. Sunday morning traffic is typically congested as people drive to Sunday School and church. Most bookstores have an entire section of religious books and report a tremendous volume of sales of books about Christianity and Christian living. Bibles continue to be the nation's best-selling books.
Religiousness is conspicuous. Billboards, T-shirts, and bumper stickers bear messages such as ‘Jesus Saves. " There are even a " Few Disneyland-type tourist parks, such as South Carolina's " Heritage USA, " devoted entirely to religious themes. These visible reminders of America's religious activity are accompanied by impressive statistics:
• More than nine out of ten Americans say they believe in God
• One third claim they are born-again Christians
• More than four out of ten attend church or synagogue at least once a week
• Two thirds are members of a local church or synagogue
Interest in religion is high even among young people, whose religious activity has typically been less regular than that of their parents and grandparents. A Gallup poll indicates that young Americans are far more religious than their counterparts in most other countries. About 41 percent of America's young people feel that religion should be " very important" in life, a percentage far greater than in Australia, Britain, France, Japan, Sweden, and West Germany.
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Although the Constitution declares the separation of Church and State, religion has always pervaded American political life. The motto of the seal of the United States carries the biblical words, " Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God. " When the pledge of allegiance to the American flag is recited, the two words " under God" receive emphasis. American currency bears the inscription " In God We Trust. "
Almost all American presidents have claimed affiliation with an established church. During inaugural ceremonies, U. S. presidents take their oath of office on the Bible. Every session of Congress opens with a prayer. Politicians frequently make reference to God and the Bible in their speeches. Religion is bound to have an influence on politics in a society where so many people value religion.
Religion in America today is built primarily on the structure of Protestantism, Catholicism, and Judaism. Within each of these groups there is great diversity.
Among Protestants alone, there are 186 different organizations. Besides the three major groupings of Protestants, Catholics, and Jews, there are about 1, 500 major and minor sectarian churches. Among these sects are established groups such as the Quakers and Mormons. There are also bizarre groups such as the Holiness Church, which is a snake-handling cult.
Although the official separation of Church and State provided a climate for these diverse religious practices to flourish, Protestantism, because of numbers and influence, has until recent decades occupied a dominant position in American society.
The first settlers of Massachusetts were members of a radical Protestant group called Puritans. Puritans thought of themselves as God's chosen people. They believed that God had elected, or " predestined, " only certain persons to be saved. Devoting themselves to work as a way of pleasing God, they viewed their prosperity as an outward sign that God counted them among the saved. Many people trace the American drive for success through hard work to this
Puritan, or Protestant, work ethic.
Among the immigrants to America were Protestants of many denominations from all over Europe, including Presbyterians from Northern Ireland, Lutherans from Scandinavia and Germany, Episcopals from England, and members of various European Reformed Churches. [4, p205]
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