Is Religion a Sport? by Hannah Hafso

Are Sports a Religion? Or a Religious Outlet?

The definition of religion is ambiguous and continually evolving, it is a term that not all scholars can agree upon. This allows for physical activity, in particular sports, to be argued as a religion itself. To distinguish what constitutes as a religion is based on one’s perception and individual interpretation of its description. Charles Prebish, known among academics as the one of the founding fathers of religion, describes it as “the experience of ultimate reality that radically changes the individual” (Prebish 68). According to Prebish’s definition, sports can legitimately be categorized as a religion, for they provide an arena for individuals to experience altered states of consciousness that can dramatically impact the athletes. Sports and religion have been compared extensively on the basis on shared characteristics, such as: stadiums and churches, congregations and fans, even flags and holy symbols. Although these similarities support the concept that sports have been able to imitate the characteristics of religion, it is important to analyze the spiritual and emotional qualities that these two entities have in common. Mystical experiences, where one transcends time and space, have been a prominent feature for many religions. These moments are often described as an encounter with a higher power or Supreme Being. Similarly, thousands of athletes have given testimony to similar occurrences often referred to as “flow” experiences (Higdon 66). The ability for physical activity to evoke such spiritual experiences probes one to question whether sports are in fact separate from religion, or merely an alternative outlet to reach God.

DEFINITION OF RELIGION:

To put mankind’s beliefs and values into a set of confines is a near impossible task, which is why there is presently no single unanimously established definition of religion. This has not prevented scholars and academics from publishing what they feel characterize the term. In the same regard, “there is no universally accepted definition of sportspersonship” (Weinberg and Gould 526). Both terms have been described in numerous and diverse contexts, enabling sports to genuinely qualify as a religion. French sociologist, Emile Durkhiem, believes religion is a “unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred thing” (Reich). One could argue that the obligatory rules and valued sportspersonship associated with games would fall into her description. Sportspersonship, according to Shields and Bredemeier, involves ambition for victory that is controlled by commitment to the play spirit, that allows ethical standards to overrule when the two may conflict (15). That is, one’s sportspersonship has to do with their values and actions’ concerning what is ethical and moral in sport. In contrast, Clifford Geertz’s understanding of religion is that it is a “system of symbols which establish powerful moods and motivations in men, by formulating conceptions of a general order of existence” (Reich). Sporting teams and games have many symbols, from flags, mascots, logos etc., all of which are used by fans to reflect their commitment to a specific team. Furthermore, author of The Invisible Religion, Thomas Luckman definition of religion “to be what humans do when they are being fully human” (Luckman 12) allows for numerous interpretations of what activities this includes. It is evident that there is a range of what religion is alleged to be, and many of the acknowledged definitions allow for sport to easily fall within there classifications.

PEAK EXPERIENCE:

Through personal revelations and impacting moments that individual’s may contribute their faith to. Abraham Maslow describes these events as peak experiences, where one temporarily undergoes an altered state of consciousness leaving them in awe and intimately connected to a supreme being (Guiley 438). In Christianity, transcendence and altered states of consciousness are often referred to as being “slain in the spirit” or receiving “gifts” from the Holy Spirit (Sweasey 22). The undeniable physical experience becomes the testament for faith in a Higher Power. Various methods, such as: meditation, chanting, fasting and prayer have traditionally been accepted as religious activity resulting in “peak experiences”. These events confront individuals with the unknown, and those who are religious usually attribute the force to God or a Supreme Being. Mystical experiences are characterized by feelings of awe and ecstasy, a supernatural quality, overwhelming nature and uncontrollable (Higgs and Braswell 190). Peak experiences are personal events that have the ability to confirm one’s faith or convert them into a believer.

MYSTIC EXPERIENCES IN SPORT:

Sinking the winning goal as the buzzer blares or flying through the air to defend the net, there are moments in sports that words fail to adequately articulate the passion, desire and intensity. Acts which demonstrates extreme strength and grace, the athlete appears as if they are “super human”. Science informs one that during physical activity individuals secrete large quantities of endorphins, adrenaline and serotonin; hormones that make allow one to feel happy and at times invincible. Though hormones may play apart many believe that some moments in sport are due to a much higher source, one that cannot be identified in the laboratory.

Mystical moments, refereed to as peak experiences for the religious can occur outside of the church, but often go by different names. It is not pedestrian knowledge that “sport has enormous power to sweep us beyond the ordinary sense of self, to evoke capacities that generally have been regarded as mystical, occult, or religious” (Murphy and White 5). In the sporting community these experiences are caused when athletes are in the flow state (Weinberg et al. 144). Csikszentmihalyi, the founder of this concept, has found the prominent features of the experience are: a heightened sense of control and awareness, transiency, transformation of time and numinous feelings, such as bliss, euphoria and awe. His work includes thousands of testimonies from athletes who have been in the flow state. Patsy Neal’s recollection of the WNBA finals clearly exhibits sports spiritual nature, “call it a state of grace, or an act of God. It is there and the impossible becomes possible... The athlete goes beyond herself; she transcends the natural. She touches a piece of heaven and becomes the recipient of power from an unknown source” (Higdon 68). The publication of spiritual phenomena in sports provide evidence that athletics can grant the same type of mystical experience that are revered in traditional religions (Higgs and Braswell 189). Personal recollections of flow state experiences help to support the argument that sports are an outlet for spiritual connection.

RUNNERS HIGH:

A vast array of physical activities have been shown to evoke a transcendent experience, running in particular has become notorious for its spiritual nature. Running has exhibited the ability to produce a unique flow state, coined as the “runner’s high”. When asked to describe the experience, runners say it is a positive psychological state where ones feel euphoria, relaxed and that their movements are effortless (Weinberg et al. 394). From one particular runner, the occurance was an event where “the only sensation was the rhythm and the beat, all perfectly natural, all and everything part of everything else... it was magic. I cried tears of joy and sorrow, joy for being alive and sorrow for being unable to give this experience to anyone” (Spino 222). Researchers have found this experience to occur among 78% of runners, with 49% claiming that the event was “spiritual in nature” (Lilliefors). These examples establish the concept that running can be an authentic channel for one to have a spiritual experience. The “runners high” demonstrates that when one is at their limits for physical exertion and cognitive functioning, the doors to “infinite realms of perception and being” are opened (Weinberg et al. 395).In both theology and in sports, it is said that “the spirit moveth and maketh anew; thus to be “born again” means not a retreat into contemplative life but a call to action, perhaps even a run” (Higgs and Braswell 183). Despite the evidence that indicates sports as a legitimate form of religion or religious experiences, there are still those who strongly oppose this concept.

COUNTER ARGUMENT:

If sports are to constitute as a religion, where will the boundary be drawn between the holy and secular? Those who disagree with sport as a religion argue that “when nearly everything becomes a religion what happens to religion itself and the idea of sacred” (Higgs and Braswell 161). The argument against sports as an authentic religion lies on the fact that it would blur the boundary between all human endeavours and religion more than it presently is. Higgs and Braswell “play devil’s advocate by arguing that the psychic experiences recorded by most athletes are really no more “uncanny” than the phenomenon of coincidence and certainly not of holy order” (198). Additionally, it is suggested that peak experiences in traditional religions differ from athletes in the flow state due to the purposes of the event. Transcendence during physical activity is for the purpose of ultimacy, “as in transformation of the world through unceasing devotion to a cause”, while religious individuals seek intimacy, “a deeper knowledge of a personal God through private meditation” (Higgs and Braswell 188). Religion is subjective, in that the beliefs, values and role vary depending on the individual. For this reason, many athletes may not attribute their success or performance during a “flow state” to a higher power or as a spiritual moment. This bias not only influences the athlete but also the researcher, for “personal perspective on religion may affect how one interprets the religious experiences reported by others” (Higdon 65). For these reasons, sport in some individual’s opinion does not qualify as a religion or have the ability to produce spiritual experiences.

PERSPECTIVE:

For those who enter and exit their house of worship the same individual, there beliefs become a source of identity. When one’s spiritual values are their identity they influence their daily life. This is considered “lived religion” “described as religion that is negotiated, adjusted, and tweaked into a form that can be 'lived', on the ground, as opposed to in books” (Hall). Thus as a believer and a sports enthusiast, one can experience mystical experiences and may attribute them to God. Indicating that sports may have all of the equivalents of religion, but it may not be justified as being a religion itself. That being said, for some fans and individuals highly involved in the sports community it may fulfill the role that religion has traditionally played. It is more appropriate to view sports as a ritual rather than a religion, doing the same actions in the same setting and atmosphere. To some these rituals may be sacred and spiritual, but these perspectives can lead to reifying sports to the degree in which the evidence supports the hypothesis. Despite this, scholars have found that “athletes describe self-transcendent experiences using ‘religious and spiritual metaphors’ that seem to point to a supernatural origin” (Watson 95). It becomes a matter of perspective; one can commonly support their argument when they are only focusing on agreeing evidence. Sports are a vehicle for experiencing the mystical dimensions on life (Watson 95), although they are not a religion themselves.

CONCLUSION:

Both religion and sport have had the ability to influence many aspects of ones life. They have been compared to such a degree that some may argue that sports is a form of religion. Due to the lack of a single universally accepted definition of religion, the distinguishing characteristics of the term vary according to the source. For this reason, sport successfully fulfills the requirements of several published definitions. Not all may accept that sport is a religion itself, but there are thousands of individuals who will give testament of having a spiritual event while participant in physical activity. Maslow’s peak experience, a moment where one has an altered state of consciousness and finds themselves confronted with the Holy One, parallels Csikszentmihalyi’s flow state in athletes. The striking similarity of the experience by those playing sport and those in a church force one to question how one can be distinguished from the other. Athletes and religious individuals both have had moments where time and space are transcendent, where they are in a state of awe and wonder and movements are effortless. The latter group will most likely attribute these events to an encounter with God, but it does not indicate that athletes have not had the same encounter. Instead of viewing sports and religion as two separate entities, it is more appropriate that sports can be an outlet for religious experience. One cannot limit the Almighty by setting constraints on what, when and how he will reach people, for who knows, maybe God wants to play ball too.

Works Cited

"CBC Sports Football: the new religion." 12 February 2007. Canadian Broadcasting Channel Online. 19 May 2009 .

Orsi, Robert. "Everyday Miracles: The Study of Lived Religion" Lived Religion in America. Ed. David Hall. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1997. 3-22

Guiley, Rosemary E. Harper's Encyclopedia of Mystical and Paranormal Experience. New York: HarperCollins, 1991

Higdon, Hal. "Is Running a Religious Experience?" Sport and Religion. Ed. Shirl J Hoffman. Champaign: Human Kinetics Books, 1992. 63-77.

Higgs, Robert J and Michael C Braswell. An Unholy Alliance: The Sacred and Modern Sports. Macon: Mercer University Press, 2004.

Lawrence, Ian. "The Emergence of 'Sport and Spirituality' in Popular Culture." The Sport Journal 8.2 (2005).

Leonard, George. The Ultimate Athlete. New York: North Atlantic Books, 2000.

Lilliefors, J. The Running Mind. Mountain View: World, 1978.

Luckman, Thomas. The Invisible Religion. Imprint unknown, 1971.

Mcleeean, Illya. "The Cult of Football: A Religion for the Twentieth Century and Beyond." 22 Septmeber 2008. T.O. Sports Magazine. 19 October 2008 .

Murphy, M and R White. The psychic side of sports. Reading: Addison-Wesley, 1978.

Orsi, Robert. "Everyday Miracles: The Study of Lived Religion" Lived Religion in America. Ed. David Hall. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1997. 3-22

Prebish, Charles S. Religion and Sport. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1993.

Reich, Brian. "Defining Religion in the Context of Sports" December 10, 20091. Gospel on the Mound: Our National Pastime and the Culture of Religion. 5 June 2009 <http://www.stadiummouse.com/religion/religionandsports2.html

Shields, D.L.L and B.J.L. Bredemeier. Character Development and Physical Activity. Champaign: Human Kinetics, 1995.

Spino, Mike. "Running as a Spiritual Experience." The Athletic Revolution. Ed. J Scott. New York: Free Press, 1971. 222.

Sweasey, Peter. From Queer to Eternity : Spirituality in the lives of Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual people. London: Cassell, 1997.

Watson, Nick J. "Nature and Transcendence: the mystical and cublime in extreme sports." Parry, Jim, et al. Sport and Spirituality: an introduction. New York: Routledge, 2007. 95-110.

Weinberg, Robert S and Daniel Gould. Foundations of Sport & Exercise Psychology. Lower Mitcham: Human Kinetics, 2003.

The Importance of Community - Spirituality the Key to Helping the Homeless in Brisbane

- Benjamin Muller

Being part of a community is important to everyone. Community gives a sense of belonging and wellbeing. Zygmunt Bauman, describes community as a “warm place…like a roof under which we shelter in heavy rain” (2001, p.1). There are many people who are in unfortunate situations due to reasons that are out of their control. A significant amount, find themselves in situations that lead them away from their sense of community, away from family and friends and onto the street with no home and no belongings. Issues such as abuse, family conflict, sexual preference, mental health and lack of support lead to the major crisis of homelessness. It is estimated that approximately 70 people per 10,000 are homeless in QLD (ABS, 2004).  There are a number of organizations in Brisbane that provide aid for people in need; however their efforts are not enough. There are still many people living on the streets who have not had the opportunity to receive guidance or counseling. Many of these support organizations are run by volunteers and are connected to a church and have a religious or spiritual background and values. These groups are not only providing crisis intervention in the form of food, clothing, support and referral to suitable professional agencies, but also by providing spiritual and religious support, giving comfort to those who have lost their place in the community.

The reason I believe homelessness is a social-religious-spiritual issue, is because homelessness is affecting the wellbeing of a significant part of our population. In John Bruhn’s book on the sociology of community connections, he describes religion as a source of social capital, bringing people together as a community and creating interest in each others welfare (2005). St. Thomas Aquinas stated that a proper relationship with God requires “commitment to the common good of our neighbours and of all creation” (Hollenbach, 1999, p.169). 70 homeless people per 10,000 may not be a statistically significant number, but in a religious and spiritual context it should be. The Mayor of Brisbane, Campbell Newman, referred to the homeless population of Brisbane as, “people who are actually causing fear and anxiety…acting in a way that does not meet normal community standards” (2005). Homeless people are stigmatized as being dangerous, unclean and unwanted, when they are helpless, lonely and in desperate need of assistance. These stigmas result in an individual losing their place in a community. They lose the benefits of friendship and family and are faced with other problems such as decreased personal safety and hygiene, increased risk of violence and no access to social security payments due to their lack of a fixed address (Salom, 2006).

During my own experience, working for DRUG-ARM QLD as a street outreach service volunteer, I have become aware of the sort of people that are homeless. Many are highly intelligent, kind and generous; however, they are also in dire need of assistance. Many are also mentally and physically ill and require urgent medical attention. The first thing I noticed was the lacking sense of community. It came as a shock to me, when I found that many homeless people have absolutely no interaction or contact with anyone except for the volunteer workers who speak with them on a weekly basis. Community is positively related to a subjective sense of well-being. The lack of community, suggests that homelessness is not only an issue of living rough and dangerously, but that homelessness also creates deeper problems relating to spirituality (Davidson & Colter, 1989). Numerous studies conducted by Karren, Hafen, Frandsen and Smith (2006), shine light upon the relationship between the mind and the body. A human being requires social interaction and support to remain mentally healthy. Quite often while working for DRUG-ARM, a client will be visibly, emotionally moved, just by the reality that somebody is taking the time to listen to them speak about their day to day struggles. Similarly, their gratitude is obvious when a volunteer is happy to sit with them and support them when they feel the need to pray to their God. It is during moments like these, whether it is related to religion or not, where one feels the spirituality of communication and interaction.

Support organizations are not aiming to eliminate homelessness completely, as that isn’t a realistic goal. A homeless person needs social connections to “escape” from permanent homelessness (Bruhn, 2005). Martha Burt, describes homelessness as a “revolving-door” crisis, where some people just pass through, some people make multiple entries and exits and others never leave without the help of someone else (1992). This is the aim of support organizations; primarily to build rapport, identify needs and to provide information on where to seek out further support. These are the characteristics of a community. Therefore, support organizations and volunteers act as a temporary community for the homeless, by providing them with the support a community should provide, and to help them escape from their situation to rejoin the community they were once a part of.

The importance of community is made clear by numerous studies, books and articles. It is an aspect of life that is taken for granted, but upon deeper thought and closer observation one may realize how necessary it is. Without being part of a community, spirituality and religion can become meaningless. Without the essential connection to friends, family and the larger community, the wellbeing of an individual becomes negatively affected. Homelessness is the loss of connection with a community, and with this loss, comes the dangers of living on the street as well as the danger of losing ones sense of place, sense of meaning and overall solidarity, as well as risking damage to ones spirituality and wellbeing. Homelessness across the world is a major crisis, however right here in Brisbane, homelessness is also a serious issue. It is up to the stable members of society to understand the importance of being a part of a community and to offer a helping hand to those who are struggling to stay connected with the social interaction that promotes happiness and welfare.

 

Bauman, Z. (2001). Community. Seeking Safety in an Insecure World. Oxford: Polity Press

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2004). Counting the Homeless. Australian Census Analytic Program.

Bruhn, J. (2005). The Sociology of Community Connection. New York: Plenum Publishers.

Hollenbach, D. (1999). “Civil Rights and the Common Good: Some Possible Contributions of Religious Communities” In G. Orfield & H.J Lebowitz (Eds.) Religion, Race and Justice in a Changing America (pp. 169-174) New York: Century Foundation Press

Newman, C.  (2005) BCC Urges Move-on Powers for Public ‘hot spots’. Retrieved March 22, 2009, from http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2005/11/24/1516368.htm

Salom, C. (2006) Communications & Values. DRUG-ARM SOS training workbook pp.5-8

Davidson, B., & Colter, R. (1989). Sense of Community and Political Participation.   Journal of Community Psychology, 17, pp.119-125.

Karren, K., Hafen, B., Frandsen, K., & Smith, L. (2006). Mind/Body Health: The Effects of Attitude, Emotioms and Relationships. San Fransico: Pearson/Benjamin Cummings

Burt, M. (1992) Over the edge: The growth of homelessness in the 1980s. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

 

 

 

 

Popping The God Pill

Menreet Kaur

In the course of our lifetime, we are bound to witness a family member or a close friend fall victim to a vicious disease or a dreadful handicap. The unfortunate amongst us, even receive predicted deadlines of death from doctors. When modern medicine has run its course and death is nothing but an inevitable step away, we still refuse to admit defeat because we know that we’ve still got our trump card in hand: God and his transcendent healing capabilities.

It gives us a sense of hope, trust, comfort and optimism that there is a superior being out there who has a hand in controlling the fate of our loved ones. A recent article in TIME magazine even shows how scientific studies prove that there is a certain truth to faith’s healing properties.

But what happens when this card gets abused?

People would rather start to seek spiritual healers first before professional doctors. Spiritual healers start to take advantage of vulnerable families. Marginalized society members start to throw caution to the wind on medical healthcare.

In my essay, I will explore how religion, specifically "faith healing" when done in negligent circumstances, is impeding on quality healthcare to society. Also, I will look at cases of irresponsible spiritual faith healers who have exploited members of society causing them monetary loss, harm and/or death. I aim to lift the veil off this as I also share with you my personal experience regarding this matter in Singapore.

The Encyclopaedia Britannica defined faith healing as "a form of mind cure characterized by the doctrine that while pain and disease really exist, they may be neutralized or dispelled by faith in Divine power."

Imperative to this discussion is "The Cha Study". This study shows a highly significant effect of prayer on women with chronic infertility. It has sparked massive debate with its inclusion in scientific journals. According to the Commission for Scientific Medicine (2005) and Mental Health and the Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine (2004), this has significant impact to how health and medical care policies are made.

Since 2002, 38 states in North America have laws that permit parents to reject medical treatment for their children in favour of faith healing. (Robinson, 2005, para. 3) This is in regard to the Christian Scientists claiming that previous laws were discriminating against their religious expressions. Swan (2000) rejected "religion-related abuse" in children after having her own son die in the hands of Christian Scientist religion. In a study she carried out, she "analyzed the deaths which occurred between 1975 and 1995 of 200 U.S. children, who were associated with eighteen different religious sects that object to medical care. [She] was able to obtain documentation on 172 of these cases sufficient to conclude that medical care was withheld on religious grounds. And of those 172 children, 140 of them would have had a 90 percent or better probability of survival if adequate medical care had been provided in a timely way." (Swan, 2000, p.26)

We all have a curiosity for the mystical. Reverend Peter Popoff preyed on this weakness and snagged himself a US national television show where he performed his healing crusades. According to his accountant, he raked in $4.3 million dollars a month when he was at his peak in 1987. Following an exposé on his deception and trickery, Popoff remained victim to multiple lawsuits. (Randi, 1989) But the terrifying question here is: Then what happened to the sickly that were on the show? They were duped into thinking that they have been cured and the implications could mean that they might have even stopped taking their medication that would have been beneficial to them. There have been many such faith healers who have followed in the footsteps of Popoff, causing the same set of repercussions in society.

My thirty-two year old cousin, who is of Sikh faith, has been trying to have a baby for the past three years. Doctors told her that she has got no chance of conceiving unless a mediated fertility technique was used. Unfortunately, the cost of this medical procedure was too exorbitant for her. Desperate to have a child, she started to seek spiritual healers of various religions who promised results. Some of them were mild, whispering a prayer and rubbing holy water on her belly. Others were more dramatic, wailing and screaming towards the "demonic possessions" that were "within her" and disrupting her from having a child. Nails, glass and fire were some of the tools that were used as part of a ritual. Not only did she suffer incredulous pain, it was also hazardous to her health. All of the faith healers that she approached in Singapore also charged between AUD$50-200 for their services.

For something that could not indefinitely prove itself to work, this was a price that was too much to pay. It has been two years since she approached the faith healers but unfortunately, she still remains barren. Just from this recollection alone, the amount of social justice issues present is immense.

1.Rising healthcare costs that has led to no access of modern medical techniques

2.There is no consent needed from "patients". Faith healers are allowed to practice in whatever way they deem fit and the "patient" humbly follows, regardless of any harm caused.

3.There are no policies or laws that safeguard the individual practice of faith healing.

Taking a leaf out of his book "Man Cures, God Heals", I feel that Kubi very succinctly distinguishes the two terms that we have taken to use interchangeably for granted. He refers to healing as "restoring the equilibrium to the otherwise strained" and curing as "an event that is the work of man". (p.81)

There is more that needs to be done to regulate faith healing around the world. It is pervasive in many cultures and countries, especially amongst the poorer areas. Therefore, there is a pressing need to provide and educate citizens on quality healthcare services so that the rate of neglecting health based on religion remains low.

References:
Flamm, B.L. (2004) Faith Healing Confronts Modern Medicine. The Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine, 8.1, 9-10.

Flamm, B.L. (2005) Inherent Dangers of Faith-Healing Studies. Commission for Scientific Medicine and Mental Health. 8.2, 1-12

Kluger, J. (2009) TIME: The Biology of Belief. Retrieved March 19, 2009 from http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1879016,00.html

Kubim, A. (1981) Man Cure/God Heals. United States: Allanheld, Osmun & Co. Publishers

Randi, J. (1987) The Faith Healers. New Jersy: Prometheus Books.

Robinson, B.A. (2005) Faith Healing Legal Aspects: Religious Exemption in Child Abuse Laws. Retrieved March 18, 2009 from http://www.religioustolerance.org/medical1.htm

Swan, R. (2000) When faith fails children--religion-based neglect: Pervasive, deadly...and legal?. The Humanist, 6.6, 11-17.

Ajahn Joe Smith - Diversity and Pluralism

I was a devout Christian, both Pentecostal and not, for 10 years. At 21 I became a Buddhist and have lived in an ethnic non-Christian faith community [Thai Buddhist] for about 5 years. So, I have first hand experience of many of the difficulties the Cahill and colleagues (Cahill et al.) spoke of regarding those communities in Australia. From this background I appreciated what I thought was Cahill and colleagues’ accurate description of the religious profile of Australia, both past and current, including non-Christian faith communities.

I thought Cahill and colleagues did encompass, accept and respect the Australia’s diverse religious profile rather than just coming from a point of toleration. I believe that is the essential point which needs to be understood regarding “diversity” (Rock). It was in their discussion of “social capital” that their attitude of embracing and celebrating diversity became clearest for me. On page 73 Cahill and colleagues reported comments on the way social capital could be destroyed. I thought they should have tried to summarise the comments in a basic principle like “focussing on difference exclusively, without [firstly] recognising similarities, or common ground”.

On page 99 Cahill and colleagues said “The use of the exemplary Christian prayer, the Our Father, to commence each parliamentary day was raised though some Christian leaders considered it ought to be acceptable to all faiths since the name of Jesus is never mentioned.” I was disappointed that Cahill and colleagues did not show understanding of the religious position of Muslims at this point; specifically that Muslims do not think of Allah [God] as a “father”. I think not ding so would be an example of Cahill and colleagues’ Judeo-Christian religious bias.

I thought Cahill and colleagues approached the topic in a pluralistic way, which valued diverse cultures, but still maintained core principles of Australian government ("Pluralism"). Many of the definitions I found online for pluralism did not mention the latter aspect. It would cause many social problems in Australia, if a faith community could establish a religious dictatorship and not be bound by democratic principles, on the grounds of religious freedom.


References

Cahill, Desmond, et al. Religion, Cultural Diversity and Safeguarding Australia : A Partnership under the Australian Government's Living in Harmony Initiative. Canberra: Dept. of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs and Australian Multicultural Foundation in association with the World Conference of Religions for Peace, RMIT University and Monash University, 2004.

"Pluralism". 2009. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. March 16 2009.

Rock, M. "Definition of Diversity". 1999. University of Oregon. March 16 2009.

Welcome

Welcome to the 2009 program of Religion and Society at The University of Queensland. The blog is a wonderful resource of writing and reflection on some of the major issues in society today and how religion and spirituality are played out in relation to social change. Reflective essays, reviews of articles, and comments on social justice issues form the bulk of work here and we hope you will find the information useful and interesting.