COUNTRY
United StatesPOPULATION
313,847,465 (July 2012 est.)GDP PER CAPITA
$49,000 (2011 est.)RELIGIONS
Protestant 51.3%, Roman Catholic 23.9%, Mormon 1.7%, other Christian 1.6%, Jewish 1.7%, Buddhist 0.7%, Muslim 0.6%, other or unspecified 2.5%, unaffiliated 12.1%, none 4% (2007 est.)AT THE CENTER
United States
Letters (34)
The United States is a secular democracy with a culture rooted in its majority Christian tradition. Religious dissidents from Europe, particularly Puritans from England, were among the first North American settlers in the 17th and 18th centuries. The Declaration of Independence (1776), which marked a break with the British Crown, invoked an Enlightenment Deism, while the first amendment to the Constitution of 1789 both prohibited the establishment of religion and protected religion’s free exercise. High levels of religious diversity and observance have remained distinctive features of American society; even as waves of Catholic immigration from the 19th century onward have diluted the Protestant majority, Jewish and, more recently, Muslim minorities have assumed a more visible role in American society. With the exception of John F. Kennedy, a Catholic, all U.S. presidents have been Protestants. The engagement of religious communities in politics, which has increased since the rise of Evangelical Christianity in the 1980s, often centers on values issues such as abortion and homosexuality.
May 12, 2011
Seeing the news of the death of Osama bin Laden from my computer screen, 3,000 miles away from my friends at the White House, felt like a completely different experience from that of those back at Georgetown. The sudden stream of Facebook statuses that alerted me to his death were somewhat unsettling – among them were clever jokes about the circumstances of his death, or triumphant cheers at his demise. Perhaps it was celebration over the symbolic meaning of his death, rather than the death...
May 11, 2011
Britain and the United States, being English-speaking countries, have rather parallel cultures. But often I encounter a cultural difference that I did not know existed between my home and host countries, and I am always surprised to find that there is a cultural and often historical reason behind these differences. They may not be striking; it’s frequently something as subtle as the use of the French name for vegetables where we use German or Italian-derived names, a fact which owes itself to...
May 4, 2011
It is undeniable that as Georgetown students we live under constant pressures that cause us to go about our day under a pretty high level of stress. Yet, our stress is not only attributable to being at Georgetown, but also to the pressures that today’s society places on us. We are always focusing on doing well in school, which at top universities like Georgetown, is a demanding time commitment. On top of that, we're working hard to get internships and job experience. Being in this environment...
May 3, 2011
It is often difficult to discuss France’s politics in terms of their relation to religion considering the fact that “laïcité,” or France’s strict relegation of religion to the private sphere, is tenaciously upheld as a national value, right up there with liberty, equality, and fraternity. France’s “laïcité” is very different from the United States’ separation of Church and State because it is much more skeptical of any and all intrusion of particular religions into national political culture....
April 25, 2011
Standing in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, I felt more Christian than I had ever felt since leaving home four years ago. The church was not the Wailing Wall, and it was not the Temple Mount; although I don't consider myself a member of any one of the three great religions who stake a claim on Jerusalem, standing within the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, one of the most important Christian churches in the world, it was clear that I belonged at this site, unlike my outsider...
April 20, 2011
It can be seen in both the statistics found on development websites and in my every day experiences in Jordan that life for women in the Middle East is much different than in many Western countries. If you look at the websites, you will see how women’s literacy is lower, their unemployment rate compared with men in their countries is higher, and many parts of the region are plagued with honor crimes, child marriage, and female genital mutilation. As for my everyday experiences, I see fewer...
April 18, 2011
By taking a US History course at l’Universitá degli Studi di Firenze, my abroad experience’s study of contrasts is extended directly into the classroom. Our last day of class covered the dense stretch of US history from the 1960s through today. In a broad survey course such as this one, the professor is consigned to select only the most important events and topics to explain, so I generally feel I know what to expect. The 1960s and 70s should mean a series of movements and a sense of social...
April 13, 2011
Here in Qatar, the first article of the constitution states that Shari’a law is the main source for legislation and that Islam is the official religion. Islam is omnipresent in everyday life in Qatar, but many of the religious practices or aspects of Islam manifest themselves in such a way that they seem less religious and more cultural—natural parts of everyday life.
The abaya and shayla, the black robe and scarf that most Qatari women wear, are very common. From my understanding, it is...
The abaya and shayla, the black robe and scarf that most Qatari women wear, are very common. From my understanding, it is...
April 12, 2011
When one thinks of March 17th, one’s mind probably thinks of green, shamrocks, and corn beef and cabbage. While Italy does not revel in the festivities associated with the observance of St. Patrick’s Day, the date has its own significance to the peninsula: on March 17th 1861, Italy became a unified country.
Considering the peninsula’s rich history with the Holy Roman Empire, the Renaissance, and the Roman Catholic Church, one might be surprised when learning that Italy only marked its 150th...
Considering the peninsula’s rich history with the Holy Roman Empire, the Renaissance, and the Roman Catholic Church, one might be surprised when learning that Italy only marked its 150th...
March 30, 2011
For this post, I’ll step back briefly into a former major (IPOL/Security) and a former life (last semester in Turkey) to offer a few comments on the situation unfolding in the Middle East today, specifically in Libya. In a previous article, I argued that the “Jasmine Revolution” then happening in Tunisia and Egypt was something that should be cheered and encouraged by the United States. President Obama did eventually come out in support of the Egyptian people and demanded Hosni Mubarak step...
March 30, 2011
Humphrey Bogart’s Rick Blaine had it right when he said that he would always fondly remember the beautiful French capital. Being the absolute center of social and political life in France, Paris best represents the country’s diversity with the variety in its population occupying its twenty “arrondissements,” or neighborhoods. People of various backgrounds, styles, careers, and dreams keep Paris close to their hearts in some way or another, and have made the city into an incredible mosaic much...
March 29, 2011
In much of the United States, it is the norm for teenagers to be exposed to a diversity of ethnicities, cultures and religions. Even in the Midwest, where I grew up, there exist ethnic and religious communities from all parts of the world. Since arriving in Madrid, Spain I have come to realize that this exposure to various religions is not the norm here for the teenagers or the general populace. I had studied Spanish culture before my arrival, and knew that almost 95% of the population had...
March 25, 2011
American religious culture is American culture. Religion is built into the way most Americans live their lives, from Sunday morning service to saying “God bless you” when someone sneezes.
British religious culture does not overlap quite so easily with popular culture. First of all, it is more religiously diverse. There are many Protestants but also Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, and everywhere in between. As a result, conservative Christian culture is not as imbedded in the social...
British religious culture does not overlap quite so easily with popular culture. First of all, it is more religiously diverse. There are many Protestants but also Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, and everywhere in between. As a result, conservative Christian culture is not as imbedded in the social...
March 16, 2011
My mother has always loved the Hazzan’s prayer on Yom Kippur. We were lucky enough at my synagogue to have a cantor with a voice that actually made prayer seem ethereal and otherworldly. For me, it has always been the alternating moments of silence and chanting that makes prayer profound. There is nothing comparable to the sound of voices bouncing off a well-designed sacred space and really clouding my mind with music. At my Episcopal high school, I loved going to chapel daily simply for the...
March 1, 2011
In my first Italian class, I read in our text book that it is quite common for people to live at home well into their twenties. Given my level of comprehension I assumed I must have been misreading. However, as I looked up each word, in as simple language as it had been stated, I realized this was the truth. Viewing this concept through the lens of my own culture I was honestly a bit horrified. In my hometown twenty-five year-olds living with their parents are viewed as needing some sort of...
February 23, 2011
Though experts have been careful to point out that each set of popular protests has arisen in its own circumstances, at this point it is quite clear that the protests which have broken out in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen, Libya and elsewhere are not just protests which coincidentally arose simultaneously. The connectedness is clear, even if it is as simple as the fact that potential protesters in Egypt knew that protesters in Tunisia had successfully toppled their president. Since the...
February 4, 2011
Like too many of its neighboring (largely Arab) governments, the Egyptian regime has long been amongst the most repressive and democratically backward in the world. As anyone who has been even cursorily glancing at any serious front page(s) lately should know, President (for life) Hosni Mubarak's regime has been keeping a tight lid on the country for 30 years and pursuing the so-called kleptocratic practices that we in the U.S. so often decry in Russians and assume are inherent in Arabs....
December 21, 2010
As my days in Valparaíso begin to wind to a close, I decided to take a walk the other day down Avenida Alemania, a street that lets one see all of the wonders of Valpo as it twists and turns from the Chilean poet and communist Pablo Nerudas house on Cerro Bellavista to Plazuela San Luís at the top of Cerro Alegre, so that I could say goodbye to this place that I have come to love so much. I was walking slowly down the avenue in my Birks and overalls, accompanied by a few of Valpos countless...
December 19, 2010
Multiculturalism, including religious diversity, has been a hot topic in Europe of late, particularly since Angela Merkel declared that it has failed in Germany. In neighboring France, where the French are notably protective of their culture and wary of foreigners and immigrants, there are growing concentrations of Arab, Maghrebian and African emigrés. The burqa ban in France is the epitome of this change, though whether it could be called fear, intolerance, respect, human rights standards,...
December 13, 2010
In my previous letter, I addressed how China’s holistic thinking can be used as a model for religious understanding. While China’s holistic thinking does allow the seamless interflow of Buddhism, Confucianism and Daoism, its views on the holistic “share” of human rights can actually restrict the religious beliefs of China’s other 56 minority groups.
In November, I was able to experience the culture of one of these minority groups when I traveled to Jiuzhaigou County, an area in the northern...
In November, I was able to experience the culture of one of these minority groups when I traveled to Jiuzhaigou County, an area in the northern...
December 10, 2010
This year was a significant one for the country of Chile. 2010 is the 200 year anniversary of Chile's independence, though the exact year of the event is slightly controversial; the Gobierno de Chile's website describes it diplomatically as celebrating 200 years of republican life. It is a year to which Chileans almost invariably attached a lot of significance and hope. During the Bicentenario celebrations in September I heard from many Chileans personally and in the media that this...
December 10, 2010
Take a tour of any city in Latin America, and on it you will find a prominent cathedral. Travel off the traditional tourist trail and you will stumble upon a religious festival, a makeshift shrine or simply a small crucifix hanging in a bedroom. To many, these may seem like signs of dogmatism or overt religiosity. Indeed, the stereotypical perception of religion in Latin America is that it is doctrinal, fervent, and above all, Catholic. However, through my experiences in Chile and Ecuador, I...
December 6, 2010
Each Monday in my International Management Class, my professor would pose to the class the same questions: Donde fueron este fin de semana? (Where did you all go this weekend) and Como son la gente allá raros? (How are the people there strange or different?)
In the beginning of the semester our discussions centered mainly on the behavior of the Spaniards that we considered weird at the time. They eat at absurd times of the day! The stores have no real set hours! They have no qualms about...
In the beginning of the semester our discussions centered mainly on the behavior of the Spaniards that we considered weird at the time. They eat at absurd times of the day! The stores have no real set hours! They have no qualms about...
December 5, 2010
Munich is the capital of Bavaria, a state in southern Germany known for a unique culture and people who are famous for their Lederhosen and Catholicism. Much like the United States, in Germany there is a stereotype of a deeply religious south. Even after spending some time this summer in Trier, itself a rather religious city, I was notified by the locals that Munich would be "sehr Katholisch", very Catholic, in comparison. Personally I have not been shocked by the wave of religious sentiment;...
November 15, 2010
Almost all American foreign exchange students experience some form of academic shock once classes begin at La Pontifica Universidad Católica de Chile. At once the system appears foreign and familiar: were studying the same subjects, but in an entirely different manner. Something seems distinctive, and the language of instruction usually has nothing to do with it. Only gradually, after having to ask the professor to explain concepts Chilean students find basic or self-evident, after our...
November 9, 2010
Having dinner with a few friends this past weekend in the city of Valparaiso, the common topic of our home lives with host families here in Chile came up yet again. This particular discussion focused on the dynamic of our relationship to our host parents, and we noticed that of the six of us there together, only one had a host dad; the rest of us live in families with divorced single mothers. While my friends and I having dinner are by no means a statistically comprehensive or relevant...
November 1, 2010
Although recent educational reforms have brought the models of Bachelor's and Master's degrees to Germany, there are still many ways in which the structure of study differs from the American university paradigm. Far from the four-year standard, the length of study is rarely defined at its beginning and often seems indefinite. The call for structure, like any change, is seen to have its advantages and disadvantages. The seemingly liberal structure of study is made possible, at least in part,...
October 31, 2010
Religion constituted a significant portion of my childhood. My family went to church every week and prayed before meals and bed. Being Catholic was a major part of my identity, but my entire concept of being religious changed when I arrived in Jordan. Ninety-two percent of Jordanians are Sunni Muslim, six percent are Christian and the other two percent are Shia or Druze. There is no population of people identifying as agnostic, atheist or without religion. This came as a major surprise,...
October 26, 2010
I spent the first half of my semester abroad in Barcelona and in various other sites in Spain. Besides wanting to be able to enjoy the beautiful early fall Spanish weather and beaches, I wanted the opportunity to build a solid understanding of the subtle differences in life around Spain. I also wished to see how Catholicism and religion played a role in each place I visited.
When first arriving in Barcelona, I was unsure if the city had any real religious personality. I saw many beautiful...
When first arriving in Barcelona, I was unsure if the city had any real religious personality. I saw many beautiful...
October 22, 2010
I came to Egypt expecting an onslaught of unfamiliar sights, sounds, and tastes--the rich experience of life in another culture. I was not naive enough to expect that my days would be filled with camels and Nile sunsets, but I also did not expect Egyptian culture to sometimes feel more American than America. For one thing, the prevalence of English in Cairo is quite striking, and signs in many parts of Cairo are as likely to be written in English as in Arabic. It is not uncommon to hear...
October 15, 2010
A few weeks ago as I was boarding a micro (the little buses that zoom up and down the cerros and streets of Valparaíso and Viña del Mar,) I noticed a sticker on the windshield that read: Si en San Cristobal te confiarás, de accidente no morirás, which translates as If you trust in Saint Christopher, you will not die in an accident. At first I laughed, and then thought, Uh, oh! as I realized that perhaps this particular micro driver depended more on the protection of Saint Christopher than...
October 14, 2010
When one thinks of Ireland, one almost always also thinks of Catholicism. Religion is such a central theme and element in Irish history, culture, and politics. Each of my three different Irish history, politics, and culture classes all involve discussions of the tension between Catholicism and Protestantism. They could not function without such a discussion as this tension between the two religions is so intertwined with the history, politics, and culture of Ireland. Yet, I have been...
October 13, 2010
Each city has its paradoxes. In DC, there are homeless people huddled on the same streets that are lined with the multimillion-dollar homes of the country's elite, and the harsh contrast between rich and poor is an inescapable feature of the nation's capital. In Dakar, those contrasts are even more glaring. Perhaps it is because I am a visitor, and we view other societies through a sharper lens than we view our own, but Senegal's paradoxes have come to define my perception of this colorful,...
October 3, 2010
I feel about religion like vegetarians feel about meat. I understand that it's perfectly normal for a person to desire to have some in their life. I would never deny there aren't benefits that result because it exists. Additionally, children, especially as they're growing, might require some so that they're healthy later. Nonetheless, it's not for me. I'll admit that my personal stances probably make little, if any net difference, but, if no one played the skeptic, there would be even bigger...